例21．Almost at once the number of egg masses deposited on experimental goats began to decrease, as did their fertility. (Rachel Carson, Silent Spring)

    （在试验用的山羊身上产的卵块几乎立刻减少，其受精率亦下降。）

    例22．这五年，首先是农村改革带来许多新的变化，农作物大幅度增产，农民收入大幅度增加，乡镇企业异军突起。

        During those five years rural reform brought about many changes: grain output increased substantially, as did the peasants’ income, and rural enterprises emerged as a new force.

    例23．开始搞并不踊跃呀，好多人在看。我们的政策就是允许看。允许看，比强制好得多。

        At first, people were not enthusiastic about rural reform, and many waited to see how it would work. It was our policy to permit people to do that, which was much better than coercing them.

    例24．你们到农村去看了一下吗？我们真正的变化还是在农村，有些变化出乎我们的预料。

        Have you been to our countryside? The real changes have taken place there, and some of them have exceeded our expectations.

    译文用了there和them，以避免重复countryside和changes。

    有时英语为了避免重复，需要用一种完全新的表达方式。

    例25．Lift and lower the right leg 20 times. Repeat with the left leg.

（将右腿提放20次。再将左腿提放20次。）

    例26．现在国际上有一种议论，说中国改革的步子放慢了，政策要变。说放慢步子还有些根据，说政策要变就没有根据了。

        Lately some people abroad have been commenting that the pace of reform in China has slowed and predicting that the government is going to change its policies. There is some basis for the first assertion but none at all for the second.

    例27．多搞点“三资”企业，不要怕。只要我们头脑清醒，就不怕。

        We should have more of the three kinds of foreign-invested ventures (joint, cooperative and foreign-owned). There is no reason to be afraid of them. So long as we keep level-headed, there is no cause for alarm.

    有时一句话后半句表示的动作和前半句是一样的，只是把施事和受事颠倒一下。这在汉语里，后半句和前半句一般用同样的结构，略显重复。英语里则有一简单的说法：vice versa。

    例28．为了推动中美关系的发展，中国需要进一步了解美国，美国也需要进一步了解中国。

        To promote the development of China-U.S. relations, China needs to know the United States better and vice versa.

    有时为了加强语气，取得一定的修辞效果，故意重复句中的某些词语。这无论是在英语里还是在汉语里都是常见的。遇到这种情况，即便是英语也照样重复，而不用代称。

    例29．The world watches. The world listens. The world waits to see what we will do. (Speech by President Nixon)

    例30．中国愿与东盟各国永做好邻居、好伙伴、好朋友。

        China will forever be a good neighbor, a good partner and a good friend with ASEAN countries.

由此看来，英语也不是一概反对重复。汉译英时，恐怕要该避免时避免，该重复时重复，你说是不是？

作者：庄绎传，全国翻译专业资格（水平）考试英语专家委员会顾问，北京外国语大学教授

（来源：catti.net.cn）