主题：【原创】翻译讨论 -- 人间树

1

现在看来，争论主要围绕着这句话：

Scientific conclusions derive from an understanding of basic laws

supported by laboratory experiments, observations of nature, and

mathematical and computer modeling.

被支持的到底是Scientific conclusions，basic laws 还是

understanding of basic laws 呢？

Scientific conclusions，完全不合语法，可以先排除。

understanding，马大善人说了值得重视的看法，他对科学的

观点是我完全赞同的。但他的观点在这里是否适用，还是个问题。

在语言实践中，不论英语还是汉语，人们都习惯于这样的说法：

The first basic law of motion is that of inertia and although this is known as Newton’s 1st law it was originally stated by Galileo Galilei.

牛一律是运动学的一条基本定律。

牛一律得到了实验的支持。

In one experiment, he burned phosphorus and sulfur in air to see whether the results further

由以上例子可见，基本定律得到实验支持是很普通的用法。

而如果要说我们对牛一律的理解得到了实验支持，或者说

understanding of basic laws supported by laboratory experiments

就很奇怪，没有人会这样说话。

当然，在马兄的框架里可以这样解释：

basic laws——道，是具体表述背后的东西。

而牛一律之类的具体表述-言说，是我们对道的理解。

这样解释也不是说不通，但就语言实践来说，我觉得还是我

的用法更容易接受些。

2

We also call for an end to McCarthy-like threats of criminal prosecution against our colleagues based on innuendo and guilt by association, the harassment of scientists by politicians seeking distractions to avoid taking action, and the outright lies being spread about them.

我们也呼吁，停止据于含沙射影和株连对我们的同事提出犯罪指控的麦卡锡式威胁，政治家为了避免采取行动借助骚扰科学家来分散注意力，以及散播关于科学家的赤裸裸谎言。

改：我们同时也呼吁，停止对我们的同事的麦卡锡式威胁———以含沙射影和牵强比附为据的犯罪指控，停止政客们对科学家的骚扰--意在逃避采取措施的责任而转移公众视线的搅混水，停止散布关于科学家的彻头彻尾的谎言。

评：树译重复运用“停止”是很好的选择，与我不谋而合。毛泽东组织长句时，常有类似方式。

试译：我们也呼吁，停止据于含沙射影和株连对我们的同事提出犯罪指控的麦卡锡式威胁，停止政客们为转移公众视线和回避采取行动而对科学家施以的骚扰，停止散布关于科学家的彻头彻尾的谎言。

上次没有注意到，九兄把guilt by association又译回株连了。

其实，guilt by association是一个有特定含义的术语：

An association fallacy is an inductive informal fallacy of the type hasty generalization or red herring which asserts that qualities of one thing are inherently qualities of another, merely by an irrelevant association. The two types are sometimes referred to as guilt by association and honor by association.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_fallacy

Some syllogistic examples of guilt by association are:

Hitler was a vegetarian. Hitler was pure evil. Therefore, vegetarians are pure evil.

株连表达的是残酷，其出发点是人身关系，而不是观点。

guilt by association表达的是逻辑混乱，其出发点是观点，而与人身关系无关。