翻译天堂  2016-10-14

有的人讲话非常直率、唐突，私下里，你可以以此为荣，但做口译的时候，不行。通常除了外交斗争需要用针锋相对的语言之外，其他绝大部分场合，都要用温婉的说法。

比如：中国可作为贵国资源性产品的稳定市场，同时中国的许多工业产品可满足贵国市场的需要。

Your resource-based products can find a stable market in China and Chinese industrial products can meet the needs of your market. 就不是一句好译文，因为这么说会让人担心天朝的产品要占领他们的市场，改成：You may find a stable market in China for your primary products and may also get a number of industrial products from China to meet some of your needs.就舒服多了。

再如：我想向大家介绍一下你们所关心的经济问题。

I wish to talk on China's economic development in which you are interested. 这个语气就太蜜汁自信了，观众才不感兴趣呢，呵呵呵。就算你知道听众感兴趣，最好也说得客气一点，改成 I would like to brief you on China's economic development, which might be of interest to you. 才是。

另外，请口译的（无论你是否承认）通常都是世俗意义上的成功人士、上层人物，所以，作为“服务行业”的口译，有必要掌握基本的礼仪和礼貌，否则就会产生距离感，有损自己的形象和口碑。

比如曾经有人遭到投诉，说这个口译跟警察似的，吓死个人，原因是他走到客人房间说：You have breakfast at 8, get your luggage downstairs at 8:30 and leave here for the airport at 9. OK? 语言简单粗暴生硬。同样的意思，换成：Breakfast is at 8. Would you please get your luggage downstairs at 8:30? We are going to leave here for the airport at 9. 就会让外宾舒服不少。

当然，还有个奇葩的女翻译总是用Hello而非Excuse me招呼外宾，说事情从来都加一句Attention please.结果被投诉说：I don't want to talk to that wild girl.——总之，各位，如果你打算做口译，could you please…替换Can you…，用I suggest/ It might be better换成 you 'd better，用there is a point in what you said, but…或者I hate to disagree with you, but 表达异议…诸如此类的礼貌、委婉表达，多用着点，准是没错的！

曾经有一个外国代表在国际会议上，要对一个国际会议领导职位候选人的提名表达不同意见，他说：

他是一位有经验的部长，并作出了出色的成绩。我们相信，他完全具有条件，可以成为一个杰出的会议主席。但是我不得不陈述我们对于这一提名的保留意见。请允许我向你们谈谈我们所关注的一些问题。这一主席的提名会被国际劳工组织以外的人误解为发出一个……的信号。

As an experienced Minister with a distinguished record of service, we are confident that he has all the attributes to be an outstanding president of this Conference…but I have to place before you some of the reservations that we have about this nomination. If I may, I will share with yo some of our concerns. Such a presidency will be misread by those outside the ILO as signaling that……

就堪称委婉表达的典范——学着点吧，女汉子和纯爷们们！愿你们对客户温柔以待！