一.词义的选择

选择和确定词义通常从以下两个方面着手：

1.先判明词性再确定词义：

    He likes mathematics more than physics.

　　他喜欢数学甚于喜欢物理学。(动词)

　　2)In the sunbeam passing through the window there are fine grains of dust shining like gold.

　　在射入窗内的阳光里，细微的尘埃像金子一般在闪闪发亮。(前置词)

　　3)Like knows like.

　　英雄识英雄。(名词)

2.根据上下文及搭配来确定词义：

    He is the last man to come.

　　他是最后来的。

　　2)He is the last man to do it.

　　他决不会干那件事。

　　3)He is the last person for such a job.

　　他最不配干这个工作。

　　4)He should be the last (man) to blame.

　　怎么也不该怪他。

　　5)He is the last man to consult.

　　根本不宜找他商量。

　　6)This is the last place where I expected to meet you.

　　我怎么也没料到会在这个地方见到你。

    1) To take off her boots or to put them on was an agony to her, but it had been an agony for year.

　　脱鞋或穿鞋对她是一种痛苦，但这已是多年以来的痛苦了。

　　2) An area the size of the Hornet's flight deck was marked off on an airstrip and they practiced taking off time after time from this restricted space.

　　在机场上标出了大黄蜂号甲板一样大小的一块地方，他们(机组人员)一次又一次地练习从这样一块有限的面积上起飞。

　　3) He always sits on the very edge of his chair when he is working, as though about to take off.

　　他工作的时候，总是坐在椅子边上，好像随时都会跳起身来的样子。

　　4) Their first major design was a pleated denim jean with external pockets dubbed "baggies" that took off in high schools and colleges and soon was imitated by other apparel manufacturers.

　　他们的头一项重要设计是一种打摺的、缝上明袋的蓝色斜纹粗布裤，这种裤子人们称为“袋子”，在中学和大学中首先流行，接着别的服装商店也都很快仿制起来。

二.词义的引申

1.将词义做抽象化引申

　A.将表示具体形象的词译成该形象所代表的属性的词

　　1)There is a mixture of the tiger and the ape in the character of the imperialists.

　　帝国主义者的性格既残暴，又狡猾。

　　这里把tiger(老虎)和ape(猿)这两个具体形象引申为这两个形象所代表的属性：“残暴”和“狡猾”。

　　2)Every life has its roses and thorns.

　　每个人的生活都有甜有苦。

　　这里把roses(玫瑰)和thorns(刺)这两个具体形象引申为这两个形象所代表的属性：“甜”和“苦”。

  B.将带有特征性形象的词译成该形象所代表的概念的词

    1) In fact, the Bavarian environment was so charged with Nazi sentiment throughout the 1920s that Hitler's storm troops goosestepped into power in Furth in 1930 ...

　　事实上，在整个二十年代，纳粹党在巴伐利亚一带已博得公众好感，以至于在一九三零年，希特勒的冲锋队员就耀武扬威地夺取了菲尔特镇的权力。

　　To goosestep是从名词Goosestep(鹅步;正步)转化来的动词，本作“鹅步走”或“正步走”解，这里goosestepped into根据例句上下文引申为“耀武扬威地夺取”。

　　2) See-sawing between partly good and faintly ominous, the news for the next four weeks was never distinct.

　　在那以后的四个星期内，消息时而部分有所好转，时而又有点不妙，两种情况不断地交替出现，一直没有明朗化。

　　See-sawing是从see-saw(跷跷板)转化而来的动词，本作“玩跷跷板”解，这里根据上下文引申为“两种情况不断地交替出现”。

2.将词义做具体化引申

  A. 英语中也有用代表抽象概念或属性的词来表示一种具体事物，译成汉语时一般可作具体化引申。

　　1) As the Politburo gave the go-ahead to Brezhnev, Nixon and Kissinger were meeting in the President's Kremlin apartment, prepared to accept a setback on SALT.

　　在政治局向勃列日涅夫开放绿灯时，尼克松和基辛格正在克里姆林宫的总统下榻处开会，准备承受限制战略武器会谈失败的挫折。

　　2) Vietnam was his entree to the new Administration, his third incarnation as a foreign policy consultant.

　　越南战争成了他进入新政府的敲门砖。他担任政府的对外政策顾问，那是第三次了。

  B. 英语中有些词在特定的上下文中，其含义是清楚的，但译成汉语时还必须作具体化的引申，否则就不够清楚。

　　1) The car in front of me stalled and I missed the green.

　　我前头的那辆车停住了，我错过了绿灯。

　　2) Jewish-owned shops were shut down. Swastikas replaced six-pointed stars. The walls of anti-Semitism were closing in.

　　犹太人的铺子关闭了。卐字旗取代了六角星旗。反犹太主义的包围圈一天紧似一天。

三.词义的褒贬

   A.英语中有些词本身就有褒贬意义，汉译时就应相应地表达出来，如：

　　1)He was a man of high renown (fame).

　　他是位有名望的人。(褒)

　　2)His notoriety as a rake did not come until his death .

　　他作为流氓的恶名是他死后才传开的。(贬)

　　3)The tasks carried out by them are praiseworthy.

　　他们进行的事业是值得赞扬的。(褒)

　　4)Henry keeps boasting that he has talked to the President.

　　亨利总是吹嘘说他曾同总统谈过话。(贬)

　　5)"He was polite and always gave advice willingly," she recalled.

　　她回忆说，“他彬彬有礼，总是诲人不倦。”(褒)

　　6)We were shocked by his coarse manners.

　　我们对他的粗暴态度感到震惊。(贬)

  B.英语中有些词义是中立的，本身不表示褒义或贬义，但在一定的上下文中可能有褒贬的意味，汉译时就应该用具有褒贬意味的相应的词来表达，如：

　　a. 需要用褒义的词来表达

　　1) Once early in 1974,while driving along the San Diego Freeway from Clemente to Los Angeles, he was asked to reflect on his hopes and ambitions.

　　一九七四年初，有人同他一起驱车从克利门蒂沿圣地亚哥公路去洛杉机，途中请他谈

　　了他的希望和抱负。

　　2) "After all," counseled Sonnenfeldt, "you're the only Republican I know with the proper academic credentials. "Kissinger demurred. Such an offer, he said, was highly unlikely.

　　索南费尔特劝他说，“共和党里我知道只有你一个人具有这适当的学术方面的条件。”基辛格免不了谦虚一番，说恐怕不大可能给他这样的职位吧。

　　3) The two politicians talked for no more than minutes, at a significant moment in their careers.

　　两位政治家交谈了仅仅五分钟。这次谈话是在他们一生事业的重大时刻进行的。

   a. 需要用贬义的词来表达

　　1) He was a man of integrity, but unfortunately he had a certain reputation.I believe the reputation was not deserved.

　　他是一个正直诚实的人，但不幸有某种坏名声。我相信他这个坏名声是不该有的。

　　2) Then, just as Chinese friends arrived who might secure my journey,the Russians arrested me as a "spy"and sent me out through Poland.(A.L.Strong)

　　后来，就在那些可能为我安排旅行的中国朋友刚刚到达的时侯，俄国人把我当作“间谍”而逮捕了我，并把我驱逐出境，取道波兰。

　　3) He had lied to me and made me the tool of his wicked deeds.

　　他欺骗了我，是我成了他进行罪恶勾当的工具。

　　4) As a demanding boss,he excepted total loyalty and dedication from his employees.

　　他是个苛刻的老板，要求手下的人对他忠心耿耿，鞠躬尽瘁。

　　5) Those who do not remember the past are condemned to relive it .

　　凡是忘掉过去的人注定要重蹈覆辙。