NOTE 1.navel-gazing n.Slang Excessive introspection, self-absorption, or concentration on a single issue: "The optimistic trend masks a looming problem, which has sent the travel industry into a renewed bout of navel-gazing" (Financial Times).
2.《无敌金刚》 剧情：空军上校史蒂夫奥斯汀,一个宇航员在月球上走过了致命的伤害,这简直是在飞机失事的人。他的许多损坏的部件都换成了实验仿生肢体,包括他的右臂,他的左眼,和双腿。这些仿生给他超级大国比如增加的速度和力量和能力看见长的距离。美国政府支付回来花费600万美金重建他,奥斯丁的办公室上班的科学调查研究代理,外国间谍,疯狂的科学家,轰炸机、外星人,甚至“大脚”。 3.Sheng is a Swahili-based patois or slang-based language, originating in Nairobi, Kenya, and influenced by the many languages spoken there. The word is coined from the two words - (S)wahili and (Eng)lish.
Hi,your did an excellent job,however,i have a question as follows.＠“The abiding impression is of alurching forward, of Kenya as much as Mr Wainaina.＠how about translating like that 这一永恒的印象更多的是Kenya这个国家跌跌撞撞的前进，而不仅仅是Mr.Wainaina。
myth323 发表于 2011-7-24 09:10
Hi,your did an excellent job,however,i have a question as follows.＠“The abiding impression is of a ...
关于这一句确实挺让我头疼的~
整句话可以paraphrase为''The abiding impression is of a lurching forward of Kenya, as much as it is a lurching forward of Mr. Wanaina."
所以我才那样翻译的。
说实话看了你我的译文，我觉得都很怪，让只看中文的读者会不知所云·
2. He grew up speaking English; a later adoption of Sheng, a slang based on Swahili, energises him.成长于英语环境之中，而后Sheng俚语给予了他活力。这种俚语是基于斯瓦希里语发展起来。
这句译得不够连贯
他成长于英语环境之中，后来又学习了Sheng俚语，正是这种以斯瓦希里语为基础的俚语赋予了他无限活力。
2. He grew up speaking English; a later adoption of Sheng, a slang based on Swahili, energises him.成长于英语环境之中，而后Sheng俚语给予了他活力。这种俚语是基于斯瓦希里语发展起来。
这句译得不够连贯
他成长于英语环境之中，后来又学习了Sheng俚语，正是这种以斯瓦希里语为基础的俚语赋予了他无限活力。
同样，这句话要调整的空间也很大。你说的没错，我很赞成增加“又学习了。。。”，不过我觉得"a slang based on Swahili"这个属于插入成分作解释说明用，还是可以独立成句的。如果译作前置定语当然也可以。只是我更倾向拆开来。不知道哪一种更符合汉语的特点呢~
established himself 崭露头角：头上的角已明显地突出来了。指初显露优异的才能
establish ~ sb/sth / yourself (in sth) (as sth)： to hold a position for long enough or succeed in sth well enough to make people accept and respect you
名声的建立和崭露头角可不同哟，遥远的老乡
He co-founded Kwani
原译：他共同创立了位于内罗毕的《宽尼文学日报》
co-found赞同contrary的翻译
Kwani： is Kenya's first literary journal, founded in 2003. It was set up by some of Kenya's new writers, including Binyavanga Wainaina and Muthoni Garland published by Kwani Trust.
像这种在中国比较冷门的，还没有对应的翻译的，可以直接用英语，加上书名号。
如果要译为中文，journal 译为期刊比较好，因为文学这东西，每天出一期，质量肯定不高。
Such is Mr Wainaina’s force of personality and his enthusiasm for promoting the arts of Africa that it would be cheering to report that his first book, “One Day I Will Write About This Place”, is worth the wait.
such...that.句型such放于句首，强调作用，这个意思没译出来。
BINYAVANGA WAINAINA, a Kenyan writer, first established himself by winning the Caine prize for African writing in 2002.
对于这一句里的first established himself若不用崭露头角，有什么更好的建议吧。把中文搬出来一比较，我一时没有更好的主意了。求指教哈
怎么说，such...with...我也知道是一个强调的意思，可是在翻译成中文时，很遗憾，受困于英文，同时中文上又欠缺火候，就变成这般平淡的句子了。另外，若按照“如此...以至于”来翻译，那就太怪了。另外之另外，"Such is Mr Wainaina’s force of personality and his enthusiasm for promoting the arts of Africa that it would be cheering to report that his first book, “One Day I Will Write About This Place”, is worth the wait."呵呵 such应该与这个that是一对~~
Anyhow. 这句话我再琢磨琢磨。
co-opted 中和
co opt
1.choose or elect as a fellow member or colleague
2.neutralize or win over through assimilation into an established group
3.appoint summarily or commandeer
4.take or assume for one's own use
我选第四个意思，就像看热闹一样，看着觉得不错，自己不知不觉就被卷进去了，别人这样建议，他就这样做。你的“中和”估计是想表达这个意思吧？但中和需要两个极端，文章只提到了美国的创意写作，没提及他自己本来的文风。而且本句是被动句，他被..
much of the African writing culture that remains on the continent, including Kwani?, is propped up with cash from the Western donors that African writers purport to excoriate.
原译：相反，为什么是相反？包括《宽尼文学日报》在内这个日报不是作家哦的大部分非洲作家writing culture译成作家，不妥吧？，仍然仅着眼于非洲大陆。同时，这些非籍作家们一方面接受来自西方的大量经济支援，另一方面又意图谴责（整个句子不那么合题意）这些金援者。这是啥子意思哟？创意？
试译：西方的捐助者用金钱支持着非洲大陆遗留的写作文化--包括kwani，但作家们虚张声势的要揭开他们的真面目。（唉，自己也不满意，但就这水平了）
only to be reduced by prevailing navel-gazing 但最终往往导致作家目光如豆
reduce by 和reduce to，要分清
还有，only to的主语是什么？
His Africa is not the romantic, almost Caledonian, view of nature and costume which dominate white writing about the continent.
原译：他笔下的非洲并不浪漫，这种浪漫更像过去人们将苏格兰看成一片野蛮、未开化的地域一般。
他笔下的非洲，近似古苏格兰....
white writing 指白人作家都这么认为。外国人的想法很浪漫，一厢情愿的认为他们没去过的地方如何如何，就像来中国的一些外国人，也带着憧憬。
make a name for oneself是一个固定词组，非正式的
意思是：使自己出名
例句：
He has made a name for himself by his broadcast talks.
他的广播谈话使他出了名。
He made a name for himself in science, but he remained modest.
他虽然在科学上出了名, 但仍然很谦虚。
-----------------------------------
如果for做解释，后面应该是for he teach at .....
Such is Mr Wainaina’s force of personality and his enthusiasm for promoting the arts of Africa that it would be cheering to report that his first book, “One Day I Will Write About This Place”, is worth the wait.
It is not. Mr Wainaina should not have been encouraged to write in the form of a memoir. He is not the only one to suffer from this. Too many African writers are co-opted by the American creative-writing scene only to be reduced by prevailing navel-gazing. Separately, much of the African writing culture that remains on the continent, including Kwani?, is propped up with cash from the Western donors that African writers purport to excoriate.
评论： It is not = His first book, “One Day I Will Write About This Place”, is NOT worth the wait.
这本书不值得读者如此期许。
Mr Wainaina should not have been encouraged to write in the form of a memoir.
鼓励瓦奈纳先生以回忆录的形式进行写作是个歪点子。
He is not the only one to suffer from this. Too many African writers are co-opted by the American creative-writing scene only to be reduced by prevailing navel-gazing.
他不是唯一的一个身受其害的作家。 已经有太多的非洲籍作家皈依臣服于美国创意写作界，结果却是被该界流行的反思自省所害，功力大减，无所成就。
Separately, much of the African writing culture that remains on the continent, including Kwani?, is propped up with cash from the Western donors that African writers purport to excoriate.
此外， 留下来植根于非洲大陆的创作文化之大部， 包括《宽尼文学期刊》在内， 都靠西方捐款者的金钱扶持， 而这些金援者却正是非洲作家们号称要斥责的人。
only 往往有出人意料，或 反而 的意思 （葛传规）
I went to see him, only to learn that he had left the city the night before
Failure only strengthened our determination.
The money Paul got only served to make him want more.
本文中 only 后加被动语态的不定式 only to be reduced。 这也没什么大了不起， 比如上面的一句， 也可改
I went to see him, only to learn that he had left the city the night before
I went to see him, only to be told that he had left the city the night before
赞哈~学习咯~
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