英文的同音异形字(homophone)是较为常见的修辞手段,如果运用巧妙,可收到不同寻常的艺术效果。英国儿童文学作家卡罗尔便擅长运用这一技巧,我们试举其《阿丽思漫游奇境记〉中的两个例子:
"I beg your pardon," said Alice very humbly: "you had got to the fifth bend, I think?"
"I had not!" cried the Mouse, sharply and very angrily.
"A knot!" said Alice, always ready to make herself useful, and looking anxiously about her. "Oh, do let me help to undo it!" (Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 3)
对其中的同音字not和knot,有人这样译:
“请原谅,”阿丽思很恭顺地说,“我想你是讲到第五个拐弯的地方吧?”
“我还没讲到!”耗子生气地尖声喊道。
“打了一个结!”阿丽思说,她总是乐于帮助别人,所以焦急地看看周围。“啊,让我帮你把它解开!”
(《阿丽思漫游奇境记〉,第41页)
译文过于死板,令读者莫名其妙。试比较赵元任先生的译文:
“……你说到了第五个弯了,不是吗?”
那老鼠很凶很怒地道:“我没有到!”
爱丽丝道:“你没有刀吗?让我给你找一把罢!”
(转引自〈大学英汉翻译教程》,第132页)
赵译用“到”和“刀”巧妙地再现了原文的幽默。再如: