1705047040
我从小就对自己没有信心，这是问题的根子。这种情绪使我受到一点点表扬都会难为情，使我怎么也说不出一个“不”字，也使我不敢向父母多要一分钱。此外，这种缺乏信心的情况也影响了我对钢琴的热爱。
1705047041
1705047042
对于这样一段文字，不用转义词的英译是：
1705047043
1705047044
I lacked confidence since childhood, which was the root of the problem. I would feel embarrassed while receiving the slightest praise. I found it hard to say “no”. I even dared not to ask for one more cent from my parent. Besides, this lack of confidence also influenced my love for the piano.
1705047045
1705047046
译文老实，也很“信”。却处处能看到汉语的影子，不仅是句子结构，还有措辞，同时也不见英语转义词。英语的转义词是一种丰富“资源”。资源一旦流失，译文便色泽黯淡！
1705047047
1705047048
转义资源，一旦“开发”，其英译将是怎样一种情景呢？请读译文：
1705047049
1705047050
At the root of it is my diffidence by which I have been enslaved since childhood. It embarrasses me at the mildest flattery, crushes my utmost efforts to say “no”, and prevents me from asking my parents for one cent more than necessary. Among other things, diffidence has wormed its way into my love of the piano.
1705047051
1705047052
且不说译文的句子由原来的五句变成了三句，且不说译文出现了倒装句及非人称主语句，单单几个转义词的成功运用，就让读者感到新意扑面。比如enslaved, crushes, wormed (its way into)等等。
1705047053
1705047054
enslave用作动词时，其本义是“使……成为奴隶；奴役”。这好像是一个很少被想到、被用到的英语单词，岂料“我从小就对自己没有信心”的英译竟然用上了enslave！不敢想象。打开词典，方才恍悟！enslave的这种转义用法并不罕见。以《英汉大词典》为例，就收入了以下例句：
1705047055
1705047056
His alcoholism has completely enslaved him.
1705047057
1705047058
嗜酒癖使他完全身不由己。
1705047059
1705047060
He was enslaved by too many bad habits.
1705047061
1705047062
他染上了许多恶习。
1705047063
1705047064
同理，动词crush的本义是“压碎，碾碎；压服；压垮；粉碎；（使）变形”等。也是一个我们绝少想到用其转义的单词。不料，上译竟然使用my utmost efforts to say “no”作为动词crush的宾语！
1705047065
1705047066
最后，成语worm its way into的转义也被用得恰到好处。始料不及的是，其主语竟然是抽象名词diffidence！
1705047067
1705047068
转义词，化平淡为神奇！另如：
1705047069
1705047070
急流冲下了山，像狮子在怒吼。建筑工地也失去了平静，工人们急忙起床，发现自己的脚踩在水里。一百多工人同时向南奔跑，但是，那里的洪水已经有两英尺深，浊浪翻滚，工人们只得在混乱中半途而返。东面和西面也没有退路，唯一的出路是北面的一条狭窄的木桥。
1705047071
1705047072
转义词的运用为译文添色：
1705047073
1705047074
Torrents of water rushed down the mountain, roaring like an angry lion. The construction site awoke. The workmen rolled off their beds only to step into water. More than 100 thronged southward simultaneously. But there, floodwater more than two feet deep was whirling a wild dance, so the workman had to draw back halfway in disorder. There was no way out eastward or westward either. The only savior then was a narrow wooden bridge in the north.
1705047075
1705047076
原文精彩，英译照样精彩。译文中出现的三个词（awoke, rolled, savior），用其本义时，本是寻常词。如：
1705047077
1705047078
awoke (vi. ): to rouse from sleep
1705047079
1705047080
rolled (vi. ): to move by turning on an axis or over and over
1705047081
1705047082
savior (n. ): a person who saves
1705047083
1705047084
可是，当它们以转义的新面目出现时，全句乃至全段译文顿时生色。若以非转义词来“覆盖”以上译文中的转义词，译文将顿趋苍白。试比较句a（含转义）与句b（不含转义）：
1705047085
1705047086
a. The construction site awoke.
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1705047088
b. The construction site suddenly became active and noisy.
1705047089
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