翻译研究 | “合作共赢”英语怎么说?

“合作共赢”是目前中国最流行的词语之一。我国翻译界一般都将其译成win-win cooperation。这个译法不能说不行,但总觉得有点不对味。原因在于:cooperation的本身就是指a process of working together to the same end,“共赢”的含义已经包含在cooperation之中,硬要加上win-win多少显得有点多余。

不过,多余的用法在英语里也不是不常见。虽然win-win cooperation是中国翻译界的创造,interactive discussion的说法可不是产生于中国。这个说法也同样给人一种累赘的感觉,因为discussion已经包含了interactive的意思。尽管如此,这样的用法仍然广泛使用。

然而,累赘是不是永远无关紧要呢?是不是可以肆无忌惮地使用累赘术语呢?对此,我倒是有保留,偶尔附和一下似乎未尝不可,大肆到处使用恐怕不是上策,这种用法毕竟会影响文章的质量。

Interactive如果与某些本身不含“互动”意思的词语搭配使用,如interactive lecture, interactive activity, interactive meeting等等,那就会合理得多。同样,win-win如果与其他比较“中性”的词语搭配使用,那也会自然得多,如a win-win situation, a win-win scenario, a win-win result, a win-win game(相对于a zero-sum game)等等。

有鉴于此,在翻译“合作共赢”时,最好根据具体语境灵活处理。这次翻译“一路一带”关键词时对“合作共赢”是这样处理的:

  1. 在中国共产党十八大报告中,“命运共同体”被作为一种促进中国与世界实现合作共赢关系的理念而被明确提出。
    The idea of building a community with a shared future was first discussed in a report to the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012. It was seen as contributing to China’s engagement with the rest of the world in pursuit of win-win results.
  2. 在长期交往过程中,各国之间形成了“团结互信、平等互利、包容互鉴、合作共赢,不同种族、不同信仰、不同文化背景的国家可以共享和平,共同发展”的丝路精神。
    Throughout the millennia, interaction along this route has shaped the Silk Road spirit, which is embodied in solidarity and mutual trust, equality and mutual benefit, inclusiveness, a disposition to learn from each other, and cooperation in finding win-win solutions.
  3. 实现“一带一路”倡议与“16+1合作”机制的有效对接,将为中国-中东欧合作列车装载“超级引擎”,拓宽沿线国家的企业投资之路、贸易之路,开拓中国与中东欧国家的合作共赢之路。
    A more effective alignment between the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and the “16+1” framework will create a super engine for the train of China-CEE cooperation, expand the channels of investment and trade for the countries along the route, and bring benefits to both China and the CEE countries.

本文作者:蔡力坚,联合国秘书处原高级译审,美国明德大学蒙特雷国际研究学院客座教授,“中国关键词”英文审定稿人。

(中国翻译研究院)