You shouldn't feel guilty for not helping him; after all, you have helped him many times in the past.
我从事英译汉工作已经有许多年了,但是,对于上面句子里的 after all 总是不知如何翻译才好。许多英汉辞典都把它译为“毕竟”,我在翻译实践中也就只好从众了。但是,对于这种译法,我一直是不满意的。
充当句子状语的after all是我国翻译界目前尚未找到适当译法的一个常用短语。请看下面的实例及其汉译文：
- After all, computers do not have the ability to work creatively. 所有计算机毕竟都不能
进行创造性的工作。（《科技英语常用词及词组用法手册》）
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But even in the most favourable circumstances only a small fraction of the creatures that die are preserved in this way before decay sets in or, even more likely, before scavengers eat them. After all, all living creatures live by feeding on something else, whether it be plant or animal, dead or alive. (NCE, 4, L. 26) 但是即使在最有利的条件下，死去的生物也只有很小一部分能够在开始腐烂之前，或者更可能在被食腐动物吃掉之前，就以这种方式保存下来。一切生物毕竟都是靠吃别的东西来活命的，不管那东西是植物还是动物，死的还是活的。[《新概念英语学习参考》(四)，外研社，p. 76]
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After all, it is a waste of time to go over ground that has already been covered thoroughly. 毕竟，对于已经充分研究过的领域再去研究一番是浪费时间。[上海交大《英语》(三)教参]
可以想象,译者们把 after all 译为“毕竟”,肯定有过怀疑和犹豫,但在英汉辞典中又找不到其他译法,也只好译作“毕竟”了。
但是,如果我们对 after all 的意义和用法进行较深入的研究,就会发现,after all 具有两种不同的含义和用法:1. 用作修饰句子成分的副词,可译作“毕竟”“终究”等,例如,He failed after all.(他毕竟还是失败了。)这个句子暗含着:尽管他作了种种努力。这种用法的 after all 与汉语的“毕竟”是等值的,因为汉语的“毕竟”表示“追根究底所得的结论”。上面几个句中的 after all 显然不属于此种用法。2. 用作句子状语(sentence adverbial),引出听话人或读者似乎忘记了的某个重要的论点或某个很好的理由,也就是说,它起到说服人的作用,提醒对方:“下面是一条你还没有考虑到的有力论据”。EED 是这样释义的:You use after all when you want to emphasize something that other people might have forgotten. 这种用法的 after all 可以译作:“须知”“要知道”“应记住”“别忘记”“要注意”“因为”等等(这种解释和汉译法完全符合你所问的句子)。例如:
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Why is he not allowed to stay here? After all, it's his home. 为什么不允许他留在这里？别忘了，这是他的家呀。
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After all, I've nothing to be ashamed of. (Galsworthy) 要知道,我并没有什么可羞愧的。
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This is, after all, the least important part of the problem. 须知, 这是这个问题最无足轻重的部分。
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I think we should let her go on holiday alone. After all, she is fifteen; she's not a child any more. (PEU) 我认为我们应当让她独自去度假。别忘了，她已经15岁了，不再是小孩子了。
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Of course, she behaved awfully, but after all, she is your sister. (Macaulay) 当然, 她的举止是很糟糕的, 不过, 你别忘了, 她是你的妹妹呀。
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After all, he's only 6 years old. 别忘了,他才6岁啊。
请读者自己来分析并改正下面译文中的毛病：
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Asia, after all, is rich in materials. 亚洲终究是原料丰富的。(《英汉辞海》)
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After all, he may be right. 归根结底,他还可能是对的。(《英语常用词用法词典》,商务印书馆,p.39)
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Americans, after all, come forward to embrace the foreign TV-man so welcomingly that all he need do is stand there and occasionally put out his foot. 毕竟，美国人上前来如此欢迎地拥抱这位外来的电视人，以至他需要做的一切就是站在那儿，间或伸伸脚。（《英语准确用词词典》）
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After all, it is quite possible that there is life out there in the universe. And if something is alive, it is quite possible that it will come to visit us. [上海交大《英语》(二), p.2] 总之, 在外层空间很可能存在着生物, 而如果真有某种生物存在的话, 那就完全有可能来访问我们。(教参)
还有一点必须注意,就是作“毕竟”“终究”解的 after all 大都位于句末,而用作句子状语
的 after all 一般位于句首或者位于句中。请注意作“毕竟”解的 after all 的位置：
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Many people in Europe in the Middle Ages thought that Galileo was wrong, but he was right after all. 中世纪欧洲有许多人都以为伽利略是错误的，但他毕竟还是对的。
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I thought I was going to fail the exam, but I passed after all. 我原以为这次考试不会及格了，可我毕竟还是及格了。
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So you did come after all. (Dreiser) 你终究还是来了。
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Sophie immediately closed the lid and looked up. 'We had the account number after all,' she said. (Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code) 索菲合上盖子，抬头说道：“我们终究还是找到了账号。”(《达·芬奇密码》)