張明

摘 要 在英文中有許多詞和短語與漢語“目的”意思相同，這些英文詞和短語都有漢語的“目的”之意。翻譯交流時這些詞極易造成誤用。本文列舉了富有說服力的例句，例證了在不同的語境下如何選擇英文詞和短語以將“目的”譯成貼切的英文。

關鍵詞 目的 語境 短語

中圖分類號：H319文獻標識碼：A

In English there are many words and phrase such as aim， goal， intention， etc having the meaning of ‘mudi in Chinese. When translating the Chinese words into English its not easy to pick out the right ones. In the paper the writer， based on his own experiences， lists some Chinese sentences to show the uses of the words.

（1）aim： stresses what you are hoping to achieve by a plan， action， or activity， adding effort directed toward attaining or accomplishing. It refers to something you hope to achieve by doing something signaling what and/or where you aspire to be by the end.

①其目的就是從這古老的石頭中提取氧氣。The aim is to extract the oxygen from the ancient rocks.

②這次襲擊引起日軍大規(guī)模反擊，目的是摧毀太平洋艦隊。The raid provoked a huge Japanese counterattack， aimed at destroying the U. S. Pacific Fleet.

（2）goal：refers to what a person， organization， or country hopes to achieve in the future， even though this might take quite a long time suggesting something attained by prolonged effort and hardship. It is something rewarding or fulfilling， inspiring a sustained endeavor.

①我在這個世界上唯一的目的是照顧她。Now my only goal in this world is to take care of her.

②管教孩子的終極目的是保護孩子安全。The ultimate goal of discipline should be to keep kids safe.

（3）intent： suggests clearer formulation or greater deliberateness. It is used in formal situation and more strongly implying deliberateness. Intent， a noun， an uncountable noun， means to have something in mind as a plan or purpose and implies a sustained unbroken commitment or purpose.

①我的目的是捍衛(wèi)言論自由，提高公眾意識，結束仇恨。My intent is to defend free speech， and to further public awareness and end hate.

②目的不是抓住所有的人，而是抓到足夠的人將消息傳出去。The intent is not to catch everyone but rather to catch enough to spread the word.

（4）Intention： It is a countable noun and a more everyday word， used in a wide range of situations， implying little more than what one has in mind to do or bring about. It simply signifies a course of action that one proposes to follow and it suggests an intermittent resolution or an initial aim or plan.

我的目的就是為這片沙漠帶來綠色。My intention is to color this desert in green.

（5）object：a specific outcome or result on which one is focused， more often applying to a more individually determined wish or need， especially when this may be difficult to achieve.

①與此同時他的目的達到了。In the meantime， her object was gained.

②本著兌現(xiàn)承諾的目的，我寫了起來。I am writing now with the object of fulfilling that promise.

（6）objective：a word used especially in business or politics implies something tangible and immediately attainable，meaning the result that one is working towards. An Objective is the means to achieving something signaling concrete attainments that can be achieved by following a certain number of steps.

但這次任務有自己的目的。But this mission has objectives of its own.

（7）purpose： a most general term stresses the desired result of one's actions or efforts implying a sense of dedication， signaling a more settled determination. One of the main differences between purpose and goal is in the time. People try to reach their goals by setting deadlines. On the other hand， deadlines are not applicable in a purpose.

①真實的戰(zhàn)略目標是襲擊所造成的最終的混亂局面。The real strategic purpose is the ultimate chaos that will result from such attack.

②我來的目的是讓你對她施加影響。My purpose in coming here is to induce you to use your influence over her.

Sometimes some of these words are often used interchangeably as they are pretty similar and have only subtle differences in them. In spoken language many people might not be careful enough to use them correctly. However depending on the context it can change the meaning of the sentence. So I think the explanation above is quite helpful.

參考文獻

[1] 上海外語教育出版社.朗文英語聯(lián)想活用詞典[M].上海外語教育出版社，1997.