可见,“侵略”只是aggression第一种释义中的一种情况,但很可能因为“侵略”在很多英汉词典中是aggression的第一条释义,人们将aggression与“侵略”画上了等号,将aggression的一种其实出现频率相对较低的情况,即国家发起的侵略行为,作为了aggression最常见的译法,不考虑中文表达习惯,生搬硬套。正确表达aggression应根据不同语境分析。在体育领域,《剑桥词典》已经明确了aggression释义,即forceful playing in sport that is intended to win points,因此,运动员“更具侵略性”其实就是“更加凶悍”、“增加主动出击次数”、“更为强调攻击”、“在比赛中采取攻势”等。
在描述汽车外观上,同样可以用“更加凶悍”甚至“更具杀气”来表达aggressive的含义。
“研究显示父亲每周工作超过55个小时 儿子更具侵略性甚至有暴力倾向”这句话中的“更具侵略性”可改为“更为易怒”。
另外两个aggressive的常见用法为aggressive marketing tactics和aggressive medical treatment。其中aggressive marketing tactics为贬义,比如:
Mr. Loucks, the prosecutor, accused Pfizer of aggressive marketing tactics.
“Among other things, Pfizer did the following: Pfizer invited doctors to consultant meetings, many in resort locations. Attendees expenses were paid; they received a fee just for being there,” he said. Such weekend getaways for doctors are still common throughout the drug and medical device industries.
(Pfizer Pays $2.3 Billion to Settle Marketing Case, https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/03/business/03health.html)
这里提到的制药商“辉瑞”请医生去游览胜地开会的aggressive marketing tactics或可译为“过度营销策略”。
Aggressive medical treatment与“保守治疗”相对,看到有译为“积极治疗”的,问题不大。
最后看这样一段话:
美国《华尔街日报》网站2017年12月27日报道称,2017年,技术以想象不到的方式把触角伸入人们的生活,比如伊奎法克斯公司网站被黑客入侵,以及亚马逊买下高价超市。2018年,技术的入侵可能更加怪异,也更具侵略性。
(http://news.163.com/18/0105/17/D7DDDC2R00018AOQ.html)
找到了相关报道原文:
It’s been a weird year. In 2017, technology spread its tentacles into our lives in ways we couldn’t have imagined—see the Equifax hack, Russia’s manipulation of Facebook, and Amazon’s purchase of everyone’s favorite overpriced supermarket. In 2018, expect the invasion to get even weirder—and more aggressive.
(https://www.wsj.com/articles/tech-that-will-change-your-life-in-2018-1514394043)