16、Investigation led us to the above conclusion. 经过调查,我们得出了上述结论。 17、发现了错误,一定要改正。 Wrongs must be righted when they are discovered. 18、看树看果实,看人看作为。 A tree is known by its fruit,and a man is known by his actions. 19、The secrets of air travel had escaped the genius of the world’s greatest scholars for thousands of years. 数千年来,世界上最伟大的天才学者也未能发现空中飞行的奥秘。 三将英语主谓结构译成汉语无主句
特别是当英语用it, that, what等作抽象主语,译成汉语时省略主语,译成无主句。而翻译汉语的无主句时,要添加恰当的主语。
如:20. That the earth goes around the sun is well-known to everybody. 众所周知,地球绕着太阳转。
21. What happened? 发生了什么事?
22. Mechanical energy can be changed into electrical energy by means of a generator. 利用发电机可以把机械能转变成电能。 23. It’s blowing hard. 起大风了。
24. No one was in the room:only the ticking of a clock could be heard. 屋内悄无一人,只听见钟在滴答滴答地走。
25. Specialties in colleges and universities should be adjusted and teaching methods improved. 必须调整高等院校的专业设置,改进教学方法。 26. You are called at this late hour just to discuss the matter. 这么晚找你来,就是为了讨论这件事。
四、英语中的主谓结构与汉语的“主题+述题”结构转换
英语句子重主语,多是主语-谓语型结构;汉语重主题,多是主题-述题结构。翻译时要注意结构的合理转换:英语的主语不一定能做汉语的主题;汉语的主题不一定能做英语的主语。 27. A dialect is known by every linguist in this room. 有一种方言,这间房间里的每一个语言学家都懂。
28. You don’t grow the grain you eat and you don’t make the clothes you wear. 你吃的粮食不是你自己种的,你穿的衣服不是你自己做的。
29. I’ve been wondering about something. 有件事我一直很纳闷。 30. I have already read this book. 这本书我已经看过了。
31. You see this dark black cloud hovering over the surface of the earth? 在地球表面有一片深黑色的云层漂浮不定,大家看到了吗?
英语中还有些特殊的结构,如被动句、存在句及无灵主语结构等,与汉语有较大差异。译成汉语时须将主语做些调整。
如:32. There are many students queuing for the meal at the canteen. 饭堂里很多学生在排队打饭。
以see, find, witness等作谓语的句子。See P83
出于思维和语言表达习惯,英语里常用时间、地点名词作主语,而在翻译成汉语时则根据汉语思维和表达习惯,将其转译为时间、地点状语。 如:33. The forty years, 1840-80, brought almost ten million migrants to America. (P.Bromhead:Life in Modern America)
从1840至1880这四十年中,近一千万移民移居美国。
34. 1949 saw the founding of the People's Republic of China. 1949年中华人民共和国成立了。 35. Rome witnessed many great historic events. 在罗马城发生过许多伟大历史性事件。 谈谈你的体会?
练习:
1. History knows only two kinds of war, just and unjust. 历史上的战争,只有正义的和非正义的两类。
2. It was a matter of disagreement how the Company should promote the new product. 关于公司如何促销这一新产品,尚未形成一致意见。
3. Wrong must be righted when they are discovered. 发现了错误一定要更正。 4. 一九六四年十月中国爆炸了第一颗原子弹,使世界大为震惊。
In October, 1964, China blasted its first atomic bomb, which shocked the rest of the world.
5. The constant change of the course of the Yangtze River in history helped to form a great many lakes in the areas around Wuhan.
在历史上,由于长江不断改道,在武汉地区形成了众多的湖泊。
6. 要把不断改善人民生活作为处理改革、发展、稳定关系的重要结合点。
Continued improvement of people’s lives must be regarded as an important link in balancing reform, development and stability.
7. Increased cooperation with China is in the interests of the United States. 同中国加强合作,符合美国的利益。
8. 突然钻出一只狗,追着她咬,几乎把她吓糊涂了。
A dog rushed out to chase after her,scaring her almost out of her wits. 9. My duty forbids me to fly from danger. 职责所在,我不能临阵脱逃.
10. A dark stain on the carpet caught his eyes. 他突然发现地毯上有个深色斑点。
11. In terms of America’s investment in China, I need to stress that over 150 out of the 500 biggest corporations in the United States have investment in China.
美国在华投资,需要强调的一点是,美国500家大企业当中有150多家在中国投资。 12. The shortest cut would take us five hours to get there. 抄近路也要5 小时才能到那里。 13. Anger choked his words. 他气得话也说不出来。
14. A lot of troubles visited the poor family 这个贫困的家庭遇到不少麻烦。 15. Through reading one can acquire knowledge. 读书可以获取知识。 16. They never met without quarrelling. 他们总是一见面就吵架。
17. Shortage of suitable land in the urban areas has made it necessary to build most new public housing in the suburbs.
由于市区缺乏合适的土地,大部分公共房屋必须在郊区兴建。
18. 上海将花20年左右的时间建设成为一个现代化的多功能的国际大都市。
We will spend some two decades transforming Shanghai into a modern, multi-functional international cosmopolis.
19. 宗教不得干预政治。 It is impermissible to interfere with politics in the name of religion. 20. 从1994年起,中国大陆吸引外资的数量仅次于美国列居世界第二,成为世界上吸引外商直接投资最多的发展中国家。
Since 1994, the amount of foreign investment China has attracted has ranked second in the world trailing the U.S.A., making China the only country that lures the most direct foreign investment among the developing countries.
21. Many troubles visited the poor old man last year. 去年这个可怜的老人碰到了不少麻烦。 22. The sight of those pictures always reminds me of my hometown. 一见到这些照片我就想起了我的家乡。
总之,在句子主语的问题上,英语句子主语同汉语句子主语的主要差别在于:
1)“英语较常用物称表达法,即不用人称来叙述,而让事物以客观的口气呈现出来”,“汉语较常用人称主语表达,往往注意‘什么人怎么样了’”。
如:23. ----Concerns have been raised over the ability of internet banking services to verify the identity of new depositors or to guarantee the security of customer transactions. 译文:就网上银行服务是否有能力证实新存款人的身份或者是否有能力确保客户交易安全这一问题,已经受到人们的高度关注。
2)英语使用“无灵主语” (即使用表示抽象概念、心理感觉、事物名称或时间地点等的名词充当主语),同“有灵动词”(即表示人或社会团体的动作和行为的动词,如see, find, bring, give, escape等)搭配使用的句式非常之多。
相比之下,汉人的思维,人或社会团体才有这类有意识、有意志的行为,因而,汉语中有灵动词常与表人称的名词搭配。
3)英语中使用非人称代词“it”做主语的情况非常之多 ①它用作先行词,代替真正的主语或宾语。
例:It never occurred to me that she was so dishonest.(我从来也没有想到她这么不诚实。) ②它用作虚义词,所代替的主语是难以言明的现象或情形。
例:It is only half an hour’s walk from here to the campus.(只要走半个小时就可以从这里走到校园。)
③可用作强调词,汉译时往往无法译出。
例:It is here that we first met each other. (我们是在这里初次见面的。) 8.3 不同译文鉴赏;见书P78 8.4 翻译练习,见书 9.1 课前练笔
Budgets that can be rolled over to successive fiscal years, or whose purposes can be altered from year to year, will be mainly used to promote research and development activities as well as projects to improve infrastructure. 参考译文:
可以转入到各个连续财政年度的预算,或者其目的可以年复一年地予以变更的预算,将主要用于促进各种研发项目和研发活动的开展,以便提升基础服务措施。 9.2 翻译方法讲解
英汉两种语言中都有主动句和被动句。主动句的主要结构是“主语-谓语-宾语”,这在英汉语言中是一致的。然而,两种语言的被动句结构有较大差异;
英语主要通过动词词形变化来表示被动语态,即“be+动词过去分词”。而汉语中表达被动意义的主要方式是由标志词表示被动结构,如“被、受、遭、挨、叫、让”等。由于英语被动语态比主动语态的主观色彩少得多,因此英语的经贸类、科技类和学术类文本中大量使用被动语态句。
汉语被动句的使用范围小得多,这主要在于:
第一,汉语中许多动词既可表主动意义,又可表被动意义,无所谓主动句和被动句。
第二,汉语是意合语言,句子构成不注重形式的整合,即使不用被动标志词也可以表达被动意义;
第三,汉语大量使用无主语的句子。
因此,在英汉翻译中会有很多主被动的转换,尤其是英语的被动句译为汉语主动句。 归纳来讲,英语的被动语态翻译可分两种情况处理:一、译成被动结构,二、译成主动结构 。 1. 译成被动结构
英语被动句如果重在表述被动的动作,在翻译时将原文译为汉语的被动结构。汉语被动结构可分典型被动句、变形被动句、当然被动句和把字句。
(一)译为典型被动句
1. Our quotation has been accepted by the Mexican importer, which will led to further business. 我方的报价已被墨西哥进口公司接受,这将会带来更多的生意。
2. Any minute we would surely be spotted by enemy planes flying in and out of the airfield. 我们随时都会被出入机场的敌机发现。
3. The recommendation will be regarded as void unless it bears the official seal of the institution that issues it. 除非推荐书上盖有签发单位的正式印章,否则该推荐书将被视为无效。(二)译成变体被动句
汉语被动语态结构非常灵活,除“被”能表示被动意义外,还有很多其他词和词组可以表示被动意义, 如:“使、让、挨、称、得、给、叫、受、由、遭、得到、得以、加以、使得、受到、有待、予以、遭到、为?所?、以?而?等”。翻译是如果被字结构已经使用过多,或叙述角度不顺,或不必说出施动者时可使用变体被动句。
1. But little of this vast body of law is implemented in the Member States. 然而,这一大套法律在会员国中很少得到执行。
2. Bespoke suits are created by skilled tailors and artisans to fit your every inch. 定做的西装是由技艺高超的手艺人按照你的尺寸量身定做的。
3. Chairman Hu was received with great honor and much kindness when he paid a visit to America. 胡主席在美国访问期间受到美方隆重和盛情的接待。 4. The proposal will be examined by a special committee. 这项提议将由一个特别委员会加以审查。
5. As soon as all the facts have been found out, we can begin to formulate a theory. 一旦所有的事实为人们所发现,理论即可形成。 (三)译成当然被动句
汉语中有一类被动句,形式上与主动句没有区别; 而实际上, 主语却是谓语动词的受动者, 整个句子表达的是被动意义。
这种句子, 称之为寓被动意义于主动形式的“当然被动句”。 如:“机器修好了”,“会议取消了”等。这种译法,原文结构变化不大但很合乎汉语表达习惯。
1. In case of non-delivery, letters must be returned to the senders. 函件无法投递时务必退还原寄件人。
2. The company has to pay a heavy rent for the land if it is located in the shopping center of the town. 如果该公司位于城镇的商业区,就得缴付昂贵的土地租金。
3. Money, which is generally considered to be made up of banknotes, coins and savings, is used to pay for or buy a commodity and/or service.
通常认为货币由纸币、辅币和银行存款组成,用于购买商品和服务。 (四)译成“把”字句 “把”字句是汉语中一种比较特殊的表被动意义的句式。英语中有些被动句汉译时可采用以下句型:
施动者+把? 施动者+使? 施动者+给+受动者+主动式谓语+其他。 如:1. The famous Yuzhenggong Temple was practically destroyed by a big fire. 一场大火把著名的玉真宫几乎完全毁掉了。
2. Radioactive waste must be carefully stored until it can safely be disposed of. 在安全处理放射性废料之前,一定要把它仔细储存起来。