如何把定語(yǔ)從句從英文翻譯成中文
考研英語(yǔ)翻譯是一項(xiàng)復(fù)雜而艱巨的腦力活動(dòng),涉及文化、知識(shí)、思維、表達(dá)和經(jīng)驗(yàn)等多個(gè)層面。要做好英譯漢,不是一件很容易的事。大部分考生都覺(jué)得考研英語(yǔ)翻譯很難。根據(jù)2012全國(guó)碩士研究生統(tǒng)一考試英語(yǔ)考試大綱(一)的規(guī)定,考研英語(yǔ)翻譯仍屬于閱讀理解的一部分,其命題形式是英譯漢,“主要考查學(xué)生準(zhǔn)確理解概念或結(jié)構(gòu)較復(fù)雜的英語(yǔ)文字材料的能力。要求考生閱讀一篇約400詞的文章,并將其中5個(gè)劃線(xiàn)部分(約150詞)譯成漢語(yǔ),要求譯文準(zhǔn)確、完整、通順”。翻譯部分的總分值為10分(每題2分),占全部試卷的10%。因此,考研翻譯部分的總體要求應(yīng)該是“譯文準(zhǔn)確、完整、通順”,這與翻譯的一般標(biāo)準(zhǔn)“忠實(shí)而通順”是基本一致的。
如何把定語(yǔ)從句從英文翻譯成中文
大綱的總體要求應(yīng)該是“譯文準(zhǔn)確、完整、通順”。 要求看似簡(jiǎn)單,但是要翻譯出準(zhǔn)確、完整、通順的譯文卻絕不是容易的事。
1.前置定語(yǔ)
98年 71) But even more important, it was the farthest that scientists had been able to look into the past, for what they were seeing were the patterns and structures that existed 15 billion years ago。
結(jié)構(gòu)分析:這是一個(gè)復(fù)合句. But even more important是整個(gè)句子的狀語(yǔ),it was the farthest是主句,that scientists had been able to look into the past是修飾the farthest的定語(yǔ)從句,for引導(dǎo)原因狀語(yǔ)從句(參見(jiàn)1995年71題),在這個(gè)狀語(yǔ)從句中,what they were seeing是主語(yǔ)從句,were the patterns and structures是狀語(yǔ)從句中的系表結(jié)構(gòu),that existed…是修飾名詞patterns and structures的定語(yǔ)從句。
譯文: 但更為重要的是,這是科學(xué)家們所能觀(guān)察到的最遙遠(yuǎn)的過(guò)去的景象,因?yàn)樗麄兛吹降氖?50億年前宇宙云的形狀和結(jié)構(gòu)。
02年 64)They are the possessions of the autonomous (self-governing) man of traditional theory, and they are essential to practices in which a person is held responsible for his conduct and given credit for his achievements。
結(jié)構(gòu)分析:這是一個(gè)復(fù)合句。主句是由兩個(gè)并列的分句構(gòu)成的:They are…, and they are;in which引導(dǎo)定語(yǔ)從句,修飾practices,其中is held responsible for … and given credit for …并列做定語(yǔ)從句的謂語(yǔ),given前面省略了助動(dòng)詞is。
譯 文: 自由和尊嚴(yán)(它們)是傳統(tǒng)理論定義的自主人所擁有的,是要求一個(gè)人對(duì)自己的行為負(fù)責(zé)并因其業(yè)績(jī)而給予肯定的必不可少的前提。
它們(自由和尊嚴(yán))對(duì)于那種要求個(gè)人對(duì)自己的行為負(fù)責(zé)并因?yàn)槠錁I(yè)績(jī)而受到贊揚(yáng)的做法來(lái)說(shuō),是必不可少的。
2.獨(dú)立成句
當(dāng)譯成前置定語(yǔ)會(huì)使句子變得臃腫,妨礙理解的時(shí)候,最好讓其獨(dú)立成句。
94(72)"In short", a leader of the new school contends, "the scientific revolution, as we call it, was largely the improvement and invention and use of a series of instruments that expanded the reach of science in innumerable directions."
新學(xué)派的一位領(lǐng)袖人物堅(jiān)持說(shuō):“簡(jiǎn)而言之,我們所稱(chēng)謂的科學(xué)革命,主要是指一系列器具的改進(jìn)、發(fā)明和使用,這些改進(jìn)、發(fā)明和使用使科學(xué)發(fā)展的范圍無(wú)所不及。”
contend堅(jiān)決主張,聲稱(chēng)[Y][+(that)]
The police contended that the difficulties they faced were too severe。
警察強(qiáng)調(diào)說(shuō)他們面臨的困難太嚴(yán)重了。
He left his job largely because he was homesick。.他辭職不干主要是因?yàn)樗爰摇?/p>
We have countless reasons against his plan。我們有舉不勝舉的理由反對(duì)他的計(jì)劃。
96 72) This trend began during the Second World War, when several governments came to the conclusion that the specific demands that a government wants to make of its scientific establishment cannot generally be foreseen in detail。
基本結(jié)構(gòu):簡(jiǎn)單句+時(shí)間狀語(yǔ)從句(主語(yǔ)+謂語(yǔ)+賓語(yǔ)+同位語(yǔ)從句(主語(yǔ)the specific demands +定語(yǔ)從句that a government wants to make of its scientific establishment+謂語(yǔ)cannot generally be foreseen in detail)
基本結(jié)構(gòu)試譯:這種趨勢(shì)始于第二次世界大戰(zhàn)期間,當(dāng)時(shí)一些國(guó)家的政府得出結(jié)論:……
譯 文:這種趨勢(shì)始于第二次世界大戰(zhàn)期間,當(dāng)時(shí)一些國(guó)家的政府得出結(jié)論:政府要向科研機(jī)構(gòu)提出的具體要求通常是無(wú)法詳盡預(yù)見(jiàn)的。
注意:不要將when引導(dǎo)的定語(yǔ)從句與時(shí)間狀語(yǔ)從句相混淆,當(dāng)然也就不能when引導(dǎo)的定語(yǔ)從句翻譯成“當(dāng)… 時(shí)候”。When引導(dǎo)定語(yǔ)從句前面一般是表示時(shí)間的詞作為先行詞,如果是過(guò)去時(shí),when譯成“其時(shí)、屆時(shí)”“當(dāng)時(shí)”“在那個(gè)時(shí)候”,如果是將來(lái)時(shí)態(tài),則譯成“到時(shí)”“屆時(shí)”,有時(shí)候還可以譯成“然后”“隨后”。
The Queen will visit the small town in April, when she will open the new hospital。
女王將于四月訪(fǎng)問(wèn)小鎮(zhèn),到時(shí),她將主持這家新醫(yī)院的開(kāi)業(yè)儀式。
I expect to stay here no more than two days, when I shall return。
我預(yù)計(jì)在那兒呆兩天,隨后就回來(lái)。
99 71) While there are almost as many definitions of history as there are historians, modern practice most closely conforms to one that sees history as the attempt to recreate and explain the significant events of the past。
結(jié)構(gòu)分析:這是一個(gè)復(fù)合句。While there are almost as many definitions of history as there are historians整個(gè)這一部分是讓步狀語(yǔ)從句,其中第一個(gè)as是程度副詞,第二個(gè)as是連詞,引導(dǎo)比較狀語(yǔ)從句there are historians;modern practice most closely conforms to one是主謂賓結(jié)構(gòu)的主句;that sees history as the attempt是修飾one的定語(yǔ)從句,to recreate and explain the significant events of the past是不定式短語(yǔ)做名詞attempt的后置定語(yǔ)。
譯文:幾乎每個(gè)歷史學(xué)家對(duì)史學(xué)都有自己的界定,但現(xiàn)代史學(xué)家的實(shí)踐最趨向于認(rèn)為歷史學(xué)是試圖重現(xiàn)過(guò)去的重大史實(shí)并對(duì)其做出解釋。
[我們的翻譯]:幾乎每個(gè)歷史學(xué)家對(duì)史學(xué)都有自己的界定,而現(xiàn)代實(shí)踐最符合這樣一個(gè)定義,該定義把歷史看作是重現(xiàn)和解釋過(guò)去的重要事件的嘗試。
There are almost as many job opportunities as there are college graduates。
幾乎每個(gè)大學(xué)畢業(yè)生都有就業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)。
01 73) Pearson has pieced together the work of hundreds of researchers around the world to produce a unique millennium technology calendar that gives the latest dates when we can expect hundreds of key breakthroughs and discoveries to take place。
結(jié)構(gòu)分析:這是一個(gè)復(fù)合句。Pearson has pieced together the work是主謂結(jié)構(gòu)的主句,of hundreds of researchers是介賓短語(yǔ)做定語(yǔ)修飾名詞work,around the world則是介賓短語(yǔ)修飾名詞researchers,to produce a unique millennium technology calendar是不定式短語(yǔ)做結(jié)果狀語(yǔ),that引導(dǎo)定語(yǔ)從句修飾名詞calendar,when引導(dǎo)定語(yǔ)從句修飾dates。這里的when相當(dāng)于by which,因此不能翻譯成“當(dāng)… 時(shí)候”,而應(yīng)該翻譯成“通過(guò)這些日期”或者“到這些日期”(參見(jiàn)96年真題72)
譯文:皮爾森匯集世界各地?cái)?shù)百位研究人員的成果,編制了一個(gè)獨(dú)特的新技術(shù)千年歷,它列出了人們有望看到數(shù)百項(xiàng)重大突破和發(fā)現(xiàn)的最遲日期。
3.獨(dú)立成句,且譯出內(nèi)含邏輯關(guān)系。
97 71) Actually, it isn't, because it assumes that there is an agreed account of human rights, which is something the world does not have。
結(jié)構(gòu)分析:這是一個(gè)多重復(fù)合句。Actually,是副詞做狀語(yǔ),修飾整個(gè)句子,it isn't,是主句,在because引導(dǎo)的原因狀語(yǔ)從句中,that引導(dǎo)賓語(yǔ)從句,which引導(dǎo)非限制性定語(yǔ)從句修飾名詞an agreed account,而the world does not have是省略了從句引導(dǎo)詞that的定語(yǔ)從句,修飾something。
譯文:事實(shí)并非如此,因?yàn)檫@種問(wèn)法是以人們對(duì)人的權(quán)利有共同認(rèn)識(shí)為基礎(chǔ)的,而這種共同認(rèn)識(shí)并不存在。
定語(yǔ)從句分為限定性定語(yǔ)從句和非限定性定語(yǔ)從句。由于二者在翻譯時(shí)無(wú)大差異,所以討論時(shí)不加嚴(yán)格區(qū)分。定語(yǔ)從句的譯法一般有三種:
(1)譯成含“的”字結(jié)構(gòu)的定語(yǔ),放在先行詞之前。
由于定語(yǔ)從句的作用相當(dāng)于定語(yǔ),所以這種譯法是最普遍的。
(2)采用“分譯法”——單獨(dú)成句
當(dāng)定語(yǔ)從句與被修飾詞之間關(guān)系不很緊密,且譯為前置定語(yǔ)過(guò)于臃腫時(shí),應(yīng)該考慮將定語(yǔ)從句單獨(dú)成句,具體做法是將關(guān)系詞處理為先行詞的重復(fù)。P1-72 P8-71
(3)獨(dú)立成句,且譯出內(nèi)含邏輯關(guān)系。
He, who has been in this school for five years, is quite familiar with the campus。
因?yàn)樵趯W(xué)校已經(jīng)待了五年,所以他對(duì)校園很熟悉。
Electronic computers, which have many advantages, cannot do creative work and replace human。
盡管電腦有很多優(yōu)勢(shì),但還是不能做創(chuàng)造性的工作,不能代替人。