1、英汉定语结构的特点英语 右开放结构汉语 在封闭结构定语从句的翻译定语从句的翻译一般来说,限制性定语从句由于对主句起着限制作用,并影响着主句的完整性,所以在翻译时只要读起来上口而又不引起误解,都可以前置。但实践中,汉语短句的使用比英语更普遍,所以常将限制性定语从句译成与主句并列的句子,而非限制性定语从句一般译为并列句或者独立句。一、前置法(挪移法)当一个限定性定语从句结构和意义较为简单,或是较为简短时,我们把英语原文的定语从句翻译成带“的”的定语词组,放置于被修饰的词之前,将英语原文的复合句翻译成汉语的简单句。Those who sacrifice themselves for the peop
2、les cause are the real heroes of history.为了人民事业牺牲自己的人是历史上真正的英雄。A youngster who has no playmates of his age living nearby may benefit greatly from attending nursery school.附近没有同龄伙伴和自己玩的儿童,上托儿所可以得到很多的益处。Furthermore,humans have the ability to modify the environment in which they live,thus subjecting al
3、l other life forms to their own peculiar ideas and fancies.而且,人类还有能力改变自己的生存环境,从而使所有其它形态的生命服从人类自己独特的想法和想像。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.但更为重要的
4、是,这是科学家们所能观察到的最遥远的过去的景象,因为他们看到的是150亿年前宇宙云的形状和结构。For example,one function of friendship seems to fulfill is that it supports the image we have of ourselves,and confirms the value of the attitudes we hold.友谊的一个作用似乎是支持我们在自己心目中的形象,并使我们持有的价值观念更加坚定。二、后 置 法(倒装乾坤、一分为二)当定语从句较长时,如果翻译成前置的定语,就会不符合汉语的表达习惯,在这种情况下
5、,往往把该定语从句翻译成并列的分句,放置于原来它所修词的后面。一般遵循的原则是:保留先行词,则在第二个分句中加以重复,若省略,则两个并列分句中均不再保留。当然,在实际的翻译过程中也有例外。They killed four men and injured the fifth who later died of his wounds.他们打死四人,并打伤了他们打死四人,并打伤了后来伤重死去的后来伤重死去的第五人。第五人。他们打死四人,打伤一人,他们打死四人,打伤一人,伤者后来因伤伤者后来因伤势过重而死去势过重而死去。They are striving for the ideal which is
6、close to the heart of every Chinese and for which,in the past,many Chinese have laid down their lives.他们正在为实现一个理想而努力,这个理想是每个中国人所珍爱的,在过去,许多中国人曾为了这个理想而牺牲了自己的生命。This will be particularly true since energy pinch will make it difficult to continue agriculture in high-energy American fashion that makes it
7、 possible to combine few farmers with high yields.这种困境将是确定无疑的,因为能源的匮乏使农业无法以高能量消耗这种美国耕种方法继续下去了,而这种耕种方式使投入少数农民就可获得高产成为可能。The food supply will not increase nearly enough to match this,which means that we are heading into a crisis in the matter of producing and marketing food.食品的供应将赶不上人口的增长,这就意味著我们在粮食的生
8、产和购销方面正陷入危机。Tylor defined culture as.that complex whole which includes belief,art,morals,law,custom,and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.“泰勒把文化定义为“一个复合体”,它包括人作为社会成员所获得的信仰、艺术、道德、法律、风俗以及其它能力和习惯。The Greeks assumed that the structure of language had some connectio
9、n with the process of thought,which took root in Europe long before people realized how diverse languages could be.希腊人认为语言结构与思维过程有着某种关系,这种观点在人们认识到语言的千差万别之前就在欧洲扎了根。三、单独成句三、单独成句当一个限定性定语从句的结构较为复杂,意义较为繁杂的时候,如果把它翻译在其修饰的先行词的后面的话,会显得定语太过于臃肿和复杂,同时当定语从句是一个非限定性定语从句的时候,往往也要单独成句。World War II was more complex th
10、an World War I,which was a collision among the imperialist powers over the spoils of markets,recourses and territories.第一次世界大战是帝国主义列强之间争夺市第一次世界大战是帝国主义列强之间争夺市场、资源和领土的冲突,因而第二次世界大场、资源和领土的冲突,因而第二次世界大战比第一次更复杂。战比第一次更复杂。四、融合法四、融合法把主句和定语从句融合成一个简单句,定语从句译成谓语。这种方法一般用于限制性定语从句,尤其是“there be”句型中。His father,who is
11、in Hongkong,will return to Taipei next week.他在香港的爸爸下星他在香港的爸爸下星期要回台北。期要回台北。(他还有他还有别的爸爸)别的爸爸)他爸爸现在在香港,他爸爸现在在香港,下星期回台北。下星期回台北。There is a girl downstairs There is a girl downstairs who wants to see youwho wants to see you.楼下有人要见你。楼下有人要见你。Despite the new tunnel,there are still a few Despite the new tunne
12、l,there are still a few people people who rashly attempt to cross the pass on who rashly attempt to cross the pass on foot.foot.尽管新建了隧道,有些旅行者还是企图步行穿过山尽管新建了隧道,有些旅行者还是企图步行穿过山口。口。There was another man There was another man who seemed to have who seemed to have answersanswers,and that was Robert McNamar
13、a.,and that was Robert McNamara.另一个另一个人似乎胸有成竹,那就是麦克纳马拉。人似乎胸有成竹,那就是麦克纳马拉。There has never been a man around me There has never been a man around me who who wrote so many articles.wrote so many articles.我周围从来没有人写过这么多文章。我周围从来没有人写过这么多文章。五、状译法英语中有些定语从句,不仅仅起到一个定语修饰的作用,而且在逻辑上(即意义上)与主句有状语关系,表示原因、让步、转折等等关系。在翻
14、译的时候,应尽量从英语句子的意义上发现这些逻辑上的关系,然后翻译成汉语中相对应的逻辑关系来。They tried to stamp out the revolt,which spread all the more furiously throughout the country.他们企图扑灭反抗,他们企图扑灭反抗,结果结果反抗越来越猛,遍及反抗越来越猛,遍及全国。全国。(表示结果)表示结果)In a dispute between two states with which one is friendly,try not to get involved.当两国发生争端时,如与两国都友好,则力避
15、当两国发生争端时,如与两国都友好,则力避卷入。(表示条件)卷入。(表示条件)The trend towards globalization began in the early 1970s when the system of fixed exchange rates,set up after World War II,was dismantled.国际化的趋势开始于国际化的趋势开始于20世纪世纪70年代,当时二战年代,当时二战后建立起来的固定汇率制瓦解了。(表示时后建立起来的固定汇率制瓦解了。(表示时间)间)Copper,which offers very little resistance
16、,is used so widely for carrying electricity.铜的电阻很小,所以广泛用来输电。(表示铜的电阻很小,所以广泛用来输电。(表示原因)原因)He,who has been in this school for five years,is quite familiar with the campus.因为在学校已经待了五年,所以他对校园很熟悉。Electronic computers,which have many advantages,cannot do creative work and replace human.尽管电脑有很多优势,但还是不能做创造性的
17、工作,不能代替人。1.My dormitory is a large,spacious and comfortable room with four beds.6.As you walk into the room,you are faced with a large window on the southern side of the room.5.Below the window is a large desk on which there is a clock,a telephone and a computer.2.Around the desk are four chairs for
18、 us to sit on during out study.7.The four bed are located in the four corners of the room.3.Between the two beds on the ease side of the room is a large wardrobe for hanging clothes and storing bedding.4.Opposite to it is a large bookcase with neatly arranged book.My My dormitory dormitory is is a a
19、 large,large,spacious spacious and and comfortable comfortable room room with with four four beds.beds.As As you you walk walk into into the the room,room,you you are are faced faced with with a a large large window window on on the the southern southern side side ofof the the room.room.Below Below
20、the the windowwindow is is a a large large desk desk on on whichwhich there there is is a a clock,clock,a a telephone telephone and and a a puter.Around Around the the deskdesk are are four four chairs chairs for for us us to to sit sit on on during during out out study.study.The The four four bed b
21、ed are are located located in in the the four four cornerscorners of of the the room.room.BetweenBetween the the two two beds beds on on the the ease ease sideside of of the the room room is is a a large large wardrobe wardrobe for for hanging hanging clothes clothes and and storing storing bedding.
22、bedding.Opposite Opposite to to it it is is a a large large bookcase bookcase with with neatly arranged book.neatly arranged book.1.He poured into his writing all the pain of his life and the conviction it had brought to him that the world could be made a better place to live in if the people became
23、 the masters of their fate.他在作品里倾诉了自己一生的痛苦和这种痛他在作品里倾诉了自己一生的痛苦和这种痛苦给他带来的一种信念,认为如果人民成为苦给他带来的一种信念,认为如果人民成为自己命运的主人,世界就会变得美好。自己命运的主人,世界就会变得美好。2.And he knew how ashamed he would have been if she had known his mother and the kind of place in which he was born,and the kind of people among whom he was born.他
24、出生在这一类人中间,他出生在这种地方,他他出生在这一类人中间,他出生在这种地方,他有这样的母亲;这些要是让她知道了的话,他知有这样的母亲;这些要是让她知道了的话,他知道该多么丢人。道该多么丢人。3.The increasing scale and scope of the experiments needed to test new hypotheses and develop new techniques and industrial processes led to the setting up of research groups and teams using highly-compl
25、icated equipment in elaborately-designed laboratories.为了检验新的假设和发展新技术与新工艺,为了检验新的假设和发展新技术与新工艺,需要进行一些实验,由于实验的规模和范围需要进行一些实验,由于实验的规模和范围越来越大,就产生了这样一些研究小组和集越来越大,就产生了这样一些研究小组和集体,他们在精心设计的实验室里用极为复杂体,他们在精心设计的实验室里用极为复杂的仪器进行研究。的仪器进行研究。4.In reality,the lines of division between sciences are becoming blurred,and s
26、cience is again approaching the“unity”that it had two centuries ago although the accumulated knowledge is enormously greater now,and no one person can hope to comprehend more than a fraction of it.虽虽然然积积累累起起来来的的知知识识要要多多得得多多,而而且且任任何何个个人人也也只只渴渴望望了了解解其其中中的的一一小小部部分分,但但事事实实上上,各各学学科科之之间间的的界界限限变变得得模模糊糊不不清清
27、,而而且且科科学学再再次次接接近近于于200年前那样的年前那样的“单一整体单一整体”。5.The problem of possible genetic damage to human populations from radiation exposures,including those resulting from the fallout from testing of atomic weapons,has quite properly claimed much popular attention in recent years.人人类类由由于于面面临临辐辐射射威威胁胁,包包括括原原子子武武器器实实验验产产生生的的放放射射性性散散落落物物所所造造成成的的辐辐射射威威胁胁在在内内,因因此此很很可可能能遭遭到到基基因因损损伤伤,这这一一问问题题近近年年来来已已经经理理所所当当然地引起了人们广泛重视。然地引起了人们广泛重视。