翻译基础-英语长句的翻译.pdf

English Long Sentences 英语长句的翻译JTeaching Outline Student 5(Presentation I Cove my Cove with an Jfow to analyze long sentences?Two Stages and Twe Steps Methods of TransCating Long ngRsft Sentences Jlttri6utwe ClausesI文字游戏的翻译 I Cove my Cove with an because shes enticing;I hate her with an because shes engaged.I too Her to the sign of the ejQjuisite,and treated her with an eCopement,her names and she Rves in the east?(David Copperfield,XXII)董秋斯译文 我爱我的爱人为了一个E,因为她是Enticing（迷人的）;我恨我的爱人为了一个E,因为她是Engaged（订了婚的）。我用我的爱人象征Exquisite（美妙），我劝我的爱人从事Elopement（私奔），她的名字是Emily（艾米丽），她的住处在East（东方）？I张谷若译文我爱我的所爱，因，她衣的实在招人爱。我掇 我的所爱，因，她不回想我的爱。我带房也到 标者港嚼3招牌的一家，和她篌情说爱。我精 她着一出潜逃必布，的是我和施怩衣久馀康 我爱。她的名儿叫做艾来乐，她的家隹森爱河 里。I其他译本 我爰我的爰人，因为她很迷人；我恨我的爰人,因已许配他人；她在我心中是美人，我带她私 养，以避开外人；她名叫虞美人，是东方丽人。若爱再爱，出修可爱/喜掇者受，国伊另畴所 爱。再视名爱，种专之爱，者携喜爱，曲选，爱,名爱名爱来乐，名东方之爱。我爱我的那个“丽”，可爱迷人有魅力；我恨 我的那个“丽”，要和他人结伉俪；她文雅大 方又美丽；和我出逃去游历；她芳名就叫艾米 丽，家住东方人俏丽。（马红军）一、英语长句的分析在英语文章中，特别是科技和文学作品中，经常出现结构复杂 的长句子,在一主句中包含多小从句。一般来说，造成长句的原因有三方面：(1)修饰语过多；(2)并列成分多；(3)语言结构层次多。在分析长句时可以采用下 面的方法：(1)找出全句的主语、谓语和宾语，从整体上把握句子的结构。(2)找出句中所有的谓语结构、非谓语动词、介词短语和从句 的引导词。(3)分析从句和短语的功能，例如，是否为主语从句，宾语从 句，表语从句等，若是状语，它是表示时间、原因、结果、还 是表示条件等等)(4)分后词、短器和从句之间的相互关系，例如，定语从句所 修饰的先行词是哪一个等。(5)注意插入语等其他成分。(6)注意分析句子中是否有固定词组或固定搭配。How it happened that a little rocky peninsula in a remote corner of the Mediterranean was able to provide our world in less than two centuries with the complete framework for all our present day experiments in politics,literature,drama,sculpture,chemistry,physics and Heaven knows what else,is a question which has puzzled a great many people for a great many centuries and to which every philosopher,at one time or another during his career,has tried to give an answer.（选自美国作 家Hendrik Willem van Loon的名著 Tolerance第二章第一段）每个部分的意思分别翻译出来:它是如何发生的地中海遥远角落的一个小岩石半岛能够 为我们的世界提供在不到两个世纪之内我们当代政治、文学、戏剧、雕刻、化学、物理学的完整框架上帝知道还有 些什么是一个问题（这个问题）许多世纪以来困惑了许多人（对这个问题）每个哲学家在他学术生涯的某个时候尝 试找出答案。最后，将各个部分的意思合并重组：地中海遥远角落的一个小岩石半岛，如何能够在 不到两个世纪之内，为我们的世界提供我们当代政治、文学、戏剧、雕刻、化学、物理学（上帝知道还有些 什么）的完整框架，这个问题许多世纪以来困惑了许 多人，对这个问题，每个哲学家在他学术生涯的某个 时候，都会尝试找出答案。对于每一个英语长句，并不只用一种翻译方法，而是多 种翻译方法的综合运用。翻译长句时.首先,不要因 为句子太长而产生畏惧心理，因为，无论是多么复杂 的句子，它都是由一些基本的成分组成的。其次要弄 清英语原文的句法结构，找出整个句子的中心内容及 其各层意思,然后分析几层意思之间的相互逻辑关系，正按照汉语的特点和表达方式，正确地译出原文的意 思，不必拘泥于原文的形式。Now you try:For a family of four,for example,it is more convenient as well as cheaper to sit comfortably at home,with almost unlimited entertainment available,than to go out in search of amusement elsewhere.分析:(1)骨干结构为比较结构it is more.to do sth than to do sth else.力且是在两个不定式之间进行比较。(2)该句中共有三个谓承结构，it是形式主语，真正的主语为：to sit comfortably at home,并与 to go out in search of amusement else where作匕匕较。(3)句首的for a family of four作状语,表示条件。另夕卜,还有两 个介词短语作插入语:for example,with almost unlimited entertainment available,其中第二个介词短语作伴随状语,修饰to sit comfortably at home.试译：譬如，对于一个四口之家来说，舒舒服服地在家中 看电视，就能看到几乎数不清的娱乐节目，这比到外面别 的地方去消遣又便宜又方便CTwo Stages and Five StepsStage I ComprehensionStage II PresentationStage I Comprehension Step 1:presenting the long sentence in a skeleton formStep 2:inferring the main idea from the context and the whole textStep 3:distinguishing between the principal and subordinate elements and find out the interrelations between principal and subordinate clausesStage II Presentation Step 4:entering on a tentative translation of each sentence divisionStep 5:rearrangement and finishing touchesMethods of Translating Long English Sentences 1.顺序法 2.Reversing倒置法/逆序法 3.Embedding 内嵌法 4.Dividing 切分法 5.Splitting 拆分法 6.Inserting 插入法 7.Recasting重组法/综合法1.顺序法 当英语长句的内容的叙述层次与汉语基本一致时，可以按 照英语原文的顺序翻玲成汉语。伤J1.Even when we turn off the beside lamp and are fast asleep,electricity is working fbr us,driving our refrigerators,heating our water,or keeping our rooms air-conditioned.分析：该句子由一个主句，三个作伴随状语的现在分词 以及位于句首的时间状语从句组成，共有五层意思：A.既使在我们关掉了床头灯深深地进入梦乡时；B.电仍在为 我们工作；C.帮我们开动电冰箱；D.加热水；E.或是 室内空调机继续运转。上述五层意思的逻辑关系以及表达 的顺序与汉语完全一致，因此，该句可译为：即使在我们关掉了床头灯深深地进入梦乡时，电仍在为 我们工作：帮我们开动电冰箱，把水加热，或使室内空调机 继续运转。Now you try:例2.Prior to the twentieth century,women in novels were stereotypes of lacking any features that made them unique individuals and were also subject to numerous restrictions imposed by the male-dominated culture.在20世纪以前，小说中的妇女像都是一个模式。她们没有任何特点，因而无法成为具有个性的人；他们还要屈从于由男性主宰的文化传统强加给他 们的种种束缚。2.Reversing 逆序法 英语有些长句的表达次序与汉语表达习惯不同，甚至完全相反，这 后必须从原文后面开始翻译。伤11.Aluminum remained unknown until the nineteenth century,because nowhere in nature is it found free,owing to its always being combined with other elements,most commonly with oxygen,for which it has a strong affinity.分析:这个句子由一个主句，两个原因状语和一个定语从句铝直 到19世纪才被人发现”是主句，也是全句的中心内容，全句共有四 个谓语结构,共有五层意思:A.铝直到19世纪才被人发现;B.由于 在自然界找不到游离状态的铝;C.由于它总是跟其他元素结合在一 起;D.最普遍的是跟氧结合;E.铝跟氧有很强的亲和力。按照汉语 的表达习惯通常因在前,果在后,这样,我们可以逆着原文的顺序把 该句翻译成：铝总是跟其他元素结合在一起,最普遍的是跟氧结合；因为铝跟氧有很强的亲和力，由于这个原因，在自然界找不到游离状态的铝。所以，铝直到19世纪才被人发现。Now you try:It is probably easier fbr teachers than fbr students to appreciate the reasons why learning English seems to become increasingly difficult once the basic structures and patterns of the language have been understood.一旦了解英语的基本结构和句型，再往下学似乎就越来越难了，这其中的原因，也许教师比学生更容易 理解。Such is human nature in the West that a great many people are often willing to sacrifice higher pay fbr the privilege of becoming white-collar workers.许多人常常宁愿牺牲比较高的工资以换取白领工人 的社会地位）这在西方倒是人之常情。Now you try:In reality,the lines of division between sciences are becoming blurred,and science 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.虽然现在积累起来的知识要多得多，而且任何个 人也只可能了解其中的一小部分，但事实上，各 学科之间界限却变得模糊不清，科学再次近似于 两百年前那样的“单一整体”。3.Embedding 内嵌法 Embedding means placing the modifiers before the word being modified.Congress had made laws requiring most pressure groups to give information about how much they spend and how they spent it,the amount and sources of funds,membership,and names and salaries of their representatives.国会已制定法律，要求大部分压力集团呈报他们花费了 多少钱，怎样花的，款项的总额以及来源、成员人数、代表的姓名和薪金等情况。There is no class war,but a war in which the whole British Empire and Commonwealth of Nations is engaged,without distinction of race,creed,or party.这不是一场阶级之间的战争，而是一场不分种族、不 分信仰，不分党派，整个大英帝国及英联邦全体成员 国无不参加的战争。Now you try:A molecule may be considered as the smallest particle of matter that can exist without changing its nature.可以认为，分子是在不改变物质性质的情况下能 够存在鬲物质的最小微粒。In 1970,he was placed under house arrest when he refused to use massive force in suppressing worker riots on the seacoast.1970年他因拒绝使用武力大规模镇压沿海城市的工 人骚乱而被软禁。4.Dividing 切分法 By means of dividing,we may break up a long English sentence into different parts according to its sense groups,and then translate each part one by one into Chinese.有时英语长句中主语或主句与修饰词的关系并不十分密切,翻译时可以按照汉语多用短句的习惯，把长句的从句或短语 化成句子,分开来叙述，为了使语意连贯,有时需要适当增加 词语。Human beings have distinguished themselves from other animals,and in doing so ensured their survival,by the ability to observe and understand their environment and then either to adapt to that environment or to control and adapt it to their own needs.人类把自己和其他动物区别开来。与此同时，人类还具有 观察和了解周围环境的能力。他们要么适应环境，要么控 制环境，或根据自身的需要改造环境。人类就这样一代代 地生存下来。5.Splitting 拆分法 By splitting we mean taking certain elements out of a sentence and treating them separately.The number of the young people in the United States who cant read is incredible about one in four.大没有阅读能力的美国青年人的数目令人难以相信约为 1/4o 大约有1/4的美国青年人没有阅读能力，这简直令人难以 置信。An outsiders success could even curiously help two parties to get the agreement they want.说来也怪，一个局外人取得的成功竟然能够促使双方达 成一项他们希望得到的协议。6.I nserting 插入法 By inserting here we mean putting some additional punctuation marks such as dash,parenthesis,colon,etc.,in a long and complex sentence so as to make the Chinese version both clear and smooth.The second aspect is the application by all members of society from the government official to the ordinary citizen,of the special methods of thought and action that scientists use in their work.第二个方面是全体社会成员（从政府官员到普通公民）都使用科 学家们在他们工作中所采用的那种特殊的思考方法和行为方法。If you go to visit NobePs old residence,the house in which the great chemist remained a bachelor throughout his life,you will catch sight of a shelf laden with experimental records.如果你参观诺贝尔的故居在那座房子里，这位伟大的化学家 过了 一辈子的独身生活你将看到一个堆满实验记录的书架。7.Recasting重组法/综合法 在一些情况下，一些英语长句单纯采用上述任何一种方法都不 方便，这就需要我们的仔细分析，或按照时间的先后，或按照逻辑 顺序，顺逆结合，主次分明地对全句进行综合处理,以便把英语原 文翻译成通顺忠实的汉语句子。例1.People were afraid to leave their houses,for although the police had been ordered to stand by in case of emergency,they were just as confused and helpless as anybody else.分析：该句共有三层含义：A:人们不敢出门；B:尽管警察已接 到命令，要作好准备以应付紧急情况;C:警察也和其他人一样不 知所措和无能为力。在这三层含义中，B表示让步，C表示原因,而A则表示结果，按照汉语习惯顺序，我们作如下的安排：尽管警察已接到命令，要作好准备以应付紧急情 况，但人们不敢出门，因为警察也和其他人一样不知 所括和无能为力。Now you try:Dr.Smith resumed the activities of anti-cancer experiment begun in 1975 and financed by the Federal government as soon as he snapped from his original disappointment at repeated failures,which had resulted in their forced suspension.史密斯医生于1975年开始着手由联邦政府资助的 抗癌实验。他由于屡遭失败而感到沮丧，被迫终 止了实验工作。现在他又重新振作起来，恢复了 抗癌实验活动。Now you try:Modem scientific and technical books,especially textbooks,requires revision at short intervals if their authors wish to keep pace with new ideas,observations and discoveries.大对于现代书籍,特别是教科书来说,要是作者希望自己书 中的内容能与新概念、新观察到的事实和新发现同步发展 的话,那么就应该每隔较短的时间，将书中的内容重新修改。Up to the present time5 throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries,this new tendency placed the home in the immediate suburbs,but concentrated manufacturing activity,business relations,government,and pleasure in the centers of the cities.大到目前为止,经历了 18和19两个世纪,这种新的倾向是把 住宅安排在城市的近郊，而把生产活动、商业往来、政府 部门以及娱乐场所都集中在城市的中心地区。定语从句 的翻译Attributive Clauses L A Comparative Study of English and Chinese Attributive.IL Translation of Restrictive Attributive Clauses IIL Translating Non-Restrictive Attributive Clauses IV,Attributive Clauses Functioning cs AdverbialsL A Comparative Study of English and Chinese Attributive Structures This is the cat.这就是那只猫。This is the cat that killed the rat.这就是那只捕杀了老鼠的猫。This is the cat that killed the rat that ate the cake.*这就是那只捕杀了偷吃了蛋糕的老鼠的猫。This is the cat that killed the rat that ate the cake that was put in the house.*这就是那只捕杀了偷吃了放在房间里的蛋糕的老鼠的 猫。This is the cat that killed the rat that ate the cake that was put in the house that Jack built.*这就是那只捕杀了偷吃了放在杰克修建的房间里的蛋 糕的老鼠的猫。IL Translation of Restrictive Attributive Clausesi.Combination：把从句玲为带“的”的定语短语）放在被修 饰词前，将复合句玲成汉语单句。又称“前置法”。The people who worked for him lived in mortal fear of him.在他手下工作的人对他怕得要死。Pollution is a pressing problem which we must deal with.污染是我们必须解决的一个迫切问题。July and August are the months when the weather is hot.七八月是天气很热的月份。In the room where the electronic computer is kept,there must be no dust at all.在存放电子计算机的房间里，不能有一点儿灰尘。2.Division如果从句结构复杂，译成汉语前置定语显得太长而不符合汉语表达 习惯时，往往译成后置的并列分句。可以译成并列分句，重复英语 先行词，如：Between these two tiny particles,the proton and the electron,there is a powerful attraction that is always present between negative and positive electric charges.在质子和电子这两个微粒之间有一个很大的吸引力，而这个吸引力 总是存在于正负电荷之间。还可以译成并列分句，省略英语先行词，如：Newton invented a paper lantern illuminated by a candle which ie carried with him to light his way to school on dark winter mornings.牛顿发明了一只点蜡烛的纸灯笼，在昏暗朦胧的冬天早晨上学时带 着灯笼照路。2.DivisionHe managed to raise a crop of 200 miracle tomatoes that weight up to two pounds each.他种出了 200个大得惊人的西红柿，每个重达两磅。A fuel is a material which will burn at a reasonable temperature and produce heat.燃料是一种物质，在适当温度下能够燃烧并放出热量。They worked out a new method by which production has now been rapidly increased.他们制定出一种新方法，采用之后生产已迅速得到提高。They are striving for the ideal which is 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。3.Mixture 溶合法是把原句中的主语和定语从句溶合在一起译成一个独立的 句子的一种翻译方法。（There be结构句子往往这样处理）There were men in that crowd who had stood there every day for a month.在那群人中，有些人每天站在那里，站了一个月。There is a man downstairs who wants to see you.楼下有人要见你。Fortunately,there are some chemical fuels that are clean and smokeless.幸好有些化学燃料是洁净无烟的。There are some metals which posses the power to conduct electricity and the ability to be magnetized.某些金属既能导电，又能被磁化。There are many people who want to see the film.许多人要看这部电影。3.Mixture 还有一些定语从句，玲成汉语时可将英语主句压缩成汉 语词组作主语，而把定语从句玲成谓语，溶合成一个句子。“We are a nation that must beg to stay alive/1 said a foreign economist.一位外国经济学家说道，“我们这个国家不讨饭就活不下 去。”We used a plane of which almost every part carried some identification of national identity.我们驾驶的飞机几乎每一个部件都有国籍的某些标志。Good clocks have pendulums which are automatically compensated for temperature changes.好的钟摆可以自动补偿温度变化造成的误差。III.Translating Non-Restrictive Attributive Clauses L在译文中把原文从句后置，重复关系词所代表 的汉译，译成并列分句。I told the story to John,who told it to his brother.我把这件事告诉了约翰，约翰又告诉了他的兄弟.This is a college of science and technology,the students of which are trained to be engineers or scientists.这是一所科技大学，该校学生将被培养成工程师 或科学工作者。2.前置法：一些较短的具有描写性的从句也可译成 带”的”的前置短语，放在被修饰词前面 Transistors,which are small in size,can make previously large and bulky radios light and small.采用体积较小的晶体管可以使先前那种大而笨的收音机变 得又轻又小。The sun,which had hidden all day,now came out in all its splendor.整天躲在云层里的太阳，现在又光芒四射地露面了.The emphasis was helped by the speakers mouth,which was wide,thin and hard set.讲话人那又阔又薄又紧绷绷的嘴巴，帮助他加强了语气。But Miggles laugh,which was very infectious,broke the silence.密格尔的富有感染力的笑声打破了静默。3.译成独立句 One time there was a violent thunderstorm,the worst I had ever seen,which obscured my objective.有一次是暴风骤雨，猛烈的程度实为我平生所仅见。这场暴风雨遮住了我的目标。Nevertheless the problem was solved successfully,which showed that the computations were accurate.不过，问题还是圆满地解决了。这说明计算很准确。IV.Attributive Clauses Functioning as Adverbials Translating into Chinese Adverbial Clauses of Cause 2.Translating into Chinese Adverbial Clauses of Result 3-Translating into Chinese Adverbial Clauses of Concession Translating into Chinese Adverbial Clause of Condition 5-Translating into Chinese Adverbial Clauses of Puripose1.Translating into Chinese AdverbialClauses of Cause We know that a cat,whose eyes can take in many more rays than our eyes,can see clearly in the night.我们知道,由于猫的眼睛比我们人的眼睛能吸 收更多的光线，所以猫在黑夜也能看的很清楚。You must grasp the concept of work which is very important in physics.你必须掌握“功”的概念，因为它在物理学中 很重要。2.Translating into Chinese AdverbialClauses of Result There was something original,independent,and heroic about the plan that pleased all of them.这个方案富于创造性，独具一格，很有魄力，因此他们都很喜欢。Copper,which is used so widely for carrying electricity,offers very little resistance.铜的电阻很小，所以广泛地用来传输电力。3.Translating into Chinese Adverbial Clauses of Concession He insisted on building another house,which he had no use for.他坚持要再造一幢房子，尽管他并无此需要.Electronic computers,which have many advantages,cannot carry out creative work and replace man.尽管电子计算机有许多优点，但是它们不能进 行创造性工作，也不能代替人。4.Translating into Chinese AdverbialClause of Condition Men become desperate for work,any work,which will help them to keep alive their families.人们拼命想得到工作，不管什么工作，只要能 维持一家人的生活就行。For any machine whose input and output forces are known,its mechanical advantage can be calculated.对于任何机器来说，如果知其输入力和输出力,就能求出其抗械效率。5.Translating into Chinese Adverbial Clauses of Purpose They have built up a