各类句式翻译技巧（英译汉）2

各类句式翻译技巧（英译汉）
一、英 译 汉 非谓语动词的译法
英语中非谓语动词包括分词、不定式和动名词。动名词与名词具有类似的功能,在翻译时可以参考名词性从句或抽象名词的译法, 下面, 我们主要通过一些实例说明动词不定式和分词的翻译方法。
例1.Americans do not like to be called materialistic because they feel that this unfairly accuses them of loving only material things and of having no religious values.
美国人不喜欢被称为物质主义者, 因为他们认为指控他们只重物质利益, 没有宗教价值观是不公正的。(不定式作宾语）
例2.The writer‘s purpose may be simply to inform, or to make readers aware of similarities or differences that interesting and significant in themselves.
作者的目的或许只是想告诉读者或者让读者意识到(存在于比较对象之间的)很有趣、值得注意的相似和不同之处。(不定式作表语）
例3.The aim of science is to describe the world in orderly language, in such a way that we can, if possible, foresee the results of those alternative courses of action between which we are always choosing.
科学的目的在于用规律的语言来描述世界。这样, 如果可能的话, 我们就能预见到可供选择的两个行动方案的结果。我们经常遇到这种选择。(不定式作表语）
例4.It is the business of the scientist to accumulate knowledge about the universe and all that is in it, and to find, if he is able, common factors which underlie and account for the facts that he knows.
科学家要做的事就是积累有关宇宙和宇宙中的一切事物的知识, 而且要是可能的话, 找出那些既能构成科学家所知事实的基础, 又能解释这些事实的共同因素。(不定式作主语）
例5.It is a difficult task to compare two systems of education which stem from different roots and often produce contrasting effects.
两种教育制度体系源于不同的根基, 并常常产生对照鲜明的不同效果, 因而,要将它们作一比较, 确非易事。(不定式作主语）
例6.This tendency to escalate a situation into its worst possible conclusion is what I called awfulizing, and it can be a key factor in tipping the balance toward, illness or health.
把一种情况逐渐地想象为最坏的结果, 我称之为“杞人犹天”, 这或许能打破你体内平衡, 或使你患病, 或使你健康。（不定式作定语）
例7.As never before, the nations of the world demonstrated a willingness to put aside ideological and individual differences to confront a common threat.
世界各国决心要把意识形态分歧和各自的不同意见放在一边而来正视这个共同的威协, 这在以前从来没有过。（不定式作定语）
例8.To communicate precisely what you want to say, you will frequently need to define key words.
要准确表达想要表达的内容, 就经常需要对关键词进行释义。(不定式作状语）
例9.To make calculations manageable even by computers, most of the models suppose either that the oceans are a shallow, motionless swamp or that they don‘t exist at all.
为了使这些计算甚至可以用普通的计算机来处理, 大多数模型要么假设海洋是既浅又静止的沼泽, 要么假设它们根本不存在。（不定式作状语）
例10.We can have greater confidence in the reality of a healing system that is beautifully designed to meet most of its problems.
我们对下述事实应抱有充分而信心: 人体的健康机制十分精妙, 足以应付大部分疾病。(不定式作状语）
例11.Having disproved and disputed the theory for more than two decades, some biologists are now embarking an undertaking to interpret it in a new approach.
20多年来, 某些生物学家一直对该理论持否定与争议的态度, 现在他们正在开始一项研究, 以新的方法解释这一理论。(现在分词做状语）
例12.The first cause of the liberation of women was the development of effective birth-control methods, freeing women from the endless cycle of childbearing and rearing.
妇女的解放首先起因于有效的节育措施的出现, 从而将女人从生养孩子的无尽循环中解放出来。（现在分词做状语）
例13.At every crossways on the road that leads to the future, each progressive spirit is opposed by thousands of men appointed to guard the past.
在通往未来道路的每一个十字路口上, 每一个具有进步思想的人都会遭到受命维护过去的千千万万名卫道士的反对。（过去分词做定语）
例14.The very first flight of Spacelab, manned by an international team of scientist-astronauts, demonstrated that a Nobel-prize-winning theory on the function of the inner ear was incorrect.
正是这第一座由跨国科学家和宇航员操作的太空试验站, 证明了一项曾获诺贝尔奖的关于人体内耳作用的理论是不正确的。（过去分词做定语）
例15.But the details of this movement -- what causes it, how it relates to other processes occurring in the ocean at the same time, and how it interacts with the earth‘s atmosphere -- remain sketchy.
但这种洋流的详细情况 -- 诸如什么导致了这种洋流, 它与伴随它的其他海洋特征有什么联系以及它与地球的大气是怎样相互作用的 -- 都还不太清楚。（现在分词做定语）
二、英 译 汉 状语从句的译法
英语状语从句表示时间、原因、条件、让步、目的等等, 英语状语从句用在主句后面的较多, 而汉语的状语从句用在主句前的较多, 因此, 在许多情况下, 应将状语从句放在主句前面。下面我们通过一些实例说明它们常用的翻译方法。
例1.When the levels reached 6 percent the crew members would become mentally confused, unable to take measures to preserve their lives.
当含量达到6%时, 飞船上的人员将会神经错乱, 无法采取保护自己生命的措 施。（时间状语从句）
例2.When censorship laws are relaxed, dishonest people are given a chance to produce virtually anything in the name of “art”. (83年考题)
当审查放宽时, 招摇撞骗之徒就会有机可乘, 在“艺术”的幌子下炮制出形形色 色的东西来。（时间状语从句）
例3.When tables and other materials are included, they should be conveniently placed, so that a student can consult them without turning over too many pages.
当书中列有表格或其他参考资料时, 应当将这些内容编排在适当的位置, 以便 使学生在查阅时, 不必翻太多的书页。（时间状语从句）
例4.This happens when a fact is discovered which seems to contradict what the “law” would lead one to expect.
每当发现一个事实使人感到与该定律应得出的预期结论相矛盾的时候, 就发生这种情况。（时间状语从句）
例5.Now since the assessment of intelligence is a comparative matter we must be sure that the scale with which we are comparing our subjects provides a ‘valid‘ or ‘fair‘ comparison. (92年考题)
既然对智力的评估是比较而言的, 那么我们必须确保, 在对我们的对象进行比 较时, 我们所使用的尺度能提供“有效的”或“公平的”比较。（ 原因状语从句）
例6.The policies open to developing countries are more limited than for industrialized nations because the proper economies respond less to changing conditions and administrative control.
由于贫穷国家的经济对形势变化的适应能力差一些, 政府对这种经济的控制作 用也小一些, 所以发展中国家所能采取的政策比起工业化国家来就更有局限性。（原因状语从句）
例7.For example, they do not compensate for gross social inequality, and thus do not tell how able an underprivileged youngster might have been had he grown up under more favorable circumstances. (95年考题)
例如, 他们(测试)并不对社会总的不平等作出补偿, 因此, 测试不能告诉我们, 一个社会地位低下的年轻人如果生活在较为优越的条件下, 会有多大的才能。（结果状语从句）
例8.It also plays an important role in making the earth more habitable, as warm ocean currents bring milder temperatures to places that would otherwise be quite cold.
由于温暖的洋流能把温暖的气候带给那些本来十分寒冷的地区并使之变暖, 因此, 海洋在使我们这个地球更适合人类居住方面也扮演一个重要的角色。（原因状语从句）
例9.Electricity is such a part of our everyday lives and so much taken for granted nowadays that we rarely think twice when we switch on the light or turn on the radio. (84年考题)
电在我们的日常生活中所占的地位是如此重要, 而且现在人们认为电是想当然的事, 所以我们在开电灯或开收音机时, 就很少再去想一想电是怎么来的。（结果状语从句）
例10.The first two must be equal for all who are being compared, if any comparison in terms of intelligence is to be made. (92年考题)
如果要从智力方面进行任何比较的话, 那么我们对所有被比较者来说, 前两个因素必须是一致的。（条件状语从句）
例11.Although television was developed for broadcasting, many important uses have been found that have nothing to do with it.
虽然电视是为了广播而发明的, 但是电视还有许多与广播无关的重要用途。（让步状语从句）
例12.Though the cost of the venture would be immense, both in labour and power, many believe that iceberg towing would prove less costly in the long run than the alternative of desalination of sea water.
这种冒险的代价, 不管是在人力还是在能源消耗方面, 都将是巨大的。然而, 许多人认为, 冰山牵引最终会证明比选择海水脱盐法花费要少。（让步状语从句）
例13.Therefore, although technical advances in food production and processing will perhaps be needed to ensure food availability, meeting food needs will depend much more on equalizing economic power among the various segments of populations within the developing countries themselves.
因此, 尽管也许需要粮食生产和加工方面的技术进步来确保粮食的来源, 满足粮食需求更多的是取决于使发展中国家内部的人口各阶层具有同等的经济实力。（让步状语从句）
例14.Whether the characters portrayed are taken from real life or are purely imaginary, they may become our companions and friends.
无论书中描述的角色来自真实生活还是来自纯粹的想象, 他们都可能成为我们的伙伴和朋友。（让步状语从句）
例15.By many such experiments Galileo showed that, apart from differences caused by air resistance, all bodies fall to the ground at the same speed, whatever their weight is.
伽利略经过多次这类实验证明, 一切物体, 不论其重量如何, 除了因空气阻力引起的差别外, 都是以同样的速度落向地面的。（让步状语从句）
三、英 译 汉 定语从句的译法
定语从句可以分为限制性定语从句和非限制性定语从句两种,两类定语从句在翻译方法上基本类似, 因此我们把它们放在一起介绍。在翻译定语从句时,我们经常采用下列的翻译方法:
一、前 置 法
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, 这种方法一般用于限制性定语从句比较短的情况。 一些较短的具有描述性的非限制性定语从句也可采用前置法, 但没有限制性定语从句使用得普遍。例如:
例1.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.
例如, 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。
例2.The first two must be equal for all who are being compared, if any comparison in terms of intelligence is to be made. (92年考题)
如果要从智力方面进行任何比较的话, 那么对所有被比较者来说, 前两个因素 必须是一样的。
例3.The first method is to give a synonym, a word that has nearly the same meaning as the word you wish to define: face for countenance, nervousness for anxiety.
第一种方法是同义词法, 即给出一个与需要释义的词在意义上几乎相同的, 如用face表示countenance, 用nervousness表示anxiety.
例4.Behaviourists, in contrast, say that difference in scores are due to the fact that blacks are often deprived of many of the educational and other environmental advantages that whites enjoy. (90年考题)
相反, 行为主义者认为, 成绩的差异是由于黑人常常被剥夺了白人在教育及其他外界环境方面所享有的许多有利条件而造成的。
例5.The method of scientific investigation is nothing but the expression of the necessary mode of working of the human mind; it is simply the mode by which all phenomena are reasoned about and given precise and exact explanations. (94年考题)
科学研究的方法不过是人类思维活动的必要表达方式, 也就是对一切现象进行 思考并给以精确而严谨解释的表达方式。
例6.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。
二、后 置 法
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, 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。另外在处理此类定语从句时, 一般遵循的原则是: 若保留先行词, 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。
例1.All the water that flows through the wide pipe in a second must somehow get through a narrow part too, which it can do only by going faster.
在一秒钟内流过粗管子的全部水量, 一定会以某种方式通过细管子, 这只有靠加快流速才能做到。
例2.Perhaps light is some sort of electric wave, whose nature we do not yet understand.
也许,光是某种电波,其性质我们尚不清楚。
例3.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。
例4.This will be particularly true since energy pinch will make it difficult to continue agriculture in high-energy American fashion that makes it possible to combine few farmers with high yields. (91年考题)
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。
例5.“In short”, a leader of the new school attends, “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.” (94年考题)
新学派的一位领袖人物坚持说:“简而言之, 我们所称谓的科学革命, 主要指一系列器具的改进、发明和使用, 这些改进、发明和使用使科学发展的范围无所不及。
例6.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. (91年考题)
食品的供应将赶不上人口的增长, 这就意味着我们在粮食的生产和购销方面正陷入危机。
三、翻译成状语从句
英语中有些定语从句, 兼有状语从句的职能, 在逻辑上(即意义上)与主句有状语关系, 说明原因、结果、让步、假设等关系, 翻译时应善于从英语原文的字里行间发现这些逻辑上的关系, 然后翻译成汉语中相应的偏正复合句。例如:
例1.He did not remember his father who died when he was three years old.
他不记得他父亲了, 因为他父亲死时他才三岁。
例2.However, iceberg water could be extremely cheap for some countries when compared with desalination, a process which requires much more fuel and much more money.
不过, 对某些国家来讲, 用冰山化水比海水脱盐相比, 费用可能极为便宜, 因 为脱盐过程需要更多燃料和更多的资金。
例3.Anyone who thinks that rational knowledge need not be derived from perceptual knowledge is an idealist.
如果认为理性知识不必由感性知识得来, 那他就是一个唯心主义者。
例4.…it was not until sixty years ago that a method of extracting aluminum ore was found which could lead to a cheap large-scale process. (88年考题)
……直到60年前人们才找到开采铝矿的方法, 从而使低成本、大规模冶炼金属铝成为可能。
例5.In office, figures, lists and information are compiled which tell the managers or heads of the business what is happening in their shops or factories. (85年考题)
在办公室里, 工作人员将各种数据、表格和信息加以汇编, 以便让经理或主管人员了解他们的商店或工厂目前正在发生的情况。
例6.Liquids, which contains no free electrons, are poor conductors of heat.
各种液体, 由于不含有自由电子, 是热的不良导体。
我们讲了定语从句的各种翻译方法，在这里我们还需要提醒大家，在翻译含有定语从句的句子时，我们应该特别注意在分析句子的结构上面下工夫，务必要搞清定语从句所修饰的先行词是哪一个。下面我们结合一个实例加以说明：
In fact a basic amount of movement occurs during sleep which is specifically concerned with preventing muscle inactivity.
曾经有人把这个句子翻译为：
事实上，在睡眠期间仍有一定基本量的活动，这种睡眠特别与防止肌肉活动有关。
在判断上述翻译的正误之前，我们首先分析一下这个句子中的定语从句所修饰的先行词，在这个句子中which引导的定语从句有两个可能被修饰的成分：a basic amount of movement和sleep, 一般来讲，定语从句往往修饰离它最近的那个名词，但是在这个句子中，却不是这样，因为，如果是修饰sleep, 我们就会翻译成上面的句子，但是从句子的意义来看讲不通，因此，这个定语从句是修饰前面的a basic amount of movement应该翻译为：
事实上，在睡眠期间仍有一定基本量的活动，这种活动特别与防止肌肉活动中断有关。
由此我们可以看出，确定定语从句的先行词是极为重要的，做出正确的判断的关键在于分析句子的结构和熟悉划线的句子所出现的上下文。另外，我们还需要注意一些比较复杂的定语从句结构，也就是那些定语从句里又含有定语从句的情况，在翻译这类句子时我们应该注意灵活运用我们在前面讲述的一些翻译技巧，尤其要注意分析各个定语从句之间的关系，例如：
Behaviourists suggest that the child who is raised in an environment where there are many stimuli which develop his or her capacity for appropriate responses will experience greater intellectual development. (90年考题）
上面句子的骨干结构为：Behaviourists suggest that the child … will experience … development, 这是一个复合句，在that所引导的宾语从句中，在主语child的后面是一个由who引导的定语从句，在在这个定语从句中又有一个由where引导的定语从句，修饰前面的名词environment, 然后在这个定语从句中又有一个由which引导的定语从句，修饰前面的名词stimuli, 这就构成了一个一套三的定语从句结构，在翻译成汉语时，考虑到定语从句太长，我们需要将个别的定语从句分开来翻译，这样我们可以将此句翻译为：
行为主义者认为，如果一个儿童在有许多刺激物的环境中成长，而这些刺激物能够发展其作出适当反应的能力，那么这个儿童将会有更高的智力发展。