考博英语翻译技巧之示例详解

1.改变词类(Conversion)
　　英语一个词能充当的句子成分较少，充当不同成分时常常要改变词类。最常见的是将英语的名词或形容词转换成汉语的动词。
　　Insulin is used in the treatment of diabetes. 胰岛素用于治疗糖尿病。
　　This issue is of paramount importance. 这个问题极其重要。
　　Formality has always characterized their relationship. 他们之间的关系有一个特点，就是相敬如宾。
　　As the war progressed, he would symbolize their frustrations, the embodiment of all evils. 随着战争的进行，他成了受挫的象征，成了万恶的化身。
　　It leads the discussions to extremes at the outset: it invites you to think that animals should be treated either with the consideration humans extend to other humans, or with no consideration at all. (34 words ) (1997. 73)
　　这种说法从一开始就将讨论引向两个极端，它使人们认为该这样对待动物：要么像对待人类自身一样关切体谅，要么完全冷漠无情。
　　Interest in historical methods has arisen less through external challenge to the validity of history as an intellectual discipline and more from internal quarrels among historians themselves. (27 words) (1997. 72)
　　人们之所以关注历史研究的方法论，主要是因为史学界内意见不一，其次是因为外界并不认为历史是一门学问。
　　The emphasis on data gathered first-hand, combined with a cross-cultural perspective brought to the analysis of cultures past and present, makes this study a unique and distinctly important social science. (2003. 63)
　　强调收集第一手资料，加上在分析过去和现在文化形态时采用跨文化视角，使得这一研究成为一门独特并且非常重要的社会科学。

　　2. 选词用字(Diction)
　　Before Hugo could protest, he and the others were led away. (抗议→分辩)
　　Put a teaspoonful of tea in the pot and then you just add the boiling water to it and let it stand. (稍等片刻再喝)
　　It’s a crime you didn’t finish school. (憾事)
　　There will be television chat shows hosted by robots, and cars with pollution monitors that will disable them when they offend. (2001.71)
　　届时将出现由机器人主持的电视谈话节目以及装有污染监控器的汽车，一旦这些汽车排污超标(违规)，监控器就会使其停驶。

　　3.语序调整(Inversion)
　　一个句子中词和分句的顺序，英汉两种语言往往不同。如表示时间和地点，英语常常是先小后大，而汉语是先大后小。
　　His address is 3612 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19001, USA. Don’t hesitate to come when you need help.
　　Black and white TV, iron and steel company, 李梅亭(Mate in Lee)
　　He remains one of the greatest historians, despite his apparent prejudice and his untrustworthiness in detail, because of his artistic mastery of historic theme.
　　尽管他在历史细节描写上有明显的偏见和不值得信任之处，但由于其对历史题材艺术般的运用，他仍不失为最伟大的历史学家之一。
　　句子结构的整体调整
　　That our environment has little, if anything, to do with our abilities, characteristics and behaviour is central to this theory.
　　这种理论的核心是，我们的环境同我们的才能，性格特征和行为，即使有什么关系的话，也是微不足道的。
　　Arguing from the view that humans are different from animals in every relevant respect, extremists of this kind think that animals lie outside the area of moral choice.
　　这类人持极端看法，认为人与动物在各相关方面都不相同，对待动物无须考虑道德问题。

　　4.省略(Omission)
　　You cannot build a ship, a bridge or a house if you don’t know how to make a design or how to read it.
　　不会制图或看不懂图纸，就不可能造船，架桥或盖房子。
　　It took him a long time to reach the bottom and to couch behind a little dwarf palm. 他费了很长时间才从山上爬下来，蹲到一棵矮小的棕榈树后面。
　　Galileo’s greatest glory was that in 1609 he was the first person to turn the newly invented telescope on the heavens to prove that the planets revolve around the sun rather than around the Earth. (1994. 74)
　　伽利略的最光辉的业绩在于他在1609年第一个把新发明的望远镜对准天空，以证实行星是围绕太阳旋转，而不是围绕地球。

　　5.增词(Amplification)
　　英语中没有量词，助词，翻译时应根据上下文的需要予以增加。有些英语的不及物动词必须增加宾语意思才完整。 No Smoking!
　　I could knit when I was seven.
　　Without a sense of your fault, how can repentance and amendment be expected? 如果对自己的错误都不认识，怎么能悔恨和改正呢?
　　—Walking past the Garden of Eden, Adam’s son asked his father, “Who owns that large estate?”
　　—“That’s where your mother and I used to live,” replied Adam, “before she ate us out of house and home.”
　　It should, however, be borne in mind that this process itself might involve a chain of difficulties, in this case of a political nature.
　　但是应该记住，这个过程本身也许会带来一系列的困难，在此情况下，这些困难是政治性的。(短语→句子)

　　6.重复(Repetition)
　　Practically every river has an upper, a middle and a lower part. 上游，中游，下游 If an atom contains three protons, it must have three electrons to be electrically neutral. 如果一个原子含有三个质子，这个原子必然有三个电子，使之不带电荷。
　　And it is imagined by many that the operations of the common mind can by no means be compared with these processes, and that they have to be required by a sort of special training. (35 words) (1993. 74)
　　许多人认为：普通人的思维活动根本无法和科学家的思维过程相比较，他们并且认为这些科学家的思维过程必须经过某种专门训练才能掌握。

　　7.反译法(Negation)
　　The Organization has not, so far, justified the hopes which the people set on it. 到目前为止，这个组织辜负了人们对它寄予的希望。
　　Suddenly he heard a sound behind him, and realized he was not alone in the garage. 他突然听到背后有声响，便立刻意识到车库里还有别人。

　　8.分译法(Division)
　　英语长句多，为了符合汉语表达习惯，可将英语长句拆成短句。 It was a real challenge that those who had learned from us now excelled us.
　　过去向我们学习的人，现在反而超过了我们。这对我们确实是一个鞭策。 It has been rightly stated that this situation is a threat to international security. 这个局势对国际安全是个威胁，这样的说法是完全正确的。
　　Long after the 1998 World Cup was won, disappointed fans were still cursing the disputed refereeing (裁判) decisions that denied victory to their team.
　　1998年世界杯被捧走以后很久，失望的球迷们还在咒骂那些有争议的裁定，因为这些裁定使他们所支持的球队无法获胜。
　　Probably there is not one here who has not in the course of the day had occasion to set in motion a complex train of reasoning, of the very same kind, though differing in degree, asthat which a scientific man goes through in tracing the causes of natural phenomena. (1993. 75)
　　在座的诸位中，大概不会有人一整天都没有机会进行一连串复杂的思考活动，这些思考活动与科学家在探索自然现象原因时所经历的思考活动，尽管复杂程度不同，但在类型上是完全一样的。

　　9.常见短语和重要句型的翻译
　　1)It goes without saying that...不言而喻的是……
　　2)It is common knowledge that...众所周知的是……
　　3)It occurs to me that...我突然想起
　　4)It is not that...but that...并不是说……而是说
　　It is not that the scales in the one case, and the balance in the other, differ in the principles of their construction or manner of working; but that the latter is a much finer apparatus and of course much more accurate in its measurement than the former. (1993. 72)
　　这并不是说面包师或卖肉者所用的磅秤和化学家所用的天平在构造原理或工作方式上存在差别，而是说与前者相比，后者是一种更精密得多的装置，因而在计量上必然更准确得多。
　　5) 某些含蓄否定的翻译
　　While he liked the work, he pointed out areas where improvement was possible. 他在欣赏这幅作品的同时，又指出了它的不足之处。 He is at a loss what to do. 他不知道该做什么。
　　To criticize it for such failure is roughly comparable to criticizing a thermometer for not measuring wind velocity. (1992. 72)
　　批评智力测试不反映上述情况，就像批评温度计不能测风速一样。
　　Plants which refine crude ores are often located in countries other than those in which the crude ores are mined. (1984)
　　提炼矿石的工厂通常不是设在开采矿石的国家，而是设在其它国家。
　　6)more...than...与其说……不如说……
　　She is more like his mother than like his teacher.
　　7)no more...than...和……一样都不……
　　There is no reason they should limit how much vitamin you take, any more than they can limit how much water you drink.
　　他们没有理由限制你服用多少维生素，就像他们不能限制你喝多少水一样。 The laws of Political Economy can no more be violated than those of physical science.
　　8)not...all..., all is...not...并不是……都……
　　All that glitters is not gold.
　　Both of the books are not helpful.
　　Everyone doesn’t want to go to the concert.
　　9)cannot...too...无论……也不过分
　　We can’t praise him too much. You can’t be too careful.
　　10)much less, still less, to say nothing of, not to mention, let alone更不用说……
　　He knows little of mathematics, and still less of chemistry.
　　In old China, there was hardly any machine-building industry, to say nothing of an electronic industry.
　　All they have to do is to press a button, and they can see plays, films, operas and shows of every kind, not to mention political discussions and the latest exciting football match.
　　11)so...that...如此……以至于……
　　However, the world is so made that elegant systems are in principle unable to deal with some of the world’s more fascinating and delightful aspects. (1996. 74) 然而，世界就是如此，完美的体系一般而言是无法解决世上某些更加引人人胜的课题的。
　　And home appliances will also become so smart that controlling and operating them will result in the breakout of a new psychological disorder-kitchen rage. (2001. 75)
　　家用电器将会变得如此智能化，以至于控制和操作它们会引发一种新的心理疾病——厨房狂躁。
　　12) not so much...as...与其说……不如说……
　　Science moves forward, they say, not so much through the insights of great men of genius as because of more ordinary things like improved techniques and tools. (1994. 71)
　　13)not...because...(否定转移)并不是因为……
　　The police didn’t arrest me because I committed any crime. They said I was
　　wandering on the street with the intent of committing an arrestable offense.
　　I do not teach because I have knowledge I feel compelled to share.
　　People do not shake off the colonialist’s yoke in order to put on the imperialist’s.
　　14) anything but...一点也不，决不 nothing but...就是，仅仅，but for…要不是……
　　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. (1993. 71)
　　Alone in a deserted house, he was so busy with his research work that he felt anything but lonely. (1990)
　　But for your timely help, we couldn’t have finished the work on time.
　　15)as特殊状语从句，译为定语从句
　　“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.” (1994. 72)
　　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，主要是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。”
　　16) what is called...所谓的……，所说的……(东西)
　　One difficulty is that almost all of what is called behavioral science continues to trace behavior to states of mind, feelings, traits of character, human nature and so on. (2002. 61)
　　困难之一在于所谓的行为科学几乎全部仍然从心态，情感，性格特征及人性等方面寻找行为的根源。
　　17)such...as...诸如……
　　Whether to use tests, other kinds of information, or both in a particular situation depends, therefore, upon the evidence from experience concerning comparative validity and upon such factors as cost and availability. (1995. 73)
　　因此，在某一特定情况下，究竟是采用测试还是其他种类的信息，或是两者同时使用，须凭有关相对效度的经验依据而定，也取决于诸如费用和有无来源等因素。
　　18)not...not...双重否定，可依情况译为没有……不……，或每一个……，都……
　　Probably there is not one here who has not in the course of the day had occasion to set in motion a complex train of reasoning, of the very same kind, though differing in degree, as that which a scientific man goes through in tracing the causes of natural phenomena. (1993. 75) 19)数字表达用语的翻译 hundreds of thousands of.... 数十万的„„ hundreds of millions of... 数亿的„„ tens of thousands of 好几万 scores of years ago 数十年前 dozens of... 几十„„ a dozen of... 一打„„
　　a couple of days 一两天/三两天
　　every two weeks/ every other week 每隔一周/每两周 in twos and threes 三三两两/三五成群 ten to one 十有八九/很可能
　　once and for all 永远地/一劳永逸地
　　in a hundred/thousand and one ways 千方百计地 a thousand thanks to you 万分感谢
　　Once bitten，twice shy. 一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井绳。
　　 倍数增减： 4 times greater than... 是„„的5倍，比„„大4倍 seven times as fast as... 是„„速度的7倍，比„„快6倍 10 times the size of... 是„„大小的10倍 rise by l5% 增加百分之十五
　　rise to 10,000 dollars 提高到10,000美元
　　reduce by 3 million pounds 减少了300万英镑 double the production 产量翻了一番
　　②时间表达用语的翻译。年代：
　　by the end of 2000 到2000年末
　　in the early 21st century 在21世纪早期 in the late l980s 在20世纪80年代末期 by the mid-1960’s 到20世纪60年代中期 in 264 AD 在公元264年
　　during the first quarter of the 20th century 在20世纪的前25年 in l050 BC 在公元前1050年 in the l990’s 在20世纪90年代in the second half of the year 在那一年的后半年
　　常用的时间表达法：
　　the coming Saturday 即将到来的这个星期六 the following day 第二天
　　two days after tomorrow 大后天
　　early in the spring/morning 早春/清晨
　　late in the autumn/afternoon 深秋/快到傍晚 deep in the winter/at night 隆冬/深夜 the first half of the week 前半周
　　专有名词的翻译
　　专有名词的正确理解与翻译在很大程度上取决于背景知识。一般说来，专有名词的译法基本固定，不可随意变动。
　　例如：When the shuttle Challenger fell apart on 28 January，1986，it signaled the end of an era.
　　1986年1月28日航天飞机“挑战者”号坠毁，标志着一个时代的结束。

　　10.被动的翻译
　　首先，我们可以根据需要，用汉语主动句来表达英语被动句。
　　如1. Their ship was wrecked on the rock，他们的船触礁遇难。
　　2. Our holidays were spoilt by bad weather.我们的假日因天气不好而使人扫兴。
　　3. The official version of the incident has been challenged by many witnesses.有许多目击者对这一事件的官方说法提出了异议。
　　4. The desks in the classroom were all spotted with ink.这个教室里的桌子全都墨迹斑斑。
　　5. He was regarded as the most successful young businessman of this year.大家认为他是本年度最有成就的企业家。
　　其次，如果英语中的被动意义必须表达出来，那么可根据实际内容用下列词语来表示被动：“被”、“把”、“由”、“为”、“靠”、“遭到”、“受(到)”、“叫”、“让”、“加以”、“得到”、“是„„的”、“使”、“给”、“为„„所”等等。如：
　　1. Many lakes and rivers have been polluted with industrial waste.许多江河湖泊已被工业废料污染了。
　　2. Computers are being used widely in China.现在计算机在中国得到了广泛的应用。
　　3. The classroom was cleaned by him.是他把教室打扫干净的。
　　4. Last year the region was visited by the worst drought in 60 years.去年这个地区遭受了60年来最严重的旱灾。
　　5. Time would be required to write a global Law of Sea.要拟定全球性海洋法是需要时间的。
　　最后，有些含有形式主语的英语句子，在英译汉时常改为主动句，可在汉译中加上主语“有人”、“人们”、“我们”、“大家”等，有的也可以不加。如： It is asserted that... 有人主张„„ It is believed that... 据信„„ It is generally considered that... 人们普遍认为„„ It is hoped that... 人们希望„„ It is reported that... 据报道„„ It is said that... 据说„„
　　It is supposed that... 据推测... It is well-known that... 众所周知„„ It must be admitted that... 必须承认„„ It must be pointed out that... 需指出的是„„ It was told that... 据传„„
　　It will be said that... 有人会说„„
　　The role of natural selection in evolution was formulated only a little more than a hundred years ago, and the selective role of the environment in shaping and maintaining the behavior of the individual is only beginning to be recognized and studied. (2002. 63)
　　自然选择在进化中的作用仅在一百多年前才得以阐明，而环境在塑造和保持个体行为时的选择作用则刚刚被认识和研究。
　　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. (2002. 64)
　　自由和尊严是传统理论定义的自主人所拥有的，是要求一个人对自己的行为负责并因其成就给予肯定的必不可少的前提。

　　11.定语从句的翻译
　　这是考试的重点，也是难点。做定语的可以是形容词(翻译成汉语时放在它所修饰的词的前面)，可以是介词词组、过去分词、现在分词，还可以是句子(即定语从句)，翻译的时候，根据实际需要采取倒译法或顺译法，也可以将定语从句切分为另—个单句(通常适用于非限制性定语从句)。
　　1. We know that a cat，whose eyes can take more rays of light than our eyes，can see clearly in the night. 我们知道，猫的眼睛比人的眼睛能吸收更多的光线，所以猫在夜里也能清楚视物。
　　2. Statistical analysis is being introduced into and applied widely in the investigation of English style. 统计分析正被引进并广泛应用于英语文体的研究工作。
　　3. No one can forecast the extent to which traffic will grow.没有人能预测将来交通流量会增长到什么程度。
　　4. The huge amounts of chemical fertilizer used on these farms are polluting water supply.这个农场用了大量化肥，给供水造成污染。 12.状语从句的翻译
　　英语和汉语的状语从句在句中的位置不完全相同，在翻译时应作必要的调整。如The job of the clerks is to collect and classify the information and to put it into such a form that it is easily interpreted and understood.职员的任务就是收集资料并加以归类，然后将其制成一份既易于说明又容易理解的表格。(此句中的“„that it is easily interpreted and understood.”结果状语从句被译成了定语，这样的译文显得简洁，如硬将其译为“将它制成一份这样的表格，以至于这份表格要能使这种资料易于解释，易于理解”虽忠实于原文，但有些罗嗦。)
　　This custom has been passed down since the l8th century.这种风俗从18世纪流传到现在。

　　(倒译)
　　The farmers are now able to work a much larger area with a smaller workforce.如今农民可以用较少的劳动力耕种面积大得多的耕地。(倒译) 13.长句的翻译长句要恰当地断成长度适中、合乎汉语习惯的句子。长句的翻译是难点也是重点，关键是首先找出句子的骨架，即主、谓、宾语，然后再将其它修饰成分嵌入框架。如果英文句子内容符合汉语规则，则可自前而后依序译出;如果句子内容顺序不符合汉语规则，可根据逻辑关系从后向前译出;如果不便用一句话表达，可将句子重新组织，按逻辑关系分成两个或数个短句。只要能完整准确地传达原意，即使没有拘泥于原文结构，也同样正确。
　　如：The first milestone was passed when the ancient Greeks recognized that wind and rain, heat and cold，were not caused by deities (神) punishing or rewarding their subjects (臣民)but rather by processes taking place in the atmosphere.古希腊人认识到刮风下雨，寒冷炎热都不是因为神灵惩罚或奖励他们的臣民，而是由于大气中所发生的自然过程所造成的。这时，人类的认识跨过了第一个里程碑。
　　There can hardly be a man who has not at some time in his life smiled at the sight of a woman shaking in a thin dress on a winter day，or delicately picking her way through deep snow in high-heeled shoes. 当在一生中某个时刻看到一位女士穿着薄薄的衣衫在严寒的日子里冻得发抖，或穿着高跟鞋在雪地里步履艰难地择路而行，几乎没有一位男士不发笑的。 14.注意英语惯用法，俚语和俗语的翻译
　　Mr. Wilson talks a lot, but Mrs. Wilson wears the trousers in their house. It seems to me what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander(公鹅).
　　I hope she will always feel like a daughter of America, and not like a stepchild. It’s a lot easier to get in the hole than to get out again.

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