8)that natural scientists use for the study of natural phenomena.這個定語從句的先行詞是manner。整個句子可改寫為“Natural scientists…use the same…manner for the study of natural phenomena”。故翻譯為:自然科學家用的同樣的方式研究自然現象。
8)that will disable them when they offend這個定語從句根據漢語習慣應該先翻譯其中的狀語從句。“when they offend”中的they指“汽車”,這個從句不能譯成“當汽車冒犯時”,因為這樣不符合漢語習慣。根據上下文稍加聯想,我們就可以知道“汽車冒犯”實際上就是我們平常所說的“汽車排污超標”。
典型例題4 Children will play with dolls equipped with personality chips,computers with inbuilt personalities will be regarded as workmates rather than tools,relaxation will be in front of smelltelevision,and digital age will have arrived.(2001年第72題)
這句英語是由四個獨立句構成的并列句,前三個句子都用簡單將來時,后一個句子用的是將來完成時,句子之間的關系過時態、逗號和并列連詞and表示得一清二楚。而漢語譯文明顯就是簡單的敘述,至于句子之間的關系完全過句子的語義表現出來:前三個句子可以看成是并列關系,后一個句子則表示結果。從中文到英文的翻譯中,語義與結構的區別就更加明顯。街頭笑話“Good good study,day day up.”和“You don"t know,who know!”之所以好笑,是因為“好好學習,天天向上。”和“你不知道,誰知道?”是典型的中文表達,直接翻譯成英文不符合英文語法。正確的翻譯其實很簡單: Work hard and make progress everyday。If you don"t know,who knows? 動詞work和make是句子的核心,兩者之間用并列連詞連接 If引導從句使who knows成為整個句子的主句。如果沒有這樣結構上的調整,中文句子的語義是無法用英語表達出來的。
典型例題5 Interest in historical methods had arisen less through external challenge to the validity of history as an intellectual discipline and more from internal quarrels among historians themselves(1999年第72題)。
英文原句是個典型的長句,由27個詞組成,中間沒有使用任何標點符號,完全靠語法結構使整個句子的意思化零為整:less through…and more from構成一個復雜的狀語修飾動詞arisen。在中文翻譯中,“產生興趣”這一重要內容過一個獨立的句子表達,兩個不同的原因則分別由不同的句子表達,整個句子被化整為零“…產生興趣…,這與其說是因為…,還不如說是因為…”
典型例題6 In the doorway lay least twelve umbrellas of all sizes and colors.參考譯文門口放著一堆雨傘,少說有十二把,五顏六色,大小不一。
典型例題7 On the whole such a conclusion can be drawn with a certain degree of confidence but only if the child can be assumed to have had the same attitude towards the test as the other with whom he is compared,and only if he was not punished by lack of relevant information which they possessed(1992年第75題)。
原文中兩個only if引導的從句顯然使整個句子變得很復雜,可是由于有并列連詞but和and,整句話的邏輯關系十分清楚:…能夠得出結論…但是只要…而且只要…。從上面的譯文我們可以看出,為了使中文表達更加清楚,but only if…and only if…被首先提綱挈領地先來了個介紹,但是必須具備兩個條件…,這種做法給我們的感覺是譯文中沒有從句,有的只有一些不同的分句。
典型例題8 Can you answer a question which I want to ask and which is puzzling me?參考譯文我有一個問題弄不懂,想請教你,你能回答嗎?
典型例題10 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年第64題)
參考譯文:自由和尊嚴是傳統理論當中自治者(自我約束者)擁有的寶貴的東西,一個人必須對其行為負責,他的成績必須得到贊揚,在這些實踐中,自由和尊嚴是必不可少的。原文中的“they”在句中顯然找不到指代對象,根據上下文,它應該指前面提到的freedom and dignity(自由和尊嚴),在翻譯的時候如果譯成“它們”就已經表達不清,如果譯成“他們”,顯然就是大錯特錯的了,因此應該譯成名詞“自由和尊嚴”?!?2、就語態而言,英語和漢語有何不同?
典型例題11 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(1993年第74題)。
典型例題12 It must have been taken away by him. 那一定是(被)他拿走了。You will be drowned if you are not careful. 若是不小心,你就會(被)淹死。
In the development of social economy,the culture tradition must be kept. 在社會經濟發展過程中,文化傳統必須(被)保持。
The economic development is decided to great extent by science and technology.經濟的發展在很大程度上是(由)科學技術決定的。
有些英語被動需要把主語譯成漢語的賓語,這樣才能更加符合中文的表達習慣。
典型例題13 New sources of energy must be found,and this will take time,but is not likely to result in any situation that will ever restore that sense of cheap and plentiful energy we have had in the past time.(1991年第72題)