考研英语翻译技巧锻炼从阅读名著开始

考研英语翻译技巧锻炼从阅读名著开始 中国研究生招生信息网 2008 年 06 月 13 日 16:57 国外一位著名的语言学家曾经说过“A word has no meaning unless it is used in a text.”（“一个词本身是毫无意义的，除非把它运 用到一个文本中”）。文学名著无疑是最理想的文本。在名著中常常会有涉及 到考研英语中的长难句，同学 们也可以在繁重的复习之余，从名著中培养一下 自己的语感。在欣赏名著的同时，培养英语阅读技巧与运用能力同时也可以在 中文的对照中学习翻译的技巧。 请同学们阅读时准确理解概念或结构较复杂的句子。 一、原文：For Jerusha and the ninety-odd other children in the orphanage, the first Wednesday of every month was quite a torturous day. On this day, each child had to be clean and well-groomed, every corner in every room had to be neat and tidy, every floor had to sparkle, and every bed had to be made perfectly flat so that the tiniest wrinkle would not show. All of this preparation was to get ready for the visit of the Trustees of the orphanage which always fell on this day. Each child had been told time and again that if a Trustee were to ask him or her a question, he or she was to answer in a clever and respectful way. 译文：对洁茹以及孤儿院里其他九十几个院童来说，每个月的第一个礼拜 三是一个十分难熬的日子。在这一天，每一个院童都必须梳洗得乾乾净净，房 间 各个角落都打扫得整整齐齐，连每一块地板都擦得光洁无比，每一张床铺都 平整得连一小条绉褶都没有；如此严阵以待，是因为孤儿院的董事大人们在这 一天会大驾 光临。每一个孩子并且也都被再三交代，如果有董事大人问他们什 麽话，必须非常乖巧、恭敬地回答。 二、原文：Jerusha was the oldest child in the orphanage she was already 18 years old. According to the rules, the orphanage only had to keep children up until the age of 16, but Jerusha was an exception. Because her grades were quite good, the orphanage decided to let her continue her studies and allowed her to go to the high school in town. At this point, Jerusha had just graduated from high school and was just staying to help out around the orphanage. 译文：洁茹是孤儿院里年纪最大的孩子，她今年已经十八岁了。本来按照规定， 孤儿院只养育院童到十六岁，洁茹却是一个例外；因为她的成绩相当优异，院 方才决定让她继续升学，到村子里去念高中。洁茹最近高中刚毕业，都在院里 帮忙。 三、原文：Just as in todays case, in order to prepare a most perfect Wednesday visit for the Trustees, Jerusha had worked the entire day. Luckily, everything had gone as she had planned, and now the Trustees had heard the orphanages reports, were sipping tea, and some were even beginning to leave one by one, off to their various other appointments. Watching the Trustees shadows as they left, Jerushas heart once again became filled with visions. Despite the fact that Mrs. Lippett had repeatedly warned her that such fantasies would only torture and upset her, and that having these fantasies would not change reality Mrs. Lippett said Jerusha was doomed to never set foot outside the orphanage she could not help but have them all the same. If only one day, she could be just like the Trustees and, carrying her bags, step into a big car and tell the driver to take her home what kind of a feeling would that be？ 译文：像今天，为了准备一个圆满的礼拜三，洁茹已经忙了一整天。幸好 一切都如她所预料的非常顺利，现在董事大人们听完报告，享用完茶点，已经 纷 纷离去，准备去赴其他的约会了。望着他们离去的背影，洁茹的心里再一次 涌起了幻想。尽管李派特太太不断告诫她，这样的幻想只会折磨她自己，使她 更苦恼，并 且也不可能改变事实她很难离开孤儿院一步的；可是洁茹仍然忍 不住会想，如果有一天，她也能拎着行李，像这些董事大人们一样，跨进轿车， 吩咐司机回家，那 会是一种什麽样的感觉？ 四、原文：For 18 years Jerusha had been living in an orphanage. She was simply unable to imagine what home would be like. 译文：十八年来，洁茹一直生活在孤儿院里，“家”到底是什麽样子，她根本 无从想像！ 五、原文：Just as Jerusha became lost in her thoughts, a little boy ran over looking for her and said that Mrs. Lippett wanted to see her immediately. A little upset, Jerusha headed towards the office, all the time in her heart thinking, What did I do wrong? Were the sandwiches not thin enough? Did the cherry cakes not taste right? Or did one of the Trustees notice the hole in little Susies stockings? 译文：当洁茹正在发呆的时候，有一个小男孩跑来找洁茹，说李派特太太 叫她赶快去。洁茹有些不安地朝办公室走去，心里一直在想：“我做错了什麽 吗？是三明治切得不够薄？核桃糕的味道不够好？还是有董事大人看到了小苏 西袜子上的破洞？” 六、原文：When Jerusha went downstairs, the light in the big empty hall was not yet on, but she caught a glimpse of the last Trustee getting into his car to leave the orphanage. It was too dark, however, to see the Trustee very clearlyshe could only get a good impression of him from the back. He was quite tall, and had long legs. He looked just like a big, dancing Daddy Longlegs that was calling for his ride home！ 译文：洁茹下楼时，空荡荡大厅中的灯还未点亮，她刚好看见最後一位董 事大人正准备坐进车子离去，但因光线太暗，她并没有看清楚他的样子，只是 从他的背影中得到一个强烈的印象他很高，腿很长，简直就像一只舞动着长 腿正在叫车的大蜘蛛！ 历年考研英语真题中优秀短句推荐 中国研究生招生信息网 2008 年 06 月 13 日 16:48 一、复合句一、复合句 1.When a new movement in art attains a certain fashion,it is advisable to find out what its advocates are aiming at,for,however farfetched and unreasonable their principles may seem today,it is possible that in years to come they may be regarded as normal.（2000 年第三篇） 2.What has happened is that people cannot confess fully to their dreams,as easily and openly as once they could,lest they be thought pushing,acquisitive and vulgar.（2000 年第五篇） 二、并列句二、并列句 While talking to you,your could-be employer is deciding whether your education,your experience,and other qualifications will pay him to employ you and your wares and abilities must be displayed in an orderly and reasonably connected manner.（1996 年第一篇） 三、定语从句三、定语从句 1.The American economic system is organized around a basically private-enterprise,market-oriented economy in which consumers largely determine what shall be produced by spending their money in the marketplace for those goods and services that they want most.（1994 年第一篇） 2.The change met the technical requirements of the new age by engaging a large professional element and prevented the decline in efficiency that so commonly spoiled the fortunes of family firms in the second and third generation after the energetic founders.（1996 年第三篇） 四、名词性从句四、名词性从句 1.That experiences influence subsequent behavior is evidence of an obvious but nevertheless remarkable activity called remembering.（1995 年第五篇） 2.What is harder to establish is whether the productivity revolution that businessmen assume they are presiding over is for real.（1998 年第二篇） 3.Online culture thinks highly of the notion that the information flowing onto the screen comes there by specific request.（1999 年第二 篇） 4.Replies show that compared with other Americans,journalists are more likely to live in upscale neighborhoods,have maids,own Mercedeses,and trade stocks,and theyre less likely to go to church,do volunteer work,or put down roots in a community.（2001 年第 三篇） 五、状语从句五、状语从句 Consumers seem only concerned,not panicked,and many say they remain optimistic about the economys long-term prospects,even as they do some modest belt tightening.（2004 年第三篇） 六、特殊结构六、特殊结构 1.While the leading actor on the stage captures our attention,we are aware of the importance of the supporting players and the scenery of the play itself.（1994 年第三篇） 2.Discoveries in sciences and technology are thought by untaught minds to come in blinding flashes or as the result of dramatic accidents.（1994 年第五篇） 3.How we see ourselves as we try a new way of being is essential to our ability to grow.（1995 年第二篇） 4.On the dust jacket of this fine book,Stephen Jay Gould says: This book stands for reason itself. And so it doesand all would be well were reason the only judge in the creationism/evolution debate.（1996 年第五篇） 5.Perhaps it is humankinds long suffering at the mercy of flood and drought that makes the ideal of forcing the waters to do our bidding so fascinating.（1998 年第一篇） 6.Nowhere do 1980 census statistics dramatize more the American search for spacious living than in the Far West.（1998 年第四篇） 7.But,for a small group of students,professional training might be the way to go since well-developed skills,all other factors being equal,can be the difference between having a job and not.（1999 年第 三篇） 8.Summer homes,European travel,BMWsthe locations,place names and name brands may change,but such items do not seem less in demand today than a decade or two years ago.（2000 年第五篇） 七、分隔结构七、分隔结构 1.Sir Alexander Fleming did not,as legend would have it,look at the mold on a piece of cheese and get the idea for penicillin there and then.（1994 年第五篇） 2.With regard to Futurist poetry,however,the case is rather difficult,for whatever Futurist poetry may beeven admitting that the theory on which it is based may be rightit can hardly be classed as Literature.（2000 年第三篇） 3.Here is an example,which I heard at a nurses convention,of a story which works well because the audience all shared the same view of doctors.（2002 年第一篇） 八、关联结构八、关联结构 1.A survey of news stories in 1996 reveals that the antiscience tag has been attached to many other groups as well,from authorities who advocated the elimination of the last remaining stocks of smallpox virus to Republicans who advocated decreased funding for basic research.（1998 年第三篇） 2.The astonishing distrust of the news media isnt rooted in inaccuracy or poor reportorial skills but in the daily clash of world views between reporters and their readers.（2001 年第三篇） 九、难词与词组九、难词与词组 1.Money spent on advertising is money spent as well as any I know of.（1995 年第一篇） 2.The merits of competition by examination are somewhat questionable,but competition in the certain knowledge of failure is positively harmful.（1995 年第四篇） 3.Mr.McWhorters academic specialty is language history and change,and he sees the gradual disappearance of whom,for example,to be natural and no more regrettable than the loss of the case-endings of Old English.（2005 年第四篇） 十、指代十、指代 The term antiscience can lump together too many,quite different things, notes Harvard University philosopher Gerald Holton in his 1993 work Science and Anti-Science,They have in common only one thing that they tend to annoy or threaten those who regard themselves as more enlightened.（1998 年第三篇） 考研英语阅读复习三类词汇须重点掌握 中国研究生招生信息网 2008 年 06 月 10 日 17:37 阅读理解是学习中的重点，不仅因其具有实际的阅读与理解的锻炼 能力，更因为其分值比例较大。考生在复习过程中，要注意理解文章中词汇的 语义特征。文章中 的某些关键词也能为考生提供线索。在选择时，尽量往这些 关键词上“靠”，可以避免离题太远。以下三类词的作用不容忽视： 一、名词表主题一、名词表主题 When it comes to the slowing economy, Ellen Spero isnt biting her nails just yet. But the manicurist isnt cutting, filing or polishing as many nails as shed like to, either. Most of her clients spend 12 to 50 weekly, but last month two longtime customers suddenly stopped showing up. Spero blames the softening economy. Im a good economic indicator, she says. I provide a service that people can do without when theyre concerned about saving some dollars.So Spero is downscaling, shopping at middle brow Dillards department store near her suburban Cleveland home, instead of Neiman Marcus. I dont know if other clients are going to abandon me, too, she says. 文中的这些名词为考生提供了一条主线，即使没完全读懂，但通过这些名 词考生也可以确定这是一篇与经济有关的文 章，每句话都没离开这个主题。可 以设想一下，如果把其中的任何一句删去，然后让考生选择后补上，在遵循以 “经济”为线索的前提下都是很容易解决的。也就是 说这些名词表明了这篇文 章的主题。 二、动词表变化二、动词表变化 All of this caused a crisis of confidence. Americans stopped taking prosperity for granted. They began to believe that their way of doing business was failing, and that their incomes would therefore shortly begin to fall as well. The mid 1980s brought one inquiry after another into the causes of America industrial decline. Their sometimes sensational findings were filled with warnings about the growing competition from overseas. 动词是各种变