否定句的翻译.docx

另外，if 从句通常表示事实上的否定或者与事实相反的假设，尽管在翻译成汉语时仍然保持肯定句的形式，但却表达的是否定的含义。If you had come to my place, I would have told you about it.如果你那时到我这儿来，我是会告诉你的。(这句话表示事实上的否定，意为“你没有到我这儿来，我也没有告诉你。”It seemed as if he were trying to teach us all he knew in one class.看起来他好像想把自己所有的知识在一堂课内都教给我们。（事实上，不可能将所有的知识在一堂课内教授）If only 与过去完成时连用时，表示同过去事实相反的主观设想，同样含有否定的意味，通常翻译成“要是该多好啊”。If only you had worked with great care! 你要是更仔细一些该多好啊！If only you had told me before. 要是你早告诉我就好了。If only he hadnt driven so fast. 他没把车子开得这么快就好了。8. 介词表示否定英语中介词的使用是相当活跃的，其中有些介词同样表达否定的意义，如from, off, of, in, without, for, above, beyond, past, out of, against, beside, 等等。He is against the plan. 他反对这个计划。He is out of work. 他失业了。Good advice is above/ beyond/ without price. 好的建议是无价的。This strange idea is beyond belief. 这种奇怪的想法令人难以置信。I can see nothing without my glasses. 不戴眼镜我什么都看不见。She is still in two minds. 她还没拿定主意。I am off duty today. 我今天不值日。It is far from me to do anything to hurt you. 我决不会做任何伤害你的事情。He went there on foot instead of by bus. 他步行去那里，没有坐公共汽车。That lazy boy went to class before he had prepared his lessons.那个懒惰的孩子没有预习功课就上课去了。9. or/ otherwiseOr除了表示“或者”之外，在同祈使句连用时也相当于otherwise， 意为“否则” “要不然”。Hurry up, or you will lag behind. 快点，不然你要落下了。Study hard, or you will be bound to fail final examination. 努力学习吧，不然期末考试你肯定不及格。Be careful, or you will get into trouble. 当心，不然你会有麻烦的。10. 词汇表示否定英语中有些词汇和词组也同样表示否定的含义，翻译成汉语时通常采用否定句式。Such a chance was denied to me. 我没有得到这样一个机会。Time is what we want most, but what, alas, many use worst. 时间是我们最缺少的，但可叹之至，偏偏许多人最不善于利用时间。We have read your article. We expect to meet an older man. 我们拜读过你的大作，没想到你竟然这么年轻。They feel great anxiety about his sickness. 他们对他的病情感到焦虑不安。The criminal is still at large. 罪犯还未捉拿归案。If it worked once, it can work twice. 一次得手，再次不愁。五、否定转移一般说来，英语中的否定词总是紧紧出现在被否定的前面，对其后面的部分进行否定。但有时否定词所否定的并不是紧随其后的部分，而是后面的某个部分，这就是否定的转移。如果对否定的转移缺乏足够的认识，就会造成理解和翻译上的失误。否定的转移通常有下列几种情况：1.否定介词短语：I have not come to you for money. 我来不是找你要钱的。（not否定for money）I told you I didnt say that for amusement. 我说那些并不是为了消遣。He never traveled by air. 他从来没有乘飞机旅行过。（never否定by air）2. 否定动词不定式：One does not live to eat， but eats to live. 人活着不是为了吃，而吃却是为了活着。（not否定不定式to eat）We are not here to interfere, nor are we here to be anyones whipping boy.我们来这儿不是为了干涉别人，但也不是来受训挨骂的。I have not come to China to forth on what divides us but to build on what binds us. 我来到中国，不是为了扩大我们的分歧，而是为了加强我们的联系。3.否定从句中的谓语动词I dont think you have paid for it yet. 你大概还没付款。It doesnt seem that we can get our money back. 好像我们无法把钱收回来。It isnt likely that oil prices will fall this year. 很可能今年油价不会下跌。这类动词还有feel, suppose, expect, imagine, reckon等。4. 带no， neither 介词短语有些句子的介词短语中带有no， neither之类的否定词，这些词形式上是否定介词短语中的名词的，但在翻译成汉语的时候要把否定词转移到谓语上。At no time can we give up learning. 在任何时候，我们都不能放弃学习。In neither case can they agree. 在这两种情况下，他们都不会同意。5. notso much as结构。这种结构表面看是否定谓语，而实际上是否定as后面的词语。在意义上相当于“lessthan”，翻译成汉语时采用“与其说不如说”The oceans do not so much divide the world as unite it.与其说海洋把世界分隔开来，不如说把世界连接起来。6. not more than/ nonemore than表面上看是否定谓语，但实际上是否定than后面的比较状语。常译成“不比更”或“最莫过于”。He is not more fond of playing chess than you are. 他不比你更喜欢下棋。In answering questions, none gave him more hints or asked him simpler ones than the economics professor. 在回答问题时，给提示最多的，或问问题最简单的莫过于经济学教授了。7. not because/ for 结构对前后部分都可能产生否定。She didnt marry you because you were a big shot.有两种理解：1）because you were a big shot, she did not marry you. (她不嫁给你，因为你是个大人物）2）She married you, but it was not because you were a big shot. （她嫁给你，并非因为你是个大人物）两种理解意思截然相反。造成这种差别的原因是对否定范围的不同理解，前者否定的是谓动词marry，后者则否定从句。总体看，notbecause结构功能可分为五种：A) not 否定语句谓语。在强调原因时，because可放在主句之前。She didnt buy it, because it was expensive. 她没有买，因为这东西太贵。Because it was too expensive, she didnt buy it. 因为这东西太贵，所以她没有买B) not 属于否定转移，否定从句，主句与从句之间不用逗号隔开。只有在“it is not becausethat” 或 “Not becausedo/does/did+主语+谓语动词”的句型中， not because从句才可以放在主句之前。通常译为“并不是因为而的”或“并非因为才”I didnt come because I had to stay with her. 我并不因为要和她呆在一起才来的。这句话可改写为下面三句话：I came not because I had to stay with her.Not because I had to stay with her did I come.It was not because I had to stay with her that I came.当然，在特定情况下还可以理解为下句Because I had to stay with her, I didnt come.因为得同她呆在一起，所以我没有来。C）当not 否定主句时，不属于否定转移，不能放在because从句之前，否则就不符合逻辑或不能保持原句的句意。在这种情况，because的意义相当于although.从句只能放在主句之后，而不能放在主句之前。译成汉语时，通常译成“并没有因为而/就” 或“没有虽然”He does not think he is superior to others because his father is a high-ranking official.他并没有因为自己的父亲是个高官就认为自己高人一等。或者可以把这句话改写成：He does not think he is superior to others although his father is a high-ranking official.虽然他父亲是个高官，他并不认为自己高人一等。如果改写成下面这句话，逻辑上成立 ，但却改变了原句的意思：He thinks he is superior to others not because his father is a high-ranking official.而如果改写成下面这句话，其意义就不符合逻辑了：Because his father is a high-ranking official, he does not think he is superior to others.D）对于有些句子而言，可根据上下文语言逻辑关系、语言习惯以及常识来综合判断其含义，从而消除歧义。He is not absent because he is ill. 他并非因为生病而缺席。The police didnt arrest him because he really committed any crime. They said that he was wandering with intent to commit an arrestable offence.警察逮捕他并非是因为他真的犯了什么罪，照警察的说法是因为他四处游逛图谋不轨。She doesnt like the flat because it hasnt got a proper bathroom.她不喜欢这套公寓房间，因为没有像样的浴室。E） 有时候，because的前面附加有just， only，merely， simply等副词，这些副词通常 将否定的范围局限在because引导的从句上。Dont read book simply because other people are reading them.不要只是因为别人在读某些书就去读这些书。I am not apt to shrink from duty merely because it is painful.我并不是因为怕吃苦而逃避自己的义务。六、双重否定双重否定是英语句子中常见的形式，即用两个表示否定意义的词来表达肯定。这种句型 比较符合英美人的习惯，因为他们不太喜欢用绝对的肯定或否定，而习惯于用比较委婉的表达方式，而汉语的表达则比较干脆，要么用完全否定，要么用部分否定，而双重否定则较少。所以英语中的双重否定在翻译成汉语时通常译成肯定句。1. 否定词+表否定意义的词There is no student but wishes to learn English. 没有学生不想学英语。It never rains but it pours. 不下则已，下则倾盆。I wonder if he is not an honest man. 我认为他是个诚实的人。I promised that never a day should pass that I did not visit him. 我答应每天去看他。He spoke nothing to no purpose. 他言必中肯，绝不空谈。Fight no battle unprepared. 不打无准备之战。The authorities are not completely blameless. 权威人士并非无可指责。Not without an ulterior motive did he make that remark.说这话的人是别有用心。2. toonot to 和 not tooto 一般译成“太肯定会” “必然” “不要不”。He is too wicked not to meet a bad end some day. 他太坏了，总有一天会有恶报。This was too great an honor not to excite the envy of his rivals. 这种莫大的荣誉必然会引起对手的嫉妒。A teacher should not be too proud to learn from his students. 教师不应该骄傲得不向学生学习。3. cannottoo/over双重否定的一种特殊句型，意为“怎么都不过分”。You cannot be too careful./ You cannot be overcareful. / You cannot be careful enough. 你越小心越好。We cannot praise him too much./ We cannot overpraise him. 我们怎么称赞他都不过分。A book many be compared to your neighbor; if it is good, it cannot last too long; if bad, you cannot get rid of it too early. 一本书好比你的邻居。如果是好书，读书时间再长也不嫌长；如果是坏书，越早丢开越好。One can scarcely/ hardly pay too high a prize for liberty. 为自由付出的代价再高也值得。The importance of economic reform cannot be overemphasized. (It is impossible to over-emphasize ) 经济改革的重要性怎么强调都不过分。七、其他否定1. 肯定与否定意思相同A、附加疑问句中，如陈述部分是肯定形式的祈使句，则附加问句部分用肯定或否定形式都可以，意义基本相同，只不过肯定形式在语气上稍微婉转一些。Take this package to the post office, will (wont) you? 把这个包裹送到邮局好吗？Pass me the book, will (wont )you? 把那本书递给我好吗？注意：如果陈述部分是否定，则附加问句只能采用肯定形式。Dont take the magazine away, will you? 别把那本杂志带走，好吗？B. 在一般疑问句中，特别是表示请求、建议的一般问句中，采用肯定或否定形式在意义上没有多少差别。Will (wont) you have a bottle of cola? 来甁可乐好吗？Will (wont) you sit down? 请坐下好吗？C. 在某些宾语从句中，特别是由if， whether引导的间接问句和表示疑问的句子中，有没有否定词其意义都是一样的。I asked him if I could (not) do anything for him. 我问他，我是否能为他做点什么。Try and think whether you have (no) friends to help you. 想一想你是不是有什么朋友可以帮助你。D. 在从疑问句转化成感叹句中，有没有其中的否定词意义都是一样的。How many feet, I wonder, had (not) trodden that path! 不知有多少双脚走过了那条小路。How often have I (not) watched him! 我老是盯着他看！E. 在下面习惯用法中，用肯定或否定意义是一样的。I cant (can) but say. 我不得不说。I cant (can) hardly believe it. 我简直不敢相信。F. 否定形式的修辞疑问句和肯定形式的感叹句在意义上是相同的。What had Lao Zhang not suffered? 什么苦头老张没吃过？What Lao Zhang has suffered! 老张吃了多大的苦啊！G 在回答有些问题时，用肯定形式的回答或否定形式的回答往往表示同样的意义。Would you mind helping me with the work? Certainly not (certainly)不知你是否介意帮我做这项工作？当然不。（分析）：这里无论certainly not 还是certainly 都表示愿意帮忙，因为前者针对是mind， 而后者是针对help而答的。 2. 虚拟语气在英语句子中，虚拟证据的使用是相当普遍的，所表达的意义也是多种多样的。当有些虚拟语气的肯定句与情态动词和完成时态连用时，经常表示与事实相反的情况，因此可以用来表示一种委婉的否定。因为汉语中缺乏这种表达手段，所以在翻译时要增加一些副词或其他词语，否则就不能表达出虚拟语气的真正含义。A） would + have been 结构, 译成汉语时，要加入 “本来”。I would have written before, but I have been ill. 本来早该给你写信了，但我生病了。(我没有早点给你写信）He would have given you more help, but he has been so busy. 他本来要多给你一些帮助的，只是他太忙了。（没有给更多帮助）It would have been easy for him to answer the question like that. 他那样回答这个问题本来是很容易的。（他没有那样回答问题）2. might + have done, 加入“也许会” “可能会”。It is a pity you werent there. You might have given me a hand. 可惜当时你不在，要不然你也许会帮助我的。If I hadnt met her at that time, the whole course of my life might have been different. 如果我在那时没有遇见她，我的生命旅程可能就会与现在完全两样。C） could +have been, 加入“本来能够” “简直可以”“恨不得”。She could have passed the exam if she worked harder.如果她更用心一点，本来是可以及格的。I was so disappointed that I could have cried. 我当时如此失望，恨不得放声大哭。I could have skinned Stephen in front of the public. 我不恨不得当众剥了斯蒂芬的皮。D） should + have done。这一结构表示应尽而未尽的义务或与主观愿望相违背的如惊奇、怀疑等情绪和意愿。翻译的时候要加入“竟然” “居然”。Strange that I should have forgotten its name. 真奇怪，我竟然忘了它的名字。试比较如下三句话，体会其中的不同含义。The peonies are in full bloom in the park. If you go to see them, I will accompany you. 公园里牡丹盛开，如果你去赏花，我愿意陪你去。The peonies are withering now. If you would go, I would accompany you.牡丹快要谢了，如果你还要去，我也愿意陪你。The peonies have withered. If you should go to see them, I should like to accompany you.牡丹已经凋谢了。如果你居然还愿意去看，我也可以奉陪。E） 其他虚拟语气汉语借助词汇手段，翻译时适当地加入一些词汇，以便更准确地表达译文。I wish I had a memory like yours. 可惜我没有你那么好的记性。If I had the money now, I would buy a house. 我现在手头没