科技英语中长句的译法.docx

科技英语翻译课程小论文科技英语中长句的译法专业：飞行器制造(航空维修工程与技术)班级：0511305姓名：吴巧云学号：051130502科技英语中长句的译法051130502 吴巧云摘要本文所探讨的是：科技英语中长句的分类与分析，以及长句的运用，此涉及其高频使用的原因及其使用优势。另外，本文还谈到在科技英语领域内长句翻译时应注意的问题以及科技英语长句翻译基本步骤与方法。 关键词：科技英语 长句 运用 优势 分类 分析 注意的问题 步骤与方法On the translation of long sentences in ESTAbstractWhat is argued here: The classification and analysis of long and complex sentences in EST ; and the application of long sentences , meanwhile the points which need more attention in long sentences translation in EST . What is the most important here is the basic steps and methods of translating long English sentences in EST and what is in question here is how to properly use them to convey the original ideas that the passage or discourse in original expresses.Key words: English for science and technology; Long sentences; Application; Advantages; Classification; Analysis; Points; Steps and Methods 1、科技英语中长句的分类与分析（Classification and Analysis of long and complex sentences in EST）：a) Sentence with a number of subordinate clause of different levels. eg: Perhaps the factor that makes a positive outcome most likely is the clear recognition by the Japanese government and business community that there is an emergent need for innovation, and a wide agreement that the national interest required that major effort be concentrated in this area.也许，带来积极结果的因素很大可能上是日本政府和商业界对当前急切需要创新和国家利益要求需在该领域投入更多的努力的认知。b) the sentence with a series of past-modifiers, like a chaineg: Each cylinder is therefore encased in a water jacket, which forms part of a circuit through which water is pumped continuously, and cooled by means of air drawn in from the outside atmosphere by large rotary fans旋转风扇, worked off the main crankshaft, or, in the large diesel electric locomotives, by auxiliary motors.因而每个气缸都用一个水套围着，水套形成循环回路的一部分，由水泵驱使水在回路中不停地流动，并由外部鼓进的空气来使水冷却。鼓风用的大型旋转风扇是由主曲轴带动的，而在大型电传动内燃机车上，则由辅助电机带动。c) the sentence whose main structure is interpreted by a number of subordinate elements. eg: From what is stated above , it is learned that the suns heat can pass through the empty space between the sun and the atmosphere that surrounds the earth , and that most of the heat is dispersed through the atmosphere and lost ,what is really what happens in the practical case ,but to what extent it is lost has been not found out.有上述可知，太阳的热量可以穿过太阳与地球大气层之间的真空，而大多热量在通过大气层时都扩散和消耗了。实际发生的情况真是如此，但是热量的损失究竟达到什么程度，目前尚未弄清。d) the sentence with inverted word order as well as complicated structure. eg: Closely linked with the increased use of computer is the increased use of machines, instead of man power to do the job which can be most easily done by machines.随着计算机的普遍使用，可代替人力的机械的使用也在增加，通过这些机械可较容易完成一些工作。2、科技英语中长句的运用（The application of long sentences in EST）：(1) Why long and complex sentences are frequently used in EST.a) In EST, there are many complicated ideas which are connected with each other.b) There are many complicated process.c) To make the expression objective.(2) Advantages of long and complex sentences:a)express complicated ideas with different levels of senses which cant be expressed by simple sentences.b) give a sharp contrast between two or more things, which cant be done effectively by simple sentences.c) make the expression compact in structure and coherent in sense.d) give prominence to the central idea by subordinating less important parts.e) give a whole idea, give the reader a sense of completeness.f) In describing industrial production and scientific research, long and complicated sentence can give the reader a sense of continuity.Eg:*The information as well as the decisions arising from it is processed.*Then it moves on to the next stage.*On the next stage again the specific circumstances of the operation is digested.* And the best decisions are made.* Then the information is processed and passes forward once more.- The information as well as the decision arising from it is processed and moves on to the next stage where again the specific circumstances of the operation is digested and the best decisions suggested, and then the information is processed and passes forward once more.3、科技英语长句翻译中应注意的问题(The points which need more attention in long sentences translation):（1）在进行句子结构分析时，还要根据专业知识来弄清各层意思之间的逻辑关系，以确定原文的真正含义。有时，我们发现，有些句子翻译出来后，语法上没错误，可译文却语义不通。I、核心句主谓宾对号入座*例1：Screw the bolt shaving a diameter M10x1.5 which is the same bolts serving for fixing the unit in the corresponding threaded holes provided in the irons after smearing them with lubricating grease so as to avoid they being trapped in concrete when the cement sets.原译：固定直径为M10X1.5的螺栓，螺纹与槽钢上安装孔的螺纹要匹配，槽钢的螺孔在浇筑水泥后要抹油，避免水泥堵塞。这句为混合型长句，从句短语较多。译者是打算把它按汉语习惯结构拆已成并列句，但由于没有分析清楚核心句，原句them也对错号，使译文的各并列句都独立互不相关，没有达到“意合”，语法语义都是错误的。这一句核心句为“Screw the bolts in the corresponding threaded holes after smearing them with lubricating grease”。用什么呢？having a diameter M10x1.5 which is the same bolts serving for fixing the unit就是定它的。拧到哪些上去？the corresponding threaded holes provided in the irons而so as to avoid they being trapped in concrete when the cement sets则说明螺栓抹油的目的。正确译法：用规格为M10X1.5，即固定设备用的同一螺栓拧到（底座）型钢的相应螺纹孔中，在螺栓拧进之前，抹上润滑油脂，以免被混凝土凝固在里面。*例2: a “1” signal appears at output R1 if the supply voltage drops below the threshold voltage for more than 1.5ms,and reappears.(In this fashion ,any supply voltage dips that might result in a loss of information stored in the latched flip-flops can be sensed.)原译：如果电源电压下降到閾值电压1.5ms以上，输出R1就出现“1”信号，然后再出现。为了语意清楚，我们把原文下句也抄在括号中。译文主要问题在“然后再出现”（and reappears）这一谓语无所依托，它的主语是谁？英语很明确，译文就莫名其妙了！因为不符合汉语规范和习惯。实际reappears是drops的并列谓语，主语共用supply voltage，疑问必须表达出来。正确译法：如果电源电压下降到一下，持续1.5ms以上，然后又自行恢复，输出R1处即出现“1”信号。（这样，可能造成锁存触发器中信息丢失的任何电压跌落都可以被测出。）II、从句短语和并列成分对号入座*例1:One of the holding register shall be associated with support processor vector information which shall be utilized to supply information to support processor microprogram address lines MA4 through MA7,whenever vector information has been previously passed to andis unacknowledged by the support processor and the support processor executes JZR(COF) microinstruction.原译:保持寄存器之一应与支持处理机响亮信息相联系，支持处理机向量信息可用来将信息向支持处理机微程序地址线MA4到MA7提供。每当向量信息被预先传送到和未被支持处理机确认时，支持处理机执行JZR(COF)微指令。这样译，完全没有重现原文内容，当然看不懂，原文主句简单，但从句套从句。译文中没有把whenever引导的从句对号。它是which shall be utilized to的从句，不但不能用“。”和前面分隔，而且按汉语习惯结构要调到前面去。正确译法：保持寄存器之一与支持处理机向量信息相联系，每当向量信息被预先传送到其中而支持处理机未予应答、且正执行JZR（COF）指令时，此向量信息用来向支持处理机微程序地址线MA4到MA7提供(地址)信息。*例2：Having achieved this position the faceplate should be held to prevent rotation , the timing shaft should be now depressed to disengage the drive and rotated clockwise until the line “B”(fig 12)on the cam shaft below coincides with the line on the information plate.原译：当达到这一位置后，应当保持面板以防旋转。直到凸轮轴下的线“B”与铭牌线路相重叠时，定时轴应降低，以便传动装置脱扣，而按顺时针方向转动。译文也是没将until从句对号，depressed和rotated同是shaft的谓语动词。原文特点是用系列并列句，顺次交代一系列的操作，until只是最后一句谓语be rotated的限定从句。正确译法：在达到这一位置时，应当握住面盘防止转动；压下定时轴，使传动机构松脱；并逆时针方向旋转定时轴直到凸轮轴下部“B”线与指示盘上刻度线重合。（2）在分析句子结构的基础上，接着就要确定关联词(连词、关系代词和关系副词)的基本词义，有时一个关联词有好几个词义，一定要根据上、下文和专业知识来准确地确定关联词的词义，这是长句翻译准确的关键。（3）翻译方法并不是固定的，翻译中不可拘泥不变。任何一个长句，只要弄清语法关系的眉目，看透技术上的来龙去脉，就可以适当变动原文结构，灵活处理。（4）如果对翻译的内容不熟悉，一定要翻阅有关这个内容方面的资料或书籍，做到起码对这方面的专业知识有一个大概的了解。切忌不懂专业知识，只靠查字典硬翻译。（5）在汉语表达上应力求文字严谨，避免层次不清，表达混乱，语言文字拖泥带水。同时，也一定要避免歪曲原文的精神实质。（6）原文看懂了，无论直译意译自然得心应手，心到手随，但要准确表达，还需译者有点想象力：根据上下文引申词义；敢于删节。*例1：The valves are dependent on the feed water tank pressure controllers signals.看直译“阀门依靠给水箱压力控制器讯号”好不好？虽然能看懂，但最好补充“阀门的关闭根据水箱压力控制器讯号动作。”*例2：The worst case pattern is calculated from each individual address . If uses address bits 1 and 3 for calculation , if bit 1 and 3 are unlike then ones are stored in the address; but if they are alike, then zeros are stored in the address.原译：要为每个地址单独计算最坏模型。为了计算，要利用地址二进位1和3。如果二进位1和3不同，那么就要将多个1储存到该地址中，如果他们都是相同的，那么就要将多个0贮存在地址中。改译：最坏模型测试要按每个地址单独计算。若用地址位1和3计算，如果位1和3不同，则向此地址存入全1；若相同，则向其存入全0。注意：删节不能成为偷工减料，也只能删除重复累赘的内容。4、科技英语中长句翻译的基本方法（The basic steps and methods of translating long English sentences in EST）:I、结构分析通读全句，找出每个句子形式的主要成分（最主要的是主语和谓语），并进一步判明句中各次要成分（定语、状语、补足语等）同主要成分之间的关系，再判明各句子之间的并列关系和从属关系。例：For example , a system initially containing a gaseous mixture of hydrogen , chlorine , and liquid water would very soon closely approach equilibrium with respect to water vapour and liquid water ,through the evaporation of water until the practical pressure of water vapour in the gaseous phase becomes essentially equal to the vapour pressure of liquid water at the temperature of the system.分析：(1) 根据谓语动词“would approach”、becomes和连词until，可以判定是但顺德主从复合句；(2) 主句中主语为system，“containingwater”是现在分词短语，用作system的定语；initially是修饰containing的状语；equilibrium是动词宾语；“very soon”、closely和“with respect to water vapour and liquid water”、“throughwater”都是修饰动词approach的状语；主句中情态动词would表示委婉的判断。(3) 从句为时间状语从句，但系修饰evaporation，而非直接修饰整个句子，这是因为在through前有逗号和这样才符合逻辑；从句中主语为“practical pressure”，“of water vapour”是其定语，而“in the gaseous phase”又是vapour的定语；谓语becomes是连系动词；essentially是修饰动词的状语；“equal to”是形容词短语，用作表语；vapour pressure是介词to的宾语；“of liquid water”和“at the temperature of the system”为并列关系，都是pressure的定语。译文：例如，原来含有氢气、氯气和液态水的气液混合物系统，就水蒸汽和液态水而言，会很快趋于平衡，这需通过水的气化（蒸发），直到气相中水蒸气的分压基本上等于在该系统温度下液态水的蒸汽压为止。II、适当处理（1）、顺序法（To keep the original sentence order）&状语从句在前，主句在后例1：If the resistance of the flour could be entirely removed , any horizontal force could start the box moving and once started it would continue to move indefinitely unless a force were exerted to stop it.译文：假如地板的阻力真的能全部去掉的话，那么任何水平力都能使箱子运动，而且一旦开始运动，它就无止境运动下去，除非施加一个力使之停止。&当英语长句的内容的叙述层次与汉语基本一致时, 可以按照英语原文的顺序翻译成汉语例2：With some previously known apparatus for making wrapped joints, there has been a tendency for the wire to be overwrapped, which , apart from untidy appearance of the joint ,can give rise to a number of problems, such as unacceptably high contact resistance and the risk of short circuit.译文：在以往使用的某些绕线装置中，往往是把连线一匝套一匝地绕接起来，这不仅外观难看，而且会带来许多问题，例如接触电阻过高和短路危险等。（2）、 Reversing 逆序法(To go against the sentence order)一般下述三种长复合句：主句在前，状语从句在后例1. Aluminum remained unknown until the nineteenth century, because nowhere in nature is it found free, owing to its always being combined with other elements, most commonly with oxygen, for which it has a strong affinity.分析: 这个句子由一个主句, 两个原因状语和一个定语从句, “铝直到19世纪才被人发现”是主句, 也是全句的中心内容, 全句共有四个谓语结构, 共有五层意思: A. 铝直到19世纪才被人发现; B. 由于在自然界找不到游离状态的铝; C. 由于它总是跟其他元素结合在一起; D. 最普遍的是跟氧结合; E. 铝跟氧有很强的亲和力。按照汉语的表达习惯通常因在前, 果在后, 这样, 我们可以逆着原文的顺序把该句翻译成:译文：铝因为有很强的亲和力,总是跟其他元素结合在一起, 最普遍的是跟氧结合，在自然界找不到游离状态的铝，所以直到19世纪才被人发现。带有限定性定语从句和作定语的各种短语的长复从句。例2：Electromagnetic waves consist of electric and magnetic fields varying in time and related to each other in such a way that their energy is evenly divided.译文：电磁波是由随着时间变化、其能量各占一半的电场和磁场形成的。（现在分词短语、过去分词短语作定语）不仅从句短语较多，而且原文的叙述层次与汉语相差较大例3：The method normally employed for free electrons to be produced in electron tubes is thermionic emission ,in which advantage is taken of the fact ,if a solid body is heated sufficiently, some of the electrons that it contains will escape from its surface into the surrounding space.译文：将固体加热到足够温度时，它所含有的电子就有一部分离开表面，飞逸到周围空间中，这种现象叫做热离子放射。电子管通常就是利用这一原理来产生自由电子的。（3）、分译法(To be separated)By means of dividing, we may break up a long English sentence into different parts according to its sense groups, and then translate each part one by one into Chinese.有时英语长句中主语或主句与修饰词的关系并不十分密切, 翻译时可以按照汉语多用短句的习惯,把长句的从句或短语化成句子, 分开来叙述,为了使语意连贯, 有时需要适当增加词语。例1：Human beings have distinguished themselves from other animals, and in doing so ensured their survival, by the ability to observe and understand their environment and then either to adapt to that environment or to control and adapt it to their own needs.人类把自己和其他动物区别开来。与此同时，人类还具有观察和了解周围环境的能力。他们要么适应环境，要么控制环境，或根据自身的需要改造环境。人类就这样一代代地生存下来。:例2：Steel is usually made where the iron ore is smelted, so that the modern steelworks forms a complete unity, taking in raw materials and producing all types of cast iron and steel, both for sending to other works for further treatment, and as finished products such as joists and other consumers.通常炼铁的地方也炼钢。因此，现代炼钢厂是一个配套的整体，运进原料，生产各种类型的铸铁与钢材；有的送往其他工厂进一步加工处理，有的就地制成成品，如工字钢及其他一些成材。（4）、变序法（To change the sentence order）有的英语长句语法成分繁多，层次复杂。如果顺着原文的顺序或逆着原文的顺序翻译成汉语皆不够通顺，或层次错乱，以致难以理解。在这种情况下，需打乱原文顺序，做不同安排。例1：Congress had made laws requiring most pressure groups to give information about how much they spend and how they spent it, the amount and sources of funds, membership, and names and salaries of their representatives.国会已制定法律，要求大部分压力集团呈报他们花费了多少钱，怎样花的，款项的总额以及来源、成员人数、代表的姓名和薪金等情况。例2：The second aspect is the application by all members of society from the government official to the ordinary citizen, of the special methods of thought and action that scientists use in their work.第二个方面是全体社会成员（从政府官员到普通公民）都使用科学家们在他们工作中所采用的那种特殊的思考方法和行为方法。例3：The final part of the paper highlights the areas for potential application of thermo-mechanical treatments and emphasizes the need for information to facilitate design of suitable forming equipment for exploiting the potential of thermo-mechanical treatments over a range of temperatures as a means of producing various product forms with enhanced property combinations.译文：文章最后部分着重论述了形变热处理可能应用的领域，并强调指出：为了便于设计适宜的成型设备，作为生产具有优异综合性能的不同形状产品的工具、需要获得有关的知识，而这种成型设备可用来发挥在一系列温度下形变热处理的潜力。系具有一个主语、两个动词的简单句；因第二个动词的宾语need带有很长的定语，所以将它分出来另译成一个句子形式（冒号后面由两个并列分句组成的宾语从句）并且打乱了原来的词序，部分地采用了倒译法。（5）、 Recasting 重组法/综合法在一些情况下, 一些英语长句单纯采用上述任何一种方法都不方便, 这就需要我们的仔细分析, 或按照时间的先后,或按照逻辑顺序, 顺逆结合, 主次分明地对全句进行综合处理,以便把英语原文翻译成通顺忠实的汉语句子。例1：In practice, the selected interval thickness is usually a compromise between the need for a thin