英汉翻译 chapter 9 attributive sentence.doc

Chapter 9 The Translation of the Attributive Clause Teaching aims: master the translation of the attributive clausesTeaching emphasis: combination & adverbial clausesTeaching references: Teaching methods: PracticeTeaching arrangements: 2periodsA comparative study of English and Chinese attributive structures helps us to bring this disparity to light. As some linguists have pointed out, an English sentence may be followed by an unlimited number of attributive clauses following the word being modified, while a Chinese sentence allows only a limited amount of words preceding the word being modified. And eventually, there is no correspondence between their sentence structures.Here is a typical example:This is the cat.这就是那只猫。This is the cat that killed the rat. 这就是那只捕杀了老鼠的猫。 This is the cat that killed the rat that ate the cake. 这就是那只捕杀了偷吃了蛋糕的老鼠的猫。This is the cat that killed the rat that ate the cake that lay in the house.这就是那只捕杀了偷吃了放在屋内的蛋糕的老鼠的猫。This is the cat that killed the rat that ate the cake that lay in the house that Jack built. 这就是那只捕杀了偷吃了放在杰克造的房屋内的蛋糕的老鼠的猫。Apparently, it is impossible for a translator to put all the information into one Chinese sentence in the sequence as in English. Therefore, a readable Chinese version of the last sentence should be like this:This is the cat that killed the rat that ate the cake that lay in the house that Jack built.这就是那只捕杀了老鼠的猫。老鼠偷吃了放在屋里的蛋糕。那屋是杰克盖的。Consequently, some efficient ways have been suggested to tackle the problem that occurs in the translation of English attributive clauses.1. Restrictive Attributive Clauses1. Combination-As an attributive modifier(前置法)We actually convert the English sentence into a simple Chinese sentence or part of a Chinese clause , in which an English restrictive attributive clause is embedded(嵌入) in the Chinese sentence , and is placed before the words being modified ( the antecedents). We may call it a method of combination. 1. Pollution is a pressing problem which we must deal with.污染是我们必须解决的一个迫切问题。2. In the room where the electronic computer is kept, there must be no dust at all.存放电子计算机的房间里, 不能有一点灰尘。3. Most of the people who appear most often and most gloriously in the history books are great conquerors and generals and soldiers, whereas the people who really helped civilization forward are often never mentioned at all.历史书上出现得最经常和最为显耀的人物大多是伟大的征服著、将军和士兵, 而那些真正推动文明前进的人却往往名不见经传。2. Division(分句后置法)Sometimes, an English sentence with a restrictive attributive clause is too long or too complicated for the translator to take as a whole. In this case, we may divide the sentence into two, placing the attributive clause after the principal clause to conform to the Chinese usage, repeating (or sometimes even not repeating) the antecedent being modified.1. They are striving for the ideal which is close to the heart of every Chinese and for which, in the past, many Chinese have laid down their lives.他们正在为实现一个理想而努力, 这个理想是每个中国人所珍爱的, 在过去, 许多中国人为了这个理想而牺牲了自己的生命。2. A fuel is a material which will burn at a reasonable temperature and produce heat.燃料是一种物质，在适当温度下能够燃烧并释放出热量。3. Mixture(混合重组法)By mixture here we mean combining the principal clause and the attributive clause into a single Chinese sentence without any demarcation.1. “We are a nation that must beg to stay alive,” said a foreign economist.一个外国经济学家说道, “我们这个国家 不讨饭就活不下去。”2. Fortunately, there are some chemical fuels that are clean and smokeless.幸好有些化学燃料是洁净无烟的。2.Non-restrictive Attributive ClausesNon-restrictive attributive clauses are characterized by a comma between the principal and the attributive clause. In comparison with restrictive attributive clauses, non-restrictive attributive clauses hold a loose relationship with the antecedents, functioning as a supplementary part in the sentence.In terms of translation techniques, there is no significant difference between these two kinds of attributive clauses. However, the method of division is adopted more frequently in translating non-restrictive attributive clauses than in translating restrictive attributive clauses, while the method of combination is just the other way around.1.Division (拆分法)1) Translating Into Compound Sentences by Repeating the Antecedents.Fine grains of dust can reflect blue light , which coarse grains of dust cannot.微粒灰尘能反射蓝光, 但粗粒灰尘却不能(反射蓝光)。This is a college of science and technology, the students of which are trained to be engineers or scientists.这是一所科技大学，该校学生将被培养成工程师或科学工作者。2) Translating Into Compound Sentences by Omitting the Antecedents.After dinner, the four key negotiators resumed their talks, which continued into the night.饭后, 四个主要谈判人物继续进行会谈, 一直谈到深夜。He saw in front that haggard white-haired old man, whose eyes flashed red with fury.他看见前面那个憔悴的白发老人, 眼里闪着愤怒的目光。3) Translating Into Independent Sentences.One was violent thunderstorm, the worst I had ever seen, which obscured my objective.有一次是暴风骤雨, 其猛烈程度实为我平生所仅见。这阵暴风雨遮住了我的目标。2. Combination (合并法)Non-restrictive attributive clauses can also be translated by using the method of combination. This is the usual case when we try to avoid a loose structure and take coherence into consideration.The sun, which had hidden all day, now came out in all its splendor.整天躲在云层里的太阳，现在又光芒四射了。 He liked his sister, who was warm and pleasant, but he didnt like his brother, who was aloof and arrogant.他喜欢热情愉快的妹妹，而不喜欢冷漠高傲的哥哥。3. English Attributive Clauses into Chinese Adverbial ClausesSome attributive clauses (both restrictive and non-restrictive) function as the adverbial in the complex sentence, having a very close logic relation with the principal clause and indicating the cause, result, purpose, time, condition, concession, and so on. Therefore, when translating such sentences, we should render them into corresponding Chinese adverbial sentences.1) He would have to be careful not to offend the foreman, who would give himthe sack at any time.他得小心谨慎，不能得罪那个工头，因为工头随时都可以炒他的鱿鱼。 2) There was something original, independent, and heroic about the plan that pleased all of them. 这个方案富于创造性，独具一格，因此他们都很喜欢。3) The scientist, who was dog-tired, went on with the experiment.那位科学家虽已筋疲力尽, 但还是继续进行实验。4) Men become desperate for work, any work, which will help them to keep alive their families.人们极其迫切地要求工作, 不管什么工作，只要能维持一家人的生活就行。5) Ill try to get an illustrated dictionary dealing with technical glossary,which will enable me to translate scientific literature more exactly. 我要设法搞到一本有插图的技术用语词典, 以便把科技文献译得更准确。4. Exercise: Put the following sentences into Chinese.1).Americans have a great range of customs and habits that at first may seem puzzling to visitors.2). Late last century all the universities in the United States adopt