科技英语翻译基本方法和技巧

科技英语翻译基本方法和技巧科技英语翻译基本方法和技巧 1 词义的引申 2 词类转换 2 1 转换成汉语动词 2 2 转换成汉语名词 2 3 转换成汉语形容词 2 4 转换成汉语副词 3 增词 3 1 增加表示名词复数概念的词语 3 2 增加表示时态的词语 3 3 增加表示句子主语的词语 3 4 增加原文中省略的词语 3 5 增加具体化 明确化的词语 3 6 增加起语气连贯作用的词语 1 词义的引申词义的引申 英译汉时 有时会遇到某些词在词典中找不到适当的词义 如果生搬硬套词典中的释 义 译文则不能确切地表达原文的意思 甚至造成误译 这时就应结合上下文和逻辑关系 根据汉语的表达习惯 引申词义 所谓词义引申 就是指对某些英语词汇的含义加以扩展 和变通 使其更准确地表达原文词汇所表达的特定意思 词义的引申主要包括三个方面的 内容 1 1 专业化引申 英语科技文章所使用的词汇有些借自日常生活用语 但在科技语境中已赋有了不同于 日常语境的专业化语义 因此 翻译时应基于其基本意义 根据所涉及专业引申出其专业 化语义 例如 1 His mother died of difficult labor 他母亲死于难产 不译作 困难的劳动 2 The major problem in manufacturing is the control of contamination and foreign material 制造时的一个主要问题是控制污染和杂质 不译作 外界物质 3 The running of such automated establishments remains only a matter of reading various meters mounted on panels 管理这种自动化工厂只不过要求查看一下控制台上的各种仪 表而已 不译作 阅读 4 More weight must be placed on the past history of patients 必须更加重视患者的病史 不译作 过去的历史 5 The bacterial pneumonia may complicate influenza at both extremes of age 幼儿和老年 流行性感冒患者可并发细菌性肺炎 不译作 年龄的两个极端 6 The doctor may insert thin needles into the skin of a patient at key points along meridians 医生可以把一些细针沿病人身上的经络插进穴位中 不译作 关键点 7 Everything is ready so I call the morning paper up on the screen 一切准备就绪 于是我 把早报调入屏幕 不译作 喊 叫 8 This kind of wood works easily 这种木料易于加工 不译作 工作 9 The patient had been given three transfusions after he Was admitted into the hospital 病 人人院后已输过三次血了 不译作 给 10 This medicine acts well on the heart 这种药治疗心脏病疗效很好 不译作 对 起作用 1 2 具体化或形象化引申 英语科技文章中有些字面语义颇为笼统或抽象的词语 若按字面译出 要么不符合汉 语表达习惯 要么就难以准确地传达原文所表达的意思 在这种情况下 就应该根据特定 的语境 用比较具体或形象化的汉语词语对英文词语所表达的词义加以引申 例如 1 Other things being equal copper heats up faster than iron 其他条件相同时 铜比铁热得 快 不译作 事情 2 There are many things that should be considered in determining cutting speed 在测定切 削速度时 应当考虑许多因素 不译作 事情 3 The thermometer rises or falls according as the air is hot or cold 温度计的液柱随空气的 冷热而下降或上升 不译作 温度计 4 Australian researchers have developed an implantable hearing prosthesis that inserts 22 electrodes into the inner ear and is connected to a pocket speech processor 澳大利亚研究 人员已经研制了一种可植入的假耳 该假耳将 22 个电极插入内耳并与一台袖珍语言信息处 理机相连 不译作 听觉假体 5 For the average consumer voice activated devices are a convenience for the elderly and handicapped they may become indispensable for a wide variety of chores in the home 对一 般使用者来说 声触发装置能提供方便 而对老年人和残废者来说 它可能成为从事各种 家庭杂务时必要的帮手 不译作 不可缺少的 6 A large segment of mankind turns to untrammeled nature as a last refuge from encroaching technology 许多人都想寻找一块自由自在的地方 作为他们躲避现代技术侵害的世外桃 源 不译作 最后的避难所 7 Her soft features effectively hid her strong mechanical foundation 她柔媚的容貌巧妙地 掩饰了她那强有力的机械躯体 不译作 基础 8 While the results may seem discouraging to smokers who d like to quit without gaining weight 对于那些想戒烟但又不想发胖的吸烟者来说 实验结果似乎给他们泼了盆冷水 不译作 令人泄气 9 In general the design procedure is not straightforward and will require trial and error 一 般说来 设计过程不是一帆风顺的 而需要反复试验 不译作 简单的 10 Steel and cast iron also differ in carbon 钢和铸铁的含碳量也不相同 不译作 碳 1 3 概括化或抽象化引申 英语科技文章中有些词语的字面意思比较具体或形象 但若直译成汉语 有时则显得 牵强 不符合汉语的表达习惯 使人感到费解 在这种情况下 就应用含义较为概括或抽 象的词语对英文词语所表达的词义加以引申 例如 1 Americans every year swallow 15 000 tons of aspirin one of the safest and most effective drugs invented by man 阿司匹林是人类发明的最安全 最有效的药物 美国每年要消耗 15 000 吨 不译作 吞咽 2 AHoys belong to a half way house between mixtures and compounds 合金是介于混合物和 化合物之间的一种中间结构 不译作 两地间中途歇脚的客栈 3 In 24 hours the heart in a human body receives and pumps out some l 000 quarts 0fblood 24 小时内 通过人的心脏循环的血液约为 l 000 夸脱 不译作 接受或泵出 4 The year 2000 problem brings the largest companies in the world to their knees 2000 年 问题使世界上最大的公司都要向它屈服 不译作 使 跪下 5 Industrialization and environmental degradation seem to go hand in hand 工业化发展似 乎伴随着环境的退化 不译作 携手 6 In the microbial transformation of contaminants organisms can either eat the toxins or break them down in the process of consuming other substances 在对污染物进行微生物转 化的过程中 生物会清除毒素或在消耗其他物质时把这些毒素分解 不译作 吃掉 7 The research performed on smokers at rest indicates that smokers burn more calories than nonsmokers 对处于静息状态的吸烟者所作的研究表明 吸烟者比非吸烟者消耗的热量 要多 不译作 燃烧 8 The plan for launching the man made satellite still lies on the table 那项发射人造卫星的计 划仍被搁置 无法执行 不译作 放在桌子上 9 The furnace eats up fuel at the rate of three tons per hour 炉子以每小时三吨的速度消耗 燃料 不译作 吃光 10 Superconductivity technology is now in its infancy 超导体技术正处于发展的初级阶段 不译作 婴儿期 2 词类转换词类转换 英汉两种语言属于不同的语系 英语属于印欧语系 汉语属于汉藏语系 不同语系的 语言 无论在词汇方面或在语法方面都有很大的差别 就词类来说 同一意思在不同语言 中可以用不同的词类来表达 由此 在科技英语翻译实践中 在很多情况下需要进行词类 转换 所谓词类转换 是指把原文语言中的某一词类 如名词 转译成汉语的另一词类 比如 动词 而言 原文语言中的动词译成汉语后变为副词 原文中的名词译成汉语的动词等等 便是翻译上的词类转换译法 掌握翻译中的词类转换译法 就可使我们敢于脱离原文词类 的限制 跳出原文词类的框框 用汉语的适当词类予以表达 2 1 转换成汉语动词 英语和汉语比较起来 汉语中动词用得比较多 这是一个特点 往往在英语句子中只 用一个谓语动词 而在汉语中却可以几个动词或动词性结构连用 因此 英语中不少词类 尤其是名词 形容词 副词 在汉译时往往可以转译成动词 2 1 1 名词转换成动词 英语中大量具有动作意义的名词和由动词派生出来的名词往往可以译成动词 例如 1 Global warming observed over the past century has focused attention on mantled greenhouse gas presumed to be the likely cause 在过去的一个世纪中发现的全球变暖趋势据推测可能 是由人为的温室气体造成的 2 law enforcement agencies went on a hunt for hackers in the aftermath of the AT T system crash of 15 January 1990 执法机构继续通缉导致 1990 年 1 月 15 日美国电话电报公司系统 崩溃的黑客 3 Attempts to program a computer to integrate gesture with speech began back in the 1970s at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Architecture Machine Lab 早在 70 年代 麻省理 工学院建筑机械实验室就开始尝试在计算机中将语言和手势集成在一起 4 The application of electronic computers makes for a tremendous rise in labor productivity 使用电子计算机可以大大提高劳动生产率 5 Desertification is not a case of irreversible desert advance 沙漠化并不意味着沙漠前进 不可逆转 6 With the click of a mouse information from the other end of the dobe will be transported to your computer screen at the dizzying speed of seven and a half times around the earth per second 只要一点鼠标 来自世界另一端的信息便会以每秒绕地球七周半的惊人速度传 输到你的电脑屏幕上 7 As we cross the threshold into the next century human society is beginning its move from the industrial economy into the knowledge based economy 当我们步入下一世纪时 人类社 会也正由工业经济向知识经济转变 8 Can artificial fibers be used as substitutes for natural fibers 人造纤维能代替天然纤维吗 9 Computers can provide analyses of every operation in a factory 电子计算机能对工厂的每 道工序进行分析 10 We must place stress on the prevention of diseases 我们应以预防疾病为主 2 1 2 形容词转换成动词 英语中某些表示情态 感受 感觉 信念等意义 在句中作表语的形容词以及同介词 搭配构成句子表语或定语的形容词 通常可译成汉语中的动词 例如 1 Our river was dirty our seas were polluted and our natural environment was destroyed 我们的河水被污染了 我们的海洋被污染了 我们的自然环境被破坏了 2 The amount of work is dependent on the applied force and the distance the body is moved 功的大小取决于所施加的力与物体所移动的距离 3 Kerosene is not so volatile as gasoline 煤油不像汽油那样容易挥发 4 When is the next earthquake due 下次地震将在什么时候发生 5 They are sure that they ll be able to build the factory in a short period of time 他们肯定 能在短期内建成那座工厂 6 The amount of work is equal to the product of the force by the distance 功的大小等于力 和距离的乘积 7 Copper wire is flexible 铜线容易弯曲 8 While the Chinese are eager to import modem medical technology from the West increasing members of Westerners are equally eager in adopting the traditional medical remedies of China 现在中国人热衷于从西方国家进口现代化医疗技术 而越来越多的西方人则热衷 于接受中医疗法 9 The test piece shall be of length suitable for the apparatus being used 试件的长度应与所使 用的装置相适应 10 Heat is a form of energy into which all other forms are convertible 热是能的一种形式 其他一切能的形式都能转化为热能 除上述形容词外 其他一些和介词构成词组在句中用作表语或定语而且常可译成动词 的形容词还有 destructive of 有害于 有损于 devoid of 缺乏 缺少 different from 不同于 有别于 empty of 缺少 没有 equivalent to 等于 胜任 exclusive of from 不算 免除 famous at 善于 free from of 免于 免除 不 full of 充满 harmful to 有害于 有损于 inferior to 不及 次于 next to 次于 normal to 垂直于 parallel to with 平行于 peculiar to 限于 perpendicular to 垂直于 poor in 缺乏 pregnant with 包含 充满 preferable with 优于 胜过 responsible for 担负 负责 scarce of 缺乏 不足 similar to 类似于 short of 缺乏 缺少 subject to 易受 受 支配 suitable for to 适于 与 相适应 worthy of 值得 relative to 和 有关 2 1 3 副词转换成动词 英语中有些作表语的副词或复合宾语中的副词 往往可译成汉语中的动词 例如 1 The test was not over yet 试验还没结束 2 Open the valve to let air in 打开阀门 让空气进入 3 An exhibition of new products is on there 那儿正在举办新产品展览会 4 Motor vehicles already the main source of city air pollution in rich countries will increasingly pollute poor cities too 在发达国家 机动车辆是空气污染的主 要来源 在落后的城市 这种污染也将增加 5 The experiment in chemistry Was ten minutes behind 这个化学试验延误了 10 钟 6 The radio is on 收音机在广播 7 The electric current flows through the circuit with the switch on 如果开关接通 电流就流过线路 8 The two bodies are so far apart that the attractive force between them is negligible 这两个物体相距很远 它们之间的吸引力可以忽略不计 9 He took the machine apart yesterday 他昨天把机器拆开了 10 The force due to the motion of molecules tends to keep them apart 由于分 子运动而引起的力能使分子分离 2 1 4 介词转换成动词 英语中的介词或介词短语在许多情况下可以译成汉语的动词 尤其当它们用作表语或 状语时 例如 1 The volume of a gas becomes smaller when the pressure upon it is increased 当作用在气 体上的压力增大时 气体的体积就缩小 2 The letter E is commonly used for electromotive force 通常用字母 E 表示电动势 3 No body at rest can be set in motion without a force being acted upon it 没有力的作用 静止的物体不可能开始运动 4 It is clear that numerical control is the operation of machine tools by numbers 很显然 数控是指机床采用数字来操纵 5 Many laboratories are developing medicines against AIDS 许多实验室正在研制治疗艾滋病 的药物 6 Atomic power for ocean going vessels is already a reality 原子能动力用于远洋船只已经成 为现实 7 This is a kind of alloy with high strength 这是一种具有高强度的合金 8 The shaft turns about its axis 轴围绕轴线转动 9 So long as we have means of producing heat we can keep the steam engine at work 只要 能产生热 就能使蒸汽机做功 10 Usuauy the working pans of the machines are made from carbon steels 通常 机器的工作 部件是用碳素钢制造的 2 2 转换成汉语名词 2 2 1 动词转换成名词 英语中有些动词在翻译成汉语时很难找到相应的动词 这时可将其转译成汉语名词 例如 1 Neutrons act differently from protons 中子的作用不同于质子 2 Gases differ from solids in that the former have greater compressibility than the latter 气 体和固体的区别在于前者比后者有更大的可压缩性 3 The electronic computer is chiefly characterized by its accurate and rapid computations 电子计算机的主要特点是计算准确而快速 4 Mercury weighs about thirteen times as much as water 水银的重量约为水的 13 倍 5 The Center is running a series of talks on the relationship between science and literature in which poets and scientists discuss how scientific ideas over the past two centuries have influenced literature and social change 这个中心正在举办关于科学与文学关系的系列讨 论会 与会的诗人和科学家们的讨论议题是 在过去两个多世纪里科学思想对文学和社会 变革的影响 6 The net and electronic commerce will foster a large number of free fancers and this will affect social structure in a big way 网络和电子商业将会造就一大批自由职业者 从而将 对社会结构产生深远的影响 7 PCs gave the world a whole new way to work play and communicate 个人计算机使整 个世界更新了工作 娱乐和通讯方式 8 Smith aims to become a computer export 史密斯的目标是想当一名计算机专家 9 In the life process the animal works in the opposite way to the plant 在生命过程中 动 物的活动方式与植物相反 10 An electric current varies directly as the electromotive force and inversely as the resistance 电流的变化与电动势成正比 与电阻成反比 2 2 2 形容词转换成名词 英语中有些形容词加上定冠词 the 表示某一类人或物 汉译时常译成名词 另外 英 语中有些表示事物特征的形容词作表语时 往往也可在其后加上 性 度 体 等词 译成名词 例如 1 Both the compounds are acids the former is strong and the latter weak 这两种化合物 都是酸 前者是强酸 后者是弱酸 2 The atmosphere is only about eleven kilometers thick 大气的厚度约为 11 000 米 3 People are so much more flexible and inventive than robots 人类比机器人更灵活而且更富 有创造性 4 In fission processes the fission fragments are very radioactive 在裂变过程中 裂变碎片的 放射性很强 5 The more carbon the steel contains the harder and stronger it is 钢含碳量越高 强度 和硬度就越大 6 The electrolytic process for producing hydrogen is not so efficient as the thermo chemical process 用电解法生产的效率不像热化学法那样高 7 Ice is not as dense as water and it therefore floats 冰的密度比水小 因而能浮在水面上 8 The different production cost is closely associated with the sources 0f power 生产成本的 差异与能源密切相关 9 Glass is more soluble than quartz 玻璃的可溶性比石英大 10 At constant temperature the pressure of a gas is inversely proportional to its volume 温度不变 则气体压力和体积成反比 2 2 3 代词转换成名词 英语中的代词译成汉语 有时为了使译文规范 须转换为名词 例如 1 Radio waves are similar to light waves except that their wave 1ength is much greater 无 线电波与光波相似 只不过无线电波的波长要长一些 2 We need frequencies even higher than those we call very high frequency 我们所需要的 频率 甚至比我们称作高频率的频率还要高 3 Air density decreases as the temperature goes up and it increases when it gets colder 气 温升高时 空气密度就减小 气温变冷时 空气密度就增大 4 According to a growing body of evidence the chemicals that make up many plastics may migrate out of the material and into foods and fluids ending up in your body 越来越多的 证据表明 许多塑料制品的化学成分会移动到食物或流体上去 最终进入人体内 5 Though we cannot see it there is air all around us 虽然我们看不见空气 可我们周围 到处都有空气 6 One would fall all the way down to the center of the earth without gravity 如果没有引力 人们就会一直掉到地球的中心 7 For nearly two thousand years it was mistakenly believed that all heavy objects fell faster than light ones 在长达两千年的时间里 人们都认为一切重物都比轻物落得快 这种观念是 错误的 8 The volume of the sun is much larger than that of the earth 太阳的体积比地球的体积大得 多 9 The most common acceleration is that of free falling bodies 最普通的加速度 是自由落体加速度 10 Energy can neither be created nor destroyed although its form can be changed 尽管 能量的形式可以转换 但能量既不能被创造 又不能被消灭 2 2 4 副词转换成名词 英语中有些副词 在句子中用作状语 译成汉语时可根据具体情况转换成汉语的名词 例如 1 Such magnetism because it is electrically produced is called electromagnetism 由于这 种磁性产生于电 所以称为电磁 2 Oxygen is one of the important elements in the physical world it is very actively chemically 氧是物质世界的重要元素之一 其化学性能很活泼 3 The quality of the operating system determines how useful the computer is 操作系统的 质量决定着计算机的应用效能 4 The equations below are derived from those above 下面的这些方程式是由上面的那些 方程式推导出来的 5 India has the software skills and thousands of software developers who are English speaking and technically proficient 印度拥有软件设计方面的技术 而且拥有成千上万能说英语 精通技术的软件工程师 6 A look ahead gives petroleum an exciting role in the world of tomorrow 展望未来可以看 到石油将在世界上起到令人鼓舞的作用 7 The computer is shown schematically on this page 这一页是计算机的简图 8 The image must be dimensionally correct 图形的尺寸必须正确 9 The only naturally occurring substance used aS fuel for nuclear power is U 235 在自然界所 存在的物质中 只有铀一 245 可以用作获得核能的材料 10 It was not until early 40 s that chemists began to use the technique analytically 直到 40 年代初 化学家们才开始将这种技术用于分析工作 2 3 转换成汉语形容词 2 3 1 副词转换成形容词 1 Nitric acid is an extremely reactive agent 硝酸是一种强烈的反应剂 2 The wide application of electronic computers affects tremendously the development of science and technology 广泛应用电子计算机 对科学技术的发展有极大的影响 3 Amphibians and birds do differ significantly 两栖类和鸟类之间有显著的差别 4 This new electronic computer is chiefly characterized by its simplicity of structure 这种新 型的电子计算机的主要特点是结构简单 5 While tallness is evidently a hereditary characteristic any individual s actual height depends on the interaction between their genes and the environment 虽然身高是一种明显 的遗传特征 但是个体的实际身高则取决于基因和环境的相互作用 6 Robotics is so closely associated with cybernetics that it is sometimes mistakenly considered to be synonymous 机器人技术与控制论的联系如此密切 以致两者有时被错误地认为是 同一回事 7 The engineer had prepared meticulously for his design 工程师为这次设计作了十分周密 的准备 8 Gases conduct best at low pressures 气体在低压下导电性最佳 9 The computer exhibition impressed us deeply 计算机展览会给我们留下了深刻的印象 10 The universal lathe is most widely used and plays an important part in industry 万能车 床得到了最广泛的使用 所以在工业上起着重要的作用 2 3 2 名词转换成形容词 1 Electronic computers and microprocessors ale of great importance to us 电子计算机和微 处理器对我们来说都十分重要 2 The nuclear power system designed in China is of great precision 中国设计的核动力系统 十分精确 3 The experiment was quite a success 试验很成功 4 Most teenagers feel no difficulty in learning and operating computers 绝大多数青少年在 学习和操作电脑方面并不觉得困难 5 In certain cases friction is an absolute necessity 在一定场合下摩擦是绝对必要的 6 Patients may have to take them for the rest of their lives and the expense and complexity of the regimen keep them out of reach for the 9 out of 10 patients who live in developing nations 服用新药的病人也许终生都要服药 但由于价格昂贵 疗程复杂 对于那些发展中国家的 病人来说 十有八九都不能享用这些药物 7 The doctors were operating on the patient but the patient s nerve Was continually on the stretch 医生们正在给医生做手术 可病人的神经一直十分紧张 8 It is no use employing radar to detect objects in water 使用雷达探测水下目标是没有用 的 2 4 转换成汉语副词 2 4 1 形容词转换成副词 1 Some employers are keen to encourage employees to go green and switch to smaller cars 一些老板们非常热情地鼓励雇员们增强环保意识 将汽车换成小一点的 2 With slight repairs the old type of engine can be used 只要稍微修理一下 这台老式发 动机就可使用 3 The wide application of electronic machines in scientific work in designing and in economic calculations will free man from the labor of complicated computations 在科学研究 设计和 经济计算方面广泛地应用电子计算机可以使人们从繁重的计算劳动中解放出来 4 The engine has given a constantly good performance 这台发动机一直运转良好 5 Very significant advances in lasers have been made in the past several years that open the door to more rapid progress in optical communications systems 在过去的几年中 激光器 件发展迅速 从而为通讯系统的快速进步打开了通路 6 Continual smoking is harmful to health 频繁抽烟有害于健康 7 With slight modifications each type can be used for all three systems 每种型号只要稍加 改动就能用于这三种系统 8 When precise timing is necessary care must be taken not to interrupt the timing wave 如 果需要精确定时 必须注意不要中断定时波 9 We have made a careful study of the properties of these chemical elements 我们仔细地 研究了这些化学元素的特性 10 Below 4 C water is continuous expansion instead of continuous contraction 水在 4 C 以 下不断膨胀而不是不断收缩 2 4 2 其他词类转换成副词 1 In human society activity in production develops step by step from a lower to a higher level 人类社会的生产活动 由低级向高级逐步发展 2 The added device will ensure accessibility for part loading and unloading 增添这种装置将 保证工件装卸方便 3 They reported they had succeeded in turning normal human cells into cancerous one 他 们报告说已成功地把正常人类细胞转化为癌细胞 4 Rapid evaporation at the heating surface tends to make the steam wet 加热面上的迅速 蒸发 往往使蒸汽的湿度加大 5 We shall develop the aircraft industry in a big way 我们将大规模地发展航空工业 3 增词 英汉两种语言 由于表达方式不尽相同 翻译时要在词量上加以增减 所谓增词译法 就是在原文的基础上添加必要的单词 词组 分句或完整句 这当然不是无中生有地随意 增词 而是增加原文中虽无其词但有其意的一些词 从而使得译文在语法 语言形式上符 合译文习惯并在文化背景 词语联想方面与原文一致起来 使得译文与原文在内容和形式 等方面对等起来 3 1 增加表示名词复数概念的词语 翻译时 有时为了明确原文的含义 需要通过增译 们 一些 许多 等词语把 英语中表示名词复数的概念译出 例如 1 Carbon combines with oxygen to form carbon oxides 碳同氧化合形成多种氧化碳 2 Of visible lights red light has the longest and violet the shortest wavelength 在各种可见 光中 红光的波长最长 紫光的波长最短 3 When the plants died and decayed they formed layers of organic materials 植物腐烂后 形成了一层层有机物 4 In the 1980s departments bought their own minicomputers and managers bought their PCs 20 世纪 80 年代 许多部门都购买了自己的微机 经理们也购买个人电脑 5 There is enough coal to meet the world s needs for centuries to come 有足够的煤来满 足全世界未来几个世纪的需要 6 Amphibians and birds do differ significantly 两栖类和鸟类之间有显著的差别 7 Signals from the senses eyes ears nostrils or skin as the