Unit5文献阅读与翻译第5章

1、 the change of parts of speech in translation One of the most important translation techniques. Owing to the difference in language structures between English and Chinese languages, it is difficult to carry out word-for-word translation As a matter of fact, a word belonging to a certain part of spee

2、ch in one language sometimes has to be converted into a different part of speech, so as to bring forth a readable and coherent sentence. Therefore, conversion is one of the important and commonly adopted translation techniques. My audience variedvaried from tens to thousands. 听我演讲者少则少则数十人，多则多则数千人。 T

3、he English verb “varied” can hardly be rendered into Chinese in the same part of speech.As a matter of fact,a word belonging to a certain part of speech in one language sometimes has to be converted into a different one,so as to conform to the usage of the target language. Conversion into verbs C-E

4、conversion Conversion into adverbs Conversion into adjectives Conversion into nouns 1) Conversion of nouns into Conversion of nouns into verbsverbs The sightsight and sound sound of our jet planes filled me with special longing. 看到看到我们的喷气式飞机，听见听见隆隆的机声， 我感到心驰神往。 Rockets have found applicationapplicat

5、ion for the explorationexploration of the universe 火箭已经用来探索用来探索宇宙。 A force is needed to move an object againstagainst inertia. 为使物体克服克服惯性而运动，就需要一 个力。 These staff members worked lon g hours onon meager food， inin cold caves，byby dim lamps。 这些工作人员每天长时间工作，吃吃的的是 粗茶淡饭，住住的的是冰冷的窑洞，点点的的是 暗淡的油灯。 Many English

6、 adjectives after a link verb indicating ones consciousness, feelings, emotions, desires, etc. are always converted into Chinese verbs. These words include: confident, certain, careful, cautious, angry, sure, ignorant, afraid, doubtful, aware, concerned, glad, delighted, sorry, ashamed, thankful, an

7、xious, grateful, able, and so on. Doctors have said that they are not suresure they can save his life. 医生说他们不敢肯定肯定救得了他的命。 Both of the substances are solublesoluble in water. 两种物质都能溶溶于水。 1) When the switch is offoff, the circuit is open and electricity doesnt go throughthrough. 当开关断开断开时，电路就形成开路，电流不 能

8、通过通过。 2) In this case the temperature in the furnace is upup. 这种情况下，炉温就升高升高。 One of the most remarkable differences between English and Chinese syntax is the use of the verb. It is taken for granted that an English sentence contains no more than one predicate verb, while in Chinese its not unusual t

9、o have clusters of verbs in a simple sentence. 1）Verbs into nounsVerbs into nouns Such materials are characterized characterized by good insulation and high resistance to wear. 这些材料的特点特点是：绝缘性好，耐磨性强。 The design aimsaims at automatic operation , easy regulation, simple maintenance and high productivit

10、y. 设计的目的目的在于自动操作，调节方便，维护 简易，生产率高。 Some verbs that are derived from nouns can hardly be translated literally so they are usually converted into nouns. Both the compounds are acids, the the formerformer is strong, the latterthe latter weak. 这两种化合物都是酸，前者是强酸，后者后者是弱酸。 In the fission processes the fission

11、 fragments are very radioactiveradioactive. 在裂变过程中，裂变碎片具有强烈的放射性放射性 Adjectives with the definite articles to indicate categories of people, things, or adjectives used as predicative to indicate the nature of things may also be converted into nouns. The specific resistance of iron is not so small as t

12、hatthat of copper. Radio waves are similar to light waves except theirtheir wave length is much greater. 铁的电阻系数不如铜的电阻系数电阻系数那样小。 无线电波与光波相似，但无线电波无线电波的波长要长 得多。 English pronouns are more frequently used than Chinese .In order to make clear what they really refer to ,we sometimes have to convert them int

13、o nouns,i.e.,to repeat the nouns that they stand for. 1) Nouns into adjectives1) Nouns into adjectives The pallorpallor of her face indicated clearly how she was feeling at the moment. Independent thinking is an absolute necessitynecessity in study. 她苍白的苍白的脸色清楚地表明了她那时的情绪 学习中的独立思考是绝对必要的必要的。 Sometimes

14、 it is convenient for a translator to convert English nouns into Chinese adjectives. Earthquakes are closelyclosely related to faulting. It is demonstrated that gases are perfectlyperfectly elastic. Not only can English adverbs be converted into Chinese adjectives, but also into nouns occasionally.

15、He is physicallyphysically weak but mentally mentally sound. 地震与断裂运动有密切的密切的关系。 已经证实，气体具有理想的理想的弹性。 他身体身体虽弱，但思想健康。 English adverbs are used more extensively than Chinese adverbs; and many of them can be converted into Chinese adjectives. 1) Adjectives into 1) Adjectives into adverbsadverbs Below 4C, w

16、ater is in continuouscontinuous expansion instead of continuouscontinuous contraction. A helicopter is freefree to go almost anywhere. 水在4度以下就不断地不断地膨胀，而不是不断地不断地收缩。 直升飞机几乎可以自由地自由地飞到任何地方去。 This is the most common case when a noun modified by an adjective is converted into a verb in the Chinese version

17、. Sometimes, it is just for the sake of convenience. Rapid evaporation at the heating-surface tendstends to make the steam wet. The new mayor earned some appreciation by the courtesycourtesy of coming to visit the city poor. 加热面上的迅速蒸发，往往往往使蒸汽的湿度变大。 新市长有礼貌地有礼貌地前来访问城市贫民，获得了他们的 一些好感。 This conversion is

18、 adopted to make the version conform to the idiomatic Chinese expression. Sometimes, it may involve the change of various elements of a sentence, such as from the subject to the object, and vice versa. As the match burns, heat and heat and lightlight are given off. This sort of stone has a relative

19、relative densitydensity of 2.7. 火柴燃烧时发出光和热光和热。(from the subject to the object) 这种石头的相对密度相对密度是2.7。 (from the object to the subject) CareCare must be taken at all times to protect the instrument from dust and damp. A semiconductorsemiconductor has a poor conductivity at room temperature , but it may b

20、ecome a good conductor at high temperature. 应当始终注意注意保护仪器，不使其沾染灰尘和受潮。 (主语转为谓语) 在室温下，半导体半导体的电导率差，但在高温下，却可能 成为良导体。(from the subject to the attributive) Conversion is also a common practice in Chinese- English translation . As is mentioned above , Chinese sentences abound with verbs and are comparativel

21、y short and straightforward . When translated into English , many of the verbs in Chinese sentences have to be converted into other parts of speech such as nouns , adjectives , prepositions or prepositions phrases , and so on . On the other hand ,some Chinese adjectives may be converted into English

22、 nouns , and Chinese nouns into English verbs , and vice versa. 林则徐认为，要成功地制止成功地制止鸦片买卖，就得把鸦 片焚毁焚毁。 Lin Zexu believed that a successful ban successful ban of the trade in opium must be preceded by the destructiondestruction of the drug itself. (adv+verb-adj+nouns;verb - noun) 大会主席说：“一定要少说空话，多做工作少说空话，多做工作。”