时序原则和英语长句的汉译

1、1时序原则与英语长句的汉译严 辰 松2一. 引言3 在把英语的长句翻译成汉语的时候，我们常常有无从下手的感觉。如： 4 Petra had become the leader of the girls as soon as she snapped out of her original depression at coming to Prague.5 Engles spoke with the authority and confidence, born of forty years closest friendship and intellectual intimacy, during wh

2、ich he had grasped, as no other man had, the full significance of Marxs teachings.6 I was a posthumous child. My fathers eyes had closed upon the light of this world six months, when mine opened on it. 7There is something strange to me, even now, in the reflection that he never saw me; and something

3、 stranger yet in the shadowy remembrance that I have of my first childish associations with his white grave-stone in the churchyard, and of the indefinable compassion I used to feel for it lying out alone there in the dark night, when our little parlour was warm and bright with fire and candle, and

4、the doors of our house were - almost cruelly, it seemed to me sometimes - bolted and locked against it. 8 有关“时序原则”的知识有时可帮助我们做好长句的英译汉工作。 为了理解“时序原则”，我们先看汉语的特点，并和英语做比较。9二. 汉语的特点10 吕叔湘先生曾经指出，现代汉语的特点有4条（现代汉语八百词）： （）没有形态变化。 （）常常省略虚词。 （）单双音节对词语结构有影响。 （）汉字对词形有影响。11 朱德熙先生也曾经说过，汉语的特点有两条：一是单音节语，二是汉语没有形态。（语法答问）

5、12着重讲两个特点：1. 缺乏形态变化。2常常省略关系词。131缺乏形态变化14 形态是什么？ 形态就是to、-tion、-ly、-tive、-ship、-ing、-ed、表示第三人称单数的-(e)s等，这些是词类或语法的标记。“了、着、过、者、性、度”可算是汉语中形态的近似物， 但功能上有不同，如“者、性、度”等不能像to、-ing那样加在动词上使之名词化以后用作主语或宾语。 15 没有形态变化对汉语语法有全面的影响。这种影响包括两个方面： ）汉语词类和句法成分的对应关系错综复杂。 ）由于汉语动词没有限定形式与非限定形式（不定形式、动名词或分词结构）的对立，汉语的行文似乎充满动词，动作或事件

6、铺陈，不像英语有主次之分。16 先看第一点。 ）在英语这样的印欧语里，词类和句法成分之间有一种简单的一一对应关系。 主宾语 谓语 定语 状语 名词 动词 形容词 副词17而汉语中不存在这样的对应关系。汉语中词类和句法成分的关系大致的情形如下。 主宾语 谓语 定语 状语 名词 动词 形容词 副词 18 汉语（）动词和形容词可以做主宾语，（）名词可以做定语，（）形容词可以做谓语和状语，（）名词在一定条件下可以做谓语。19 吃饭还行，睡觉不踏实。 炒卖外币是不合法的。 他不想吃饭。 漂亮是本钱。 你爸笨，你不笨。 他十八岁了。20 再看第二点。 ）由于汉语动词没有限定形式与非限定形式（不定形式和分词

7、形式）的对立，汉语的行文似乎充满动词，动作或事件铺陈，不像英语有主次之分。21 英语用不定式、动名词、现在分词或过去分词短语可构成英语动词的所谓“非限定”形式，这种形式与主要动词短语部分加以区分，表现一句话中动作的主次。如:22 Absorbed in his work, he did not notice her enter the room. He jumped up and hastened to the mirror in the bathroom, taking away the towel to examine the cut upon his cheek. 23 上述句子译成汉语

8、，动作主次就不明显了： 他专心地在工作，没注意到她进屋。 他跳起身，跑到洗手间的镜子前，拿去脸上的毛巾，察看面颊上的伤口。24 汉语行文充满动词，这在小说里特别明显：25 他坐车来了。 推门，进得屋来。3号狗电光石火地扫射了他们一眼，认出两个是刚才来的陌生女人，马上把眼光掠过。 晴雯先接出来，笑道：好啊，叫我研了墨，早起高兴，只写了三个字，扔下笔就走了，哄我等了这一天，快来给我写完了这些墨才算完呢！262. 常常省略关系词27 关系词是什么？ 关系词即介词和连接词等，这在英汉语中都有。关系词还包括英语中的关系代词或副词如that、which、where、when等。这是汉语中所没有的。28 英

9、语的特点可以说是关系词丰富。英语有大量的介词，有许多连词和汉语所没有的关系代词和关系副词。介词在英语几乎可以说是无穷数的，因为可以通过现成的介词或名词的结合，形成形形式式的介词词组。29There is something strange to me, even now, in the reflection that he never saw me; and something stranger yet in the shadowy remembrance that I have of my first childish associations with his white grave-st

10、one in the churchyard, and of the indefinable compassion I used to feel for it lying out alone there in the dark night, when our little parlour was warm and bright with fire and candle, and the doors of our house were - almost cruelly, it seemed to me sometimes - bolted and locked against it. 30 如果说

11、英语倾向于“关系着眼”、以使用关系词见长，汉语可以说是倾向于“动作着眼”、“动词突出”。31 英语用介词、汉语用动词的例子： go by train 坐火车去 a book on grammar 讲语法的书 a friend from far away 从远方来的朋友the right man for the job 适合做这件工作的人 The Man Without A Country 没有祖国的人 Lady into Fox 女人变狐狸32 英语关系词丰富，句子以“形合” 为主，该用虚词的地方一般不能不用；而汉语则少用或者不用关系词，常见“意合”的句子，特别是在口语里。33 例子： 他病了

12、，没上课。（因为，所以；因此） 买不起别买。（要是） 没带眼镜看不见。（因为，所以） 完 了 抽 根 烟 解 解 乏 。 （ 以后以便）34 三. 时序原则35 时序原则是功能主义语言学派提出的有关语言的一条象似性原则。所谓象似性，英语叫做ICONICITY，说的是语言结构与人的经验结构或概念结构之间有一种相似的联系，语言具有模拟自然世界的倾向。比如，在自然世界中，如果事件的发生有先后顺序，那么，语言对这些事件的描述要遵循同样的顺序。36 例如： The man mounted his horse and rode off into the sunset 和尚陪着小心，等他发作过了，拿一把铅壶

13、，撮了一把苦丁茶叶，倒满了水，在火上燎得滚热，送与众位吃。37 句子的语序一般都遵循时序原则，但遵守的程度不一样。英语也遵守这个原则，如上面的例句。但是，由于英语具有比较丰富的形态和关系词，它有时可不顾时序原则，而遵守抽象的句法原则。汉语由于形态不富，关系词少，比英语更倾向于遵循时序原则。38 He came here by bus. 他坐车来到这里。 I went to the library through the park. 我穿过公园到图书馆。39 关系词的多少以及形态的多寡，决定了英汉造句手法的不同。英语造句可以较为自由地不考虑事件发生的先后顺序，先搭起主语和主要动词的骨架。像造房子

14、一样，主语和主要动词是房子的大梁，然后运用各种关系词和动词的非限定结构把一个个由各种材料组成的结集向这两架大梁前后挂钩，直接间接嵌扣。40He went camping in the country by car with his colleagues.Millions of people throughout the world are in debt to the author for the service he rendered in that book by tearing aside the curtain of lies and slanders about New China

15、put up by the enemy of revolution and socialism. 41 如果说英语常用动词的非限定形式和关系词，汉语则是运用大量的动词结集，根据时间顺序，一一予以安排，甚至尽量省略关系词以达到动词集中、动词突出的效果。这是汉语造句手法的基本倾向。这种造句法着重动作的记录，着重时间的顺序，先者先之，后者后之，把一一发生的事件如实按次序说出。42 他坐车来到这里。比较：他来这里坐车。He came here by bus. 他从上海坐火车经过南京来到济南。 He came to Jinan from Shanghai through Nanjing by train

16、. 华大妈在枕头底下掏了半天，掏出一包洋钱，交给老栓，老栓接了，抖抖的装入衣袋，又在外面按了两下，便点上灯笼，吹熄灯盏，走向里屋去了。43 After some fumbling under the pillow, his wife produced a packet of silver dollars which she handed over. Old Shuan pocketed it nervously, patted his pocket twice, then lighting a paper lantern and blowing out the lamp, went into

17、the inner room.44 汉语句子还有两个特点： 1）由于按照时间顺序，思维的过程是随着动作一一展开而展开，只有到了一连串的动作通过推移、产生了一个较显著的结果时，才出现一个显著的停顿。一般说来，汉语的断句不严格，断段比较受重视。断句不严格，在汉语无大碍，因为有了时间顺序，一切都有了基本的条理。45 2）仅就一个句子而言，一般趋势，是重点在后。往往先说出一切条件、原因、环境、过程和状态等，然后画龙点睛把主要信息点出。46 他每天在厂里辛勤工作。He works hard in the factory every day. 他跟同事坐车到乡间去野营。He went camping in

18、 the country by car with his colleagues.47 与汉语不同的是，英语的句子不一定要将结果（一般是句子的主要信息）放在句末，有时可放在句首。比较：48 读者某君要搬家了，清理祖父遗物时，发现一个陈旧不堪的木箱里有些字画。 A reader who was moving house found some calligraphy and paintings in an old wooden crate while clearing up stuff belonging to his late grandfather. 49 从来没有听说过为了争夺父母藏书的继承权

19、而兄弟姐妹反目成仇、对簿公堂的。 I have yet to come across a case of siblings falling out with each other over some collections of books handed down to them by their parents and taking the dispute to court. 50 He became deaf at five after an attack of typhoid fever.他五岁的时候，生了一场伤寒病，变成了聋子。51四. 长句的翻译521. 打破原句的结构；2. 然后将

20、各组成部分，按照汉语的造句规律予以重新安排。53 He couldnt even rouse himself to his usual frown over Lidas arrangement of the furniture.1）Lidas arrangement of the furniture2) usual frown3) couldnt even rouse himself54 He couldnt even rouse himself to his usual frown over Lidas arrangement of the furniture. 他平时看到丽达布置家具的方式

21、总是要皱起眉头，这下连皱眉的心情也激不起了。55Petra had become the leader of the girls as soon as she snapped out of her original depression at coming to Ping to Praguedepressionsnapped out depression1) became the leader56 佩德拉来到布拉格，原来是满怀忧郁，如今开起心来，就立刻成为女孩子们的领袖。57 Engles spoke with the authority and confidence, born of for

22、ty years closest friendship and intellectual intimacy, during which he had grasped, as no other man had, the full significance of Marxs teachings.58 forty years closest friendship . he grasped the full significance of . (he had) authority and confidence spoke59 Engles spoke with the authority and co

23、nfidence, born of forty years closest friendship and intellectual intimacy, during which he had grasped, as no other man had, the full significance of Marxs teachings. 由于四十年的最亲密的友谊和思想契合， 恩格斯对马克思学说的意义比任何人都了解得彻底，他就是以这四十年所给他的资格和信心说这番话的。 60 Millions of people throughout the world are in debt to the auth

24、or for the service he rendered in that book by tearing aside the curtain of lies and slanders about New China put up by the enemy of revolution and socialism.611) the enemy of revolution and socialism put up a curtain of lies and slanders about New China 2) (the author) tearing aside the curtain (of lies and