汉译英之谓语的选择

1、一、英语谓语的特点 1.英语谓语比较单一，只能由动词或动词短语充当，系动词可看成一种特殊谓语。 2.英语谓语形态稳定，受语法规范的约束，需与主语保持一致关系。 3.英语同一主语下的并列谓语一般不超过三个，多数句子只有一个谓语动词，其他动作概念以非谓语动词、介词短语、名词短语或从句的形式出现。一. 应该在人称和数上与主语一致二. 必须保持时态与原文语义相吻合三. 必须与主语在逻辑上搭配得当四. 必须与宾语搭配得当五. 原文若是形容词、名词、数量词或介词短语作谓语，译文中常常采用系表结构六. 原文谓语若是连动式和兼语式，译文选择一个主要动词作谓语，其它动词用其他形式七. 根据表达习惯选择，符合表意

2、需要1. 乡镇企业的繁荣是我国农村改革的必然产物。 The prosperityprosperity of township enterprises is is the inevitable outcome of the economic reform in the rural areas.2.面包和牛奶是少数政府不打税的东西。 Bread Bread and milk and milk is one of the few things that the government do not imposeimpose taxes on.3. 当前，我国的职业教育和成人教育正在加快发展。 Voca

3、tional Vocational education and adult education education and adult education are being are being pushedpushed on energetically in our country. 脍炙人口的传统京剧白蛇传讲的是源自明朝的故事。 The The White SnakeWhite Snake, one of the most popular traditional Peking operas, is based on is based on a story handed down from

4、the Ming Dynasty. 意大利著名旅游家马可波罗曾这样叙述他印象中的杭州：“这是世界上最美妙迷人的城市，它使人觉得自己是在天堂。” The famous Italian traveler Marco Polo Marco Polo was so impressed was so impressed by the beauty of Hangzhou that he describeddescribed it as it as “the most fascinating city in the world, where one feels as if he was in paradi

5、se.” 英雄造时势，时势造英雄。 HeroesHeroes createcreate the times, the timesthe times produce produce their heroes. 一踏进门槛，屋子里的混乱景象使我吃了一惊。 Crossing the threshold, I I was taken abackwas taken aback by the mess in the house. 四川被称为“天府之国”。 SichuanSichuan is noted as is noted as the “Land of Abundance”.1.他做实验时心不在焉，几

6、乎引起化学药物爆炸。 His absent-mindedness during the experiments nearly caused caused an explosion of the chemical.2.他过去那副尊容，只要你见过一次，无论什么时候你都不会忘记。 He had a face that is unforgettable once it is seenis seen.1.实事求是地说，解决中国人的吃饭问题,任务艰巨,困难不少,但潜力很大,前景广阔。 Truly speaking, China has had has had great difficulties in s

7、olving her problem with food provision. But she also hashas great potential and prospects for having her people fed well.2. 科技兴农在中国发展粮食生产方面存在着巨大的潜力。 The application of science and technology to agriculture points points to to huge potential in the development. 如果如果原文的主谓语不符合英语主谓搭配逻辑，则原文的主谓语不符合英语主谓搭配逻

8、辑，则需要改变主语或谓语。需要改变主语或谓语。 动动宾搭配宾搭配是一种常见的搭配形式，汉译英时，如果原文的是一种常见的搭配形式，汉译英时，如果原文的动宾搭配不符合英语逻辑，而原文的宾语又不宜变动，我动宾搭配不符合英语逻辑，而原文的宾语又不宜变动，我们就需要重新选择谓语们就需要重新选择谓语。 秦朝第一位皇帝秦始皇于公元前221年统一六国。 QinShihuang, the first Emperor of the Qin Dynasty, conqueredconquered the other six states in 221 BC. 热腾腾的晚餐已摆好在桌上。 Hot meals were

9、 served served on the dinner table. 分析：此句如译成 hot meals were put on the dinner table 就显得过于呆板。而serve和meals联用最符 合英语的动宾搭配习惯。 （日本派大批的留学生到中国来学习中国文化。）自然，他们也学会了中国的饮茶。 Accordingly, they became accustomed to became accustomed to the Chinese tea-drinking. 到麦当劳去吃什么? 有人总结说：吃时髦，吃清洁，吃快捷，吃氛围，吃气派，吃档次，吃高雅。闹了半天，还没有涉及“

10、吃饱肚子”。 For what do we go to the McDonalds? Summarized are the following answers: forfor its popularity, forfor its remarkable cleanness, forfor its instant services, forfor its exotic atmosphere, forfor showing off, forfor its super quality, forfor its elegant consumption. With so many “forfor”, yet

11、 we have not come to “forfor our stomach”. 1. 1.形容词性隐性谓语形容词性隐性谓语 汉语的形容词是指表示人或事物的形状颜色性质动作行为的性质状态的词，可用来充当谓语。形容词作谓语又分为两种：一种是静态的性质形容词作谓语，另一种是动态的状态形容词作谓语。这类谓语词在翻译时应视其意思补加相应动词。汉语中，常隐含谓语动词“是”，翻译时就加上“be”，若是其他动词隐含，则需根据句子结构加上相应动词。 在食物里面，果蔬最有营养。 Fruit and vegetables areare the most nutritious food. 天灰蒙蒙的。 The

12、sky lookslooks foggy. 生活越来越艰难。 The life turns to be turns to be harder and harder. 名词是表示人或事物的词，它的相应语法功能主要是作主语和宾语，作谓语时主要用于说明时间日期天气年龄籍贯容貌等的短语中。名词作谓语大致可以分为两类：一类是不必依赖上下文就可以单独存在，这类句子一般都可以补上一个“是”，而其否定形式则一定是“不是”或者“没有”。这也证明了名词作谓语时隐含了动词。如: 今天（是）星期五。 Today is is Friday. 高个子（是）南方人，瘦骨嶙峋。 The tall man is is a so

13、utherner and he looks thin. 好工作，（带来）好生活。 A good job updatesupdates your life. 隐含了“带来”，“提供”等相近意义的谓语动词。 最后，明明看见一个大大的布娃娃，它大眼睛红脸蛋长辫子，很好看。 At last,Mingming takes fancy to a big doll,it hashas two big eyes,red cheeks and a long braid,and she is looking so good. “大眼睛”“红脸蛋”“长辫子”用来形容容貌，省略谓语动词显得更加简洁生动。在英语中则要找

14、出相适合的谓语动词进行补充。 在汉语中，数量词可以直接兼有谓语的功能，翻译成英语时，省略的动词要表现出来。这样可以避免字面上的误解，使得表达更清楚。例如： 从前有一个人很穷，（只有）半间草房，一处冷炕。 There used to be a pauper and he only hadhad half of a cottage and a cold kang. 103例患者中，(包括)急性排斥反应32例，慢性排斥反应25例，肾炎复发30例，其他9例。 The 103 cases of renal allograft biopsy includeinclude 32 cases of acute

15、 rejection,25 cases chronic rejection,30 cases of nephritis and others 9 cases.六. 连动式和兼语式，译文选择一个主要动词作谓语，其它动词用其他形式1. 市政府采取各种措施招商。 The city government takestakes many measure to invite invite investment.2. 招商代表团吸引了许多东南亚客商来新加坡洽谈 项目。 The delegation of inviting investment has attractedattracted many busi

16、nessmen from Southeast Asia toto Singapore to to hold talkshold talks on different projects.14 灵活翻译谓语灵活翻译谓语 冬天如果你怕冷的话，可能到昆明。 If you dislike the cold in winter, you can visitvisit Kunming in south China. 花坛北面有一株腊梅花，南端是一丛南天竹。 A winter plum stood on the northern end of the terrace, and a Nandina erecte

17、d on the southern end. 译文运用“化静为动”的手法，将原文中“有”、“是”等静态动词翻译成stand和 erect等动态动词，使译文更加生动活泼。 1) 中国的经济将融入世界经济的大潮。 a. The economy of China will merge into merge into the tide of the world economy. b. The economy of China will converge withconverge with that of the world economy. 2) 这事到了现在，还是时时记起。 a. Even now,

18、 this remainsremains fresh in my memory. b. Even now, I still often think aboutthink about it. 3) 世纪之交，中国外交空前活跃。 a. The turn of the century findsfinds China most active on the diplomatic arena. b. At the turn of the century, China is is very active in its diplomatic activities. 4) 她们逐渐地镇定下来，有了自信。 a.

19、 They gradually calmed down, restoredrestored self-confidence. b. Gradually, they calmed down and regainedregained self-confidence. 汉语连动式谓语就是两个或两个以上谓语动词共用一个主语的结构，其特点是许多动词连用，组成几个句段或小句。 连动式谓语是一种复杂谓语，它的复杂性体现在这些动词的关系之中，既有并列关系，也有隐含的其他关系（包括条件、方式、承接、因果、假设、目的等）。 翻译时，要分析几个连动谓语之间的关系，分清主次关系和并列关系，将主要动词译成谓语，次要动词

20、视不同情况，译成各种从属结构。 另外，汉语连动谓语通常按动作发生的先后顺序排列，但译成英语时，则可依照英语习惯进行调整。 他咳着从祖父的房间里慢慢走出来。（家）原文中的“咳着”显然是表示状态的次要动词，因而在译文中转换成分词短语，这种译文句子就主次分明主次分明，层次感很好。CoughingCoughing, he strolled outstrolled out of the room of Grandpa.妻在屋里拍着闰儿，迷迷糊糊哼着眠歌。（荷塘月色）显然，“拍着闰儿”是主要动词，而”哼着眠歌”是次要成分，故可译成伴随状态的分词短语分词短语。In the room, my wife was

21、 patting was patting the son, Run-er, sleepily humminghumming a cradle song.王夫人提了暖壶下席来。（红楼梦）Lady Wang roserose from her seat, withwith the wine pot in her hand. 可见，汉语中的非主要谓语动词也可译成介词短语介词短语。双方见面寒暄几句，甚至海阔天空地聊一番就各自走开（1996年英语专八试题）四个动词连用。 “双方见面”是表示时间关系的从属成分，在译文中译成时间状语，“寒暄几句” 和“聊一番”则是并列关系，可译成两个并列谓语。When tw

22、o strangers are introduced to are introduced to each other, they will greetgreet each other briefly, or even chatchat casually for quite a few minutes, and then excuseexcuse themselves. 愚公批驳了智叟的错误思想，毫不动摇每天挖山不止。（愚公移山） 原文中的两个动词之间是时间先后关系时间先后关系，译文可通过现在完成分词短语来表示这种关系。Having criticized Having criticized the wrong views of the Wise Old Man, they kept digging every day with unshakable determination. 海洋覆盖了地球表面的71%，是全球生命支持系统的一个基本组成部分。The ocean, ( (which covers covers 71 percent of the earths surface,) ) is is a basic comp