三、英译汉基础翻译要点——名词从句的译法

1、三、英译汉基础翻译要点,第六章 名词从句的译法,6.1 主语从句,A. 以从属连词或连接代词位于句首的主语从句翻译时语序一般不变。如：,例1That a man could live for so many years alone in the mountains is really something unthinkable. 一个人能够单独在山里生活这么多年真是不可思议。 例2That substances expand when heated and contract when cooled is a common physical phenomenon. 物质热长冷缩是一个普通的物理现

2、象。,例3What the students find most difficult in a foreign language is its idiomatic usage.学生感到，一种外语最困难的地方是它的习惯用法。,例4What struck me most in this book was the authors true-to-life description of the peoples life in that country. 这本书给我印象最深的是作者对那个国家的人民生活所做的真实的描写。 例5Whatever was said here must be kept secr

3、et. 这里说的每句话都应保密。,B以形式主语it引出的主语从句，翻译时有三种处理办法：,1 如主语从句较短，可提前与主句合译为“是”字结构。如：,例1. It is dangerous that you have a smattering of superficial knowledge on a subject. 对任何问题一知半解都是危险的。 例2It is good news that our team has won the championship. 我们队得了冠军是好消息。,2如主语从句较长，不宜与主句合译为汉语的“是”字结构，一般可译为并列分句或独立的句子，即先译从句，而在主句

4、之前加“这”字译出。如：,例1It is a matter of common experience that bodies are lighter in water than they are in air. 物体在水中比在空气中轻，这是一种大家共有的经验。 例2It is common sense that a liquid has no definite shape, but it has a definite volume. 液体没有一定的形状，但有一定的体积，这是普通常识。,例4It therefore becomes more and more important that, if

5、 students are not to waste their opportunities, there will have to be much more detailed information about courses and more advice. 因此，如果要学生好好利用他们上大学的机会，就应该为他们提供大量关于课程方面更为详尽的信息和更多的指点。这个问题显得越来越重要了。,从例4可看到英汉两种语言思维合和表达方式的不同。英语重直线思维，汉语重曲线思维。英语直截了当，习惯把要点放在句首先说出，然后再把其他信息一一补进；而汉语习惯于从侧面说明，先阐述外围的环境，最后点出信息中心。

6、从形式看，英语是前重心，头短尾长；汉语则是后重心，头大尾小。,3以it作形式主语而主句的谓语是被动语态的句子，一般宜转译为主动语态，可译为“据.”或补上泛指主语“有人”、“大家”、“人们”等，主语从句保留原文的语序。如：,例1It is reported that the meeting will be held in June. 据报导，这个会将在六月间举行。 例2It is said that there are now three times as many factories in that district as in 1970. 据说，那个地区的工厂比1970年增加了两倍。,例3I

7、t could be argued that the radio performs this service just as well; but on television everything is much more living, much more real. 可能有人会提出，无线电广播也同样能够做到这一点；但是在电视屏幕上，每个节目都显得更加生动，更加真实。,6.2 宾语从句,A以从属连词或连接代词引起的宾语从句汉译时，语序一般不变。如：,例1Some people, however, maintain that this is precisely where the danger

8、lies. 可是，有些人则坚持认为，这恰恰是危险所在。 例2This shows that something unexpected may have turned up. 这表明可能出现了意外情况。,例3He has fully lived up to what he promised. 他完全实现了他的诺言。 例4Knowing that every object draws every other object, we cannot know why it does so. 虽然我们知道物体彼此吸引，但却不知其中的道理。,B. 英语中的宾语从句有时置于句首,其修饰作用在于强调宾语。为了使

9、译文达到相同的修辞效果，翻译时也宜将宾语从句前置。,例1Whether they like it or not, I dont care. 他们喜欢不喜欢，我可不管。 例2What they were asked to do in 10 days, they finished in two. 让他们十天做的事，他们两天就做完了。,例3What he has once heard be never forgotten. 他听过的话，再也不会忘记,上述译文同样将宾语从句前置，收到了强调宾语的效果。但有时也可依汉语的表达习惯将宾语从句后置。,C用it作形式宾语的句子，汉译时 that引起的宾语从句一

10、般可按原文语序，it不必译出。,例1. We think it certain that American English does have a considerable influence upon British English. 我们认为美语必然对英语产生相当大的影响。 例2. I make it clear that I was determined to carry out the plan. 我已表明决心去执行这个计划。,例3. I leave it to you own judgment whether you should do it. 我让你自己判断你该不该做这事。 汉译英

11、时也可将that引起的宾语从句提前。如：,例1I regarded it as an honor that I am chosen to attend the meeting. 我被选参加会议，感到光荣。 例2We think it true that the election in Britain is mainly a contest between the two big parties, Labor and Conservative. 英国的选举主要是工党与保守党两大政党之间的竞争，我们认为确实如此。,6.3 表语从句,表语从句汉译时的语序一般不变。如：,例1Time factor i

12、s what we have to take into consideration.时间因素是我们应考虑的。 例2The question which worries everyone today is: how long will these fuels last? 今天人人担心的问题是：这些燃料能维持多久?,例4The result of invention of steam engine was that human power was replaced by mechanical power.发明蒸汽机的结果是机械力代替了人力。 例5This is because people eng

13、aged in changing reality are usually subject to numerous limitations. 这是因为致力变革现实的人们常常受到许多限制。,但有时在译文中也可依汉语的表达习惯，把表语从句提前。如： That is why the “know-all” is ridiculous. “知识里手”之所以可笑，原因就在这个地方。,6.4 同位语从句,英语中的同位语从句与其所修饰的名词处于同等的地位，只作进一步解释的作用，汉译时一般用下述方法处理。 A同位语从句不提前，如：,例1We expressed the hope that they would c

14、ome over to visit China again. 我们表示希望他们再到中国来访问。 例2There can be no doubt that he is qualified for the job. 毫无疑问他做这工作很合适。,例4 The idea that for every word in any one language there is another word accurately equivalent to it in every other language, is not in accordance with the facts, in his search fo

15、r the equivalent of a word the translator meets many difficulties. (Dr. Johnson) 认为一种语言每一个单词都能在另一种语言中到确切相等的词，是不符合事实的，译者如追求对号入座式的翻译，势必到处碰壁。,B同位语从句提前，如：,例1Do away with the mistake metaphysical notions that “gold must be pure” and that “man must be perfect”. 要打破“金要足赤”，“人要完人”的形而上学的错误思想。,例2Obviously ther

16、e was little probability that they would succeed, but they dont mind. 很显然，他们成功的可能性很小，但是他们不在乎。 例3. This is a universally accepted principle of international law that the territorial sovereignty doesnt admit infringement. 国家领土主权不容侵犯，这是举世公认的国际法准则。,C. 把同位语从句译成独立的句子，并在其前加“即”，或在从句所修饰的名词之后加冒号。,例1We are fam

17、iliar with the idea that all matter consists of atoms. 我们都熟悉这样一个概念，即一切物质都是由原子组成的。 例2Through many years practice of teaching foreign language, I have derived a new experience that translation is the best possible approach to studying English. 通过多年的外语教学经验，我获得了一条新经验：翻译是学习英语的最好办法。,例3Then arose the quest

18、ion where we were to get the machines needed. 随之产生了这样一个问题：我们到哪里去找所需要的机器。 例4There and other observations led King to the view that mosquitoes are involved in malaria. 这些及其他的观察使金得出结论：蚊子与疟疾病有关。,练习题六,试译下列各句，原文中主语从句在译文中语序不变：,That theory must go hand in hand with practice is a principle we should always k

19、eep in mind. That you Chinese should have achieved so much in such a short time is something we can hardly imagine.,（一）,1理论必须联系实际是我们应但经常记住的一条原则。 2你们中国人在这么短的时间内取得这样大成就是我们难以想象的。,(一) 试译下列各句，注意以it作形式主语所引起的真正主语从句的译法：,1.It seemed inconceivable that the pilot could have survived the crash. 2.It is a common

20、 knowledge that weight is a pull exerted on an object by the earth.,1驾驶员在飞机坠毁之后，竟然还能活着，这似乎是不可能想象的。 2重量是地球作用在物体上的引力，这是大家知道的。,(三)试译下列各句，原文中宾语从句在译文中语序不变：,1. The story is about how the old lady expected to receive a birthday present from her daughter. 2. Whether the work was a success depends on how you

21、 look at it.,(三),1这篇故事讲的是那位老太太（如何）盼望收到自己女儿送的一件生日礼物的事。 2这工作算不算成功得看你怎么看。,(四) 试译下列各句，形式宾语it不必译出。,1. One often hears it said that travel broadens the mind. 2. I remember I made it quite clear to you that I was not coming.,（四）,1人们常说旅行可以使人开阔眼界。 2我记得我向你清楚地表示过我不来。,（五）试译下列各句，原文中表语从句在译文中语序不变：,1. My idea is that we should stick to our original plan. 2. Whats troubling me is that I dont have much experience in this kind of work.,（五）,1我的意见是我们应按原来的计划办事。 2使我苦恼的是我做这种工作经验不够。,（六）试译下列各句，原文中