英语无生命主语句的翻译

1、英汉翻译理论与实践,主讲 蔡子亮,翻译理论与实践,英译汉常用的方法和技巧:(11) 英语无生命主语句 的翻译,所谓无生命主语句(无灵主语句) (English sentences with inanimate subjects) , 指的是使用没有生命的事物(如实物、抽象概念和动作名词等)作句子主语的句子。 无灵主语是英语里一种独特的语言现象, 是一种典型的书面语结构, 但在汉语中却极其罕见。,主语是句子的主体，在全句中起主导作用，整个句子都是为说明主语而展开的。 同样一个意思，拿什么作主语来组句加以表达，可以看作主语的切入角度。 英语可由人作主语，谓之有灵主语，但英语更倾向于使用无灵主语，即

2、无生命的名词作主语，这样切入的角度可以是：时间，地点，动作，事件等。 汉语偶尔也用无灵主语，但更倾向于使用有灵主语。,1949年见证了中华人民共和国的成立。 The year 1949 witnessed the founding of the Peoples Republic of China 1949年中华人民共和国成立。 过去10 年，中国发生了翻天覆地的变化。 China has experienced earth-shaking changes in the past decade. Earth-shaking changes have taken place in China in

3、 the past decade. The past decade has seen earth-shaking changes in China.,原因： 由于地域文化传统以及长期的历史积淀等因素影响, 中西方的思维方式有所不同，从而形成了各民族特有的思维定势： 中国人习惯于主体思维方式，更注重主观意识； 英美人习惯于客体思维方式，更强调客观效果 。,这种特有的思维定势潜移默化地影响各自的语言： 汉语什么人怎么了。 英语什么事情发生在什么人身上。 我突然想到了一个好主意。 A good idea suddenly occurred to me A good idea suddenly str

4、uck me A good idea came into my mind suddenly.,从动作的执行者是有无生命的这一点来看，英语和汉语的动词均可分为有生命动词和无生命动词。 有生命动词与无生命动词在英语中没有明确的区别，即一个动词常常是既可用作有生命动词、又可用作无生命动词；而在汉语中这两类动词之间却有明确的区别。,汉语中有生命动词表示人和人类社会组织才有的行为或动作, 如：看、哭、送、说、拿等；无生命动词表示无生命事物的一些无意识运动、作用或变化，如：吸引、相排斥、变等。 在中国人的思维中，往往以人为中心，认为只有人类和人类社会组织才会有上述有生命动词表示的行为和动作，无生命的事物和

5、现象只能用无生命动词表示动作。所以有生命动词做谓语时不能以无生命名词或代词作主语。,在英美人的思维中，往往更注意客观事物和现象对人的作用和影响，反映在语言表达上就是多用无生命名词作主语。有生命动词既可以用有生命名词做主语，也可以用无生命的名词作主语。例如： John said that he would come this evening. 约翰说他今晚来。 One reliable source said that major tax changes were being considered by the Treasury. 据可靠消息，财政部正在考虑对税收办法作重大改革。,英语无生命主语

6、句的类型: 从充当句子主语的词语来看，大致可分为以下几类： 1. 以时间地点等名词作主语的句子，常用see, find, witness等动词作谓语。例： Rome witnessed many great historic events. 罗马城发生了许多伟大历史事件。 Spring finds a beautiful sunny Paris 春天，巴黎阳光灿烂，景色优美。,2. 表示生理、心理状态的名词和表示某种遭遇的名词主语的句子。 Alarm began to take entire possession of him. 他开始变得惊恐万分。 Sickness had robbed h

7、er of her confidence that she could carry the load. 她疾病缠身，没信心挑起这副重担。,3. 具有行为和动作意义的名词作主语的句子。 The very sight of it makes me feel nervous. 一见到它，我就感到紧张。 Thought of the interview filled me with fear. 一想到面试，我就担心害怕。,4. 用“it”作形式主语，其逻辑主语是 后面的短语或从句的英语句子。 It was very wise of you to bring an umbrella. 你带了雨伞是明知的

8、。 It is hardly likely that Tom may have forgotten to post the parcel. 汤姆几乎不太可能忘记寄这个包裹。,5. 表示其他事物名词作主语的句子。 The matter asks immediate attention. 这件事需要立即予以注意。 Her heart did whisper that he had done it for her. 她的心里的确嘀咕：为了我，他才这么做的。,翻译英语的无生命主语句时,一是要弄清英语无生命主语句特点，二是对原句结构和搭配作出相应的调整。 几种常用方法： 1. 改变原句中的主语，即把无生

9、命主语转换为有生命的主语，并引申英语谓语动词的词义, 重组句子。 Anger choked his words. 他气得话也说不出来。,再如： The courage escaped from me at the moment and words also failed me. 我当时没有勇气，也不知该说些什么。 Her eyes tell me that something must have happened. 我从她眼中看出一定有什么事发生了。,2. 把无生命主语转化为汉语的状语。 这种情况下，一般把主语译成时间、地点状语。某些句子的宾语如果是表示某种行为和动作的名词，可译为谓语，其定语

10、译为主语。原谓语不翻译，因实质性内容是由宾语及定语表示的。 例如： The city witnessed the outbreak of the slaughter. 大屠杀发生在这个城市。 大屠杀是在这个城市发生的。,再如： Investigation led us to the foregoing conclusion. 经过调查， 我们得出了上述结论 The forty years, 1840-80, brought almost ten million migrants to America. 从1840至1880年这四十年中，近一千万移民移居美国。,3. 把无生命主语句转化为汉语的无

11、主语句。例如： The problem defied solution. 此问题无法解决。 The heat makes me sweat like a pig. 热得我满头大汗。 The noise made everybody upset. 吵得大家不得安宁。,4. 把无生命主语句译成兼语式。 英语里有些无生命主语与某些动词连用(如:make, cause, throw, send, call, put等) ，具有“使，令”的意义，遇到这种句子时，可译成汉语兼语式。 His deeds moved me to tears. 他的事迹使我感动得流下眼泪。,再如： Modesty helps

12、one go forward, whereas conceit makes one lag behind. 谦虚使人进步，骄傲使人落后。 His illness left him weak. 疾病使他虚弱。 The conference threw doubt upon the new policy. 会议使人们对新政策产生怀疑。,5. 把无生命主语转换成具体事物的主语，或保留原主语，同时引申英语谓语动词的词义，加以适当变通。 Informed guesswork suggests that it could rise to over one hundred million tons next

13、 year. 熟悉情况的人猜测说, 产量在下一年可能超过一亿吨。,再如: The door refuses to close. 门关不上。 My arms and legs go to sleep. 我的手脚不管用了。,6. 把无生命主语句转化成汉语复句。 英语中含无生命主语句，从语法上看常常是简单句，但其句子成分之间却含有不同的时空关系，有时还含有并列句和复合句的内容。翻译这类句子时，不能照搬原文表达形式，而要转换主语，必要时还须采用拆分等手段，以便把逻辑关系和时间顺序逐层表达出来。拆译时可增加一些连词（如“因为”、“如果”、“虽然”等）。 The bitter weather had dr

14、iven everyone indoors. （由于）天气寒冷刺骨，大家都躲进了室内。,再如： This medicine will make you feel better. 吃了药，你会舒服些。 Dependence upon ones closest relations or great friends for three months will help one discover the other aspect of the human nature. 若寄人篱下，哪怕是至爱亲朋，你就会从人们身上看出人性的另一面。,试译以下句子： 1. His inability to pay th

15、e debt puts him in chains and throws him to prison. 2. No necessity of making a living away from home results in neglect of children. 3. Gifts poured in not only from unknown people, but from baby food and soap manufacturers who wished to advertise their products.,1. His inability to pay the debt pu

16、ts him in chains and throws him to prison. Because he is unable to pay the debt, he is put in chains and thrown to prison. 他因无力还债，而锒铛入狱。 2. No necessity of making a living away from home results in neglect of children. Because people neednt make a living away from home, no children will be left in a

17、 state of neglect. 人们没有必要离家谋生，所以不会产生孩子无人管的问题。,3. Gifts poured in not only from unknown people, but from baby food and soap manufacturers who wished to advertise their products. Not only unknown people sent many gifts but baby food and soap manufacturers who wished to advertise their products sent gi

18、fts as well. 不但素昧平生的人寄来了大量的礼物，而且婴儿食品、婴儿肥皂制造商为了给自己产品做广告也寄来了大量的礼物。,7. 采用拟人化的句式，但不能滥用。 Illness deprives him of life. 疾病夺走了他的生命。 Words pay no debts. 空话还不了债。 But the house are cold, closed, unfriendly 然而那些房子冷漠无情，门窗紧闭，一点也不友好。,练一练： 1. Carelessness caused his failure in this years college entrance examinati

19、on. 2. A warm and fine weekend found our class going to the park for barbecue. 3. An earlier explanation might have saved you all this trouble.,1. Carelessness caused his failure in this years college entrance examination. 由于粗心，他今年高考落榜了。 2. A warm and fine weekend found our class going to the park f

20、or barbecue. 一个阳光和煦的周末，我们全班去公园烧烤。 3. An earlier explanation might have saved you all this trouble. 你要是早点儿解释一下儿，就会免了这么多麻烦。 你要是早点儿解释，也不至于有这些麻烦。,练一练： 4. The sight of a tailor-shop gave me a sharp longing to shed my rags, and to clothe myself decently once more. 5. A visit to the places where he had liv

21、ed and worked during his youth brought back many fond memories. 6. Modern history has witnessed Chinas great suffering and the humiliation of the Chinese people as the result of imperialist and colonialist invasion and partition.,4. The sight of a tailor-shop gave me a sharp longing to shed my rags,

22、 and to clothe myself decently once more. 我一看到服装店， 心里就起了一阵强烈的愿望， 很想扔掉这身褴褛的衣服，重新穿得象个样子。 5. A visit to the places where he had lived and worked during his youth brought back many fond memories. 他重游自己青年时代曾经工作和学习过的地方时不禁回忆起许多美好的往事。,6. Modern history has witnessed Chinas great suffering and the humiliatio

23、n of the Chinese people as the result of imperialist and colonialist invasion and partition. 中国在近代历史上，备受帝国主义和殖民主义的侵略、瓜分，人民饱受痛苦和凌辱。,Passage Translation Practice: Recent years have seen rapid development of the Internet gaming industry in China, under the guise of high technology. In 2004, this sectors profit was up to $450 million, but the looming danger of addiction seems to have escaped peoples attention. As a result, the number of addicted people has kept rising.,Recent years have seen rapid development of the Internet gaming industry in China, under the guise of high techno