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英语句子中连词用得多;汉语连词却用得少,有时甚至不用连词,照样表达句子逻辑的“起承转合”。

根据这一语言现象,我们把英语称为“形合式”语言(hypotaxis),又称“显性接应”(overt cohesion);把汉语称为“意合式”语言(parataxis),又称“隐性接应”(covert cohesion)。 Example:

All was cleared up some time later when news came from a distant place that an earthquake was felt the very day the little copper ball fell.

过了一些时候,从远方传来了消息:在小铜球坠落的当天,确实发生了地震。这一切终于得到

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6.6 省译动词

英语句子必须由动词作谓语;汉语句子则不然,除了动词作谓语外,还可以不要动词谓语,改由形容词、名词或词组作谓语。

这一特点使得汉译时常常可以省译英语原文中的动词,译文才符合汉语习惯。通常被省译的英语动词是系动词或具有系动词功能的行为动词。 Example:

If the surface is smooth, reflection is regular; if the surface is rough, the reflection is diffuse. 如果表面光滑,则反射规则;如果表面不光滑,则反射发散。(省译了四个系动词“is”)

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6.7 “there be”句型中的省译现象

there be 句型是英语中一种特有的句型,并无实质意义。有时出于结构的要求,译为汉语存在的“有”的意思。更通顺的一种译法就是省译there be 本身的含义,即不把“有”翻译出来。 Example:

There is often a special sequence of procedures which is involved in the establishment of the working principles of science.

在建立实用的科学原则时,经常要涉及到一连串特殊的过程。(实用了“there is”)

7. Repetition (词的重复法)

简洁而不累赘是语言修辞的共同特征。

英汉双语相比,避免重复是英语修辞的一大特点(如:英语一个动词常带几个宾语或表语;英语大量使用代词以避免重复使用名词现象);汉语表达则有所不同(如:汉语喜欢对重要或关键词语加以重复,以加强语气,增加感染力;汉语代词用得少而喜欢重复名词是为了表达更加准确到位)

重复法不同于增词法。增词法是增补原来没有的新词语;重复法是重复已出现过的词语。

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7.1 重复名词

重复名词主要出现在以下四种情况: 7.1.1 重复并列成分中的中心名词 Example:

The longest light waves we can see are red, the shortest violet, and in between are others. 可见光波中最长的是红色,最短的光波是紫色,其他颜色的光波介于这两者之间。(重复“光

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波”,为了更准确到位)

7.1.2 重复代词所指代的名词 Example:

The properties of gas are quite different from those of liquid. 气体的性质与液体的性质大不一样。(重复“those”所指代的“properties”) 7.1.3 重复引导定语从句的关系代词所代替的作先行词的名词 Example:

We have never seen such a powerful motor as it is.

我们从未见过像这台发动机一样具有如此强大动力的发动机。(重复“as”的先行词“motor”) 7.1.4 重复几个偏正词组中被形容词共同修饰的名词 Example:

I had experienced oxygen or motor trouble or both.

我曾碰到,不是氧气设备出故障,就是发动机出故障,或两者都出故障。(重复“trouble”)

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7.2 重复动词 Example:

When the politician or the engineer refers to oil, he almost always means mineral oil, the oil that drives tanks, airplanes and warships, motor-cars and diesel locomotives. 当政治家或工程师一提到油,他们差不多总是指的矿物油,也就是可以用来开坦克、开飞机、开军舰、开汽车、开柴油机车的油。(重复动词“drive”)

8. Conversion of Sentence Patterns (句式转换)

转换是翻译的重要手段。它不但出现在“措词法”翻译中,而且也广泛用于英汉句式翻译。主要有以下三种情况:

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8.1 转换英语非人称主语句型(Conversion of impersonal subjects)

非人称主语指使用抽象名词(abstract nouns)或无生命的名词( “inanimate” nouns)以及名词性短语( nominal phrases)作句子主语的情况。 汉译时需要转换英语非人称主语句式。其转换方法有:

8.1.1 把非人称主语转换为人称主语或其他主语(Convert impersonal subjects into personal or other subjects) Example:

The significance of the experiment will doubtless escape some of us. 我们中有些人可能不理解这项实验的意义。

8.1.2 转换非人称主语,把英语的简单句拆成汉语的复合句(Convert impersonal subjects and split English simple sentences into Chinese complex sentences) Example:

Our mastery of the behavior of objects requires a study of motions. 为了掌握物体的性能,我们需要研究物体的各种运动。

8.1.3 把非人称主语转换成汉语的状语或介词短语(Convert impersonal subjects into Chinese adverbials or prepositional phrases) Example:

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No city on American soil had known such earthquake destruction.

在美国国土上,没有一座城市曾经遭受过如此严重的地震破坏。

8.1.4 转换非人称主语,把英语的简单句或复合句拆成汉语的并列句或流水句(Convert impersonal subjects and split English sentences, simple or complex, into Chinese compound or run-on sentences) Example:

Already laser guns are being developed which could kill an enemy, or bring down an airplane or a missile at a great distance.

人们已在研制各类激光炮,而这些激光炮能远距离杀死敌人,击落飞机和导弹。

8.1.5 把非人称主语转换成汉语的外位成分,汉语的主语用“这”来代称这个外位成分(Convert impersonal subjects into Chinese “ extra-position elements ”) Example:

His knowledge of applied science will stand him in good stead. 他懂得应用科学,这对他到时可帮大忙了。

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8.2 转换英语并列句句型(Conversion of compound sentences) 当英语并列句是“(第一个分句)祈使句+ and + (第二个分句)”时,可译为“如果”、“假若”、“要是”等。 Example:

Look at crystals of table-salt under a magnifying glass and you will see that each crystal is a cube with six faces.

假如将食盐放在放大镜下观察,你就会发现每粒食盐都是一个有六个面的立方体。

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“for”作连词引出的分句(不用于句首),常译为“因为”,表示对前一个分句间接原因的补充说明,或一种推测理由。 Example:

The output power can never equal the input power, for there are always losses. 输出功与输入功不可能是相等的,因为有无用功的损失。

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“and” 有时译为“而”,表示对比,有时译为“因而”或“从而”,表示结果。 “but that”译为“要不是”、“如若不是”“如果不是”,表示条件。 “or else”译为“否则”、“要不然”或“如若不然”表示结果。 Examples:

Displacement is a vector and time is a scalar. 位移是一种矢量,而时间是一种标量。

The average kinetic energy of the molecules is increased and the temperature is raised. 分子的平均动能增加了,因而温度也升高了。

The temperature would have continued to go up but that feedback took place. 要不是发生反馈的话,温度会继续上升。

Your experiment must be carefully prepared or else you cannot confirm your theory. 要更加精心地准备你的实验,否则你无法证实你的理论。

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8.3 转换英语其他复合句句型(Conversion of other complex sentences)

复合句(complex sentences)又称从句,可能由一个主句(main clause)和一至多个从句

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(subordinate clauses)组成。

根据从句在复合句中起的不同作用,复合句分为名词性从句(nominal clauses)、形容词性或定语从句(adjective / attributive clauses)和状语从句(adverbial clauses)三大类。 科技英语大量使用复合句是其显著特征之一。理解和掌握各种复合句转换的灵活译法是十分重要的。

8.3.1 将复合句译成独自成立的子句或单句(Translate complex sentences into separate clauses or sentences) Examples:

What we call “air” is a mixture of several different gases.

我们称之为空气的东西是数种气体的混合物。[主语从句转换译为简单句] The assembly-line of the factory is where all the components are put together. 在工厂的装配线,所有的零部件都要装在一起。[表语从句转换译为简单句] On the moon an astronaut will weigh only one sixth of what he weighed on earth.

宇航员在月球上的体重是他在地球上体重的六分之一。[宾语从句转换译为简单句]

In 1905 Einstein worked out a theory that matter and energy were not completely different things.

1905年,爱因斯坦提出了一个理论:物质和能并不是完全不同的东西。[同位语从句转换译为简单句]

People who live in the areas where earthquakes are a common occurrence should build houses that are resistant to ground movement.

居住在地震多发地区的人们应该建造能够抗震的房屋。[定语从句转换译为简单句] The thermometer rises or falls according as the air is hot or cold. 寒暑表随着空气的热冷而升降。[状语从句转换译为简单句]

This was the period when Einstein began the research which resulted in the creation of his famous Theory of Relativity.

就在这期间,爱因斯坦开始进行一项研究。经过这项研究,他创立了著名的相对论。[定语从句转换译为几个意义相对独立的子句]

8.3.2 将复合句译成并列句(Translate complex sentences into compound sentences) Example:

As reported recently in Science, researchers at the University of Notre Dame are working on a method of building circuits that need only a tiny initial electrical charge to transfer information.

根据《科学》杂志最近的报道,鹿特丹大学的研究人员正在开发一种电路设计方法,它只需微量的初始电荷便可以传输信息。[定语从句转换译为两个并列分句]

8.3.3 复合句之间的相互转换(Translate one kind of complex sentences into another kind of complex sentences) Examples:

Germs can’t be seen except when they are observed through a microscope.

除非用显微镜对细菌进行观察,否则就看不到细菌。[介词宾语从句转换译为条件状语从句] This scanner has a FAST SCSI Ⅱ interface that will preview a full page in just 7 seconds and Photo Scan in under 12.

这种扫描仪具有快速的SCSI Ⅱ接口,所以预览一页文件只需7秒钟,图片扫描也不过12秒。[定语从句转换译为结果状语从句]

Strontium is named for Strontian, a Scottish village, where ore containing it was found.

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