1. 英译汉四步策略:
- 划竖线
- 目的:初步断开句子结构,化繁为简
- 怎样划竖线:拆出主句,分清从句;拆出主干,分清修饰。
- 找断句点:引导词、连词、介词、分词、to、标点符号
- 写汉字
- 目的:初步了解小结构的意思
- 以每两道划竖线之间的小结构为单位,写下汉字。
- 连句子
- 先把每一个小节连接通顺,再把每两个小节连接通顺,这时候,需要适当的调整顺序,或者把一些不通顺的词语替换掉。
- 调整顺序的本源是依据英语的结构和修饰关系;改变汉语词语的本源是依据英语的基本词义和上下文意义。
- 读译文
- 目的:检查译文是否准确、通顺、完整
- 方法:
- A 看中文大意和英文大意是否吻合;
- B 看中文修饰和英文修饰是否一致;
- C 不妨把中文当做汉语病句修改或者润色一下,千万不要改变意思
- example
- 划竖线
We accept and welcome, therefore,// as conditions //to which we must accommodate ourselves, //great inequality of environment; //the concentration of business, industrial and commercial, /in the hands of a few;// and the law of competition between these, //as being not only beneficial to the future progress of the race.- 写汉字
• 我们接受和欢迎,因此,
• 作为条件,我们自己必须适应,
• 环境的巨大不平等,
• 生意,工业和商业的集中/在少数人手中,
• 和它们之间的竞争法则,
• 因为不仅仅对人类今后的进步有益- 连句子
• 因此,我们接受和欢迎环境的巨大不平等,生意、工业和商业的集中在少数人手中,和少数人之间的竞争法则,作为我们自己必须适应的条件,因为这不仅仅对人类今后的进步有益。- 读译文
• 因此,我们接受和欢迎环境的巨大不平等,工商业和贸易集中在少数人手中,以及少数人之间的竞争法则;这是我们自己必须适应的条件,因为这不仅仅对人类今后的进步有益。
2. 翻译六大常用技巧
2.1 词义选择,适当引申
I’ll see her home tonight. 今晚我送她回家。
India is the home of elephants. 印度是大象的生长地。
New homes are for sale. 新房出售。
He’s at home with the classics. 他精通古典文学
This light is too poor to read by. 这光线太暗不能看书。(名词)
Aluminum is a light metal. 铝是一种轻金属。(形容词)
Will you light the fire for me? 你替我点上火好吗?(动词)
That car was really moving. 那汽车跑得可真快。
Share prices moved ahead today. 股票价格今日上扬。
The story of their sufferings moved us deeply. 他们的苦难经历深深打动了我们。
Work on the new building is moving quickly. 新大楼的工程进展得很快。
2.2 适当增加
• Day after day he came to his work –sweeping, scrubbing, cleaning. 他每天来干活——扫
地,擦地板,收拾房间。
• This typewriter is indeed cheap and fine. 这台打字机真是价廉物美。
• They wanted to ease the tension in the Middle East. 他们试图缓解中东的紧张局势。
2.3 适当减少
• I put my hand into my pocket. 我把手放进口袋。
• She listened to me with her rounded eyes. 她睁大双眼,听我说话。
• He looked gloomy and troubled. (省略并列连接词) 他看上去有些忧愁不安。
• As it is late, you had better go home. (省略表示原因的连接词)时间不早了,你最好回家去吧。
• If winter comes, can spring be far behind? (省略表示条件的连接词)冬天来了,春天还会远吗?
• If I had known it, I would not have joined in to. (省略表示条件的连接词) 早知如此,我就不参加了。
2.4适当重复
• We don’t retreat, we never have and never will。
我们不后退,我们从没有后退过,将来也决不后退。
• Reading makes a full man; conference a ready man; writing an exact man.
• 读书使人充实,讨论使人机智,写作使人准确。
• Some have entered college and others have gone to the countryside.
• 上大学的,上大学了;下乡的,下乡了。(有的上大学了,有的下乡了。)
2.5 词性转换
• Rockets have found application for the exploration of the universe. 火箭已经用来探索宇宙。
In China, there is a lot of emphasis on politeness. 在中国,人们非常注重讲礼貌。
A careful study of the original text will give you a better translation. 仔细研究原文,你会翻译得更好。
I am anxious about his health. 我担心他的身体健康。
The pallor of her face indicated clearly how she was feeling at the moment. 她苍白的脸色清楚地表明了她那时的情绪。
2.6 四字成语
• These statements may seem so commonplace that they may be hardly worth making.
译文a:这些声明似乎太平常了,几乎不值得发表。
译文b:这些说法似乎是老生常谈,不值一提。
• Money may not be the root of all evil, but if it keeps us at night, it has become too important in our lives.
译文a:钱也许并不是所有罪恶的根源,但如果它使我们整个晚上睡不着觉,那我们就将它看得过重了。
译文b:钱也许并不是万恶之源,但要是使我们夜不能寐,那我们就将它看得过重了。
• The buildings rise straight into the blue sky on either side of New York streets.
译文a. 纽约街道两旁的建筑一直上升到蓝蓝的天空。
译文b. 纽约街道两旁的建筑高耸入云,直指蓝天。
3. 定语从句翻译
3.1 定语前置
- 如果定语从句结构简单,信息负载量不大,翻译的时候,前置。
- 把定语从句翻译到它所修饰的先行词前面,并习惯用“的”来连接。
- We fear the worst, /expect the worst, /thus invite the worst // and the result is //that we are becoming a nation of weaklings and hypochondriacs, //a self-medicating society incapable of distinguishing /between casual, everyday symptoms and those //that require professional attention.
我们担心会最糟糕的事情发生,期望最糟糕的事情发生,因此就真的导致了最糟糕的事情发生。结果,美国就变成了一个弱者和疑病症患者的民族:我们自我诊断,不能对那些轻微的日常症状和那些需要专业护理的症状加以区别。- Genuine love is more likely /to involve a process of “growing” in love /rather than “falling” in love. //This may sound terribly unromantic to some //who are used to /hearing talk about “falling in love” /or being “head over heels in love.”
真爱更可能包含一种萌生爱意的过程,而不是坠入爱河。对那些听惯了说什么“一见钟情”或者“爱得神魂颠倒”的人来说,这可能听起来太不浪漫了。- In reality, the way //one experiences old age //is contingent upon circumstances of late-life events (in what order they occur, how they occur, when they occur) /and the social supports //one receives: adequate finances, shelter, medical care, social roles, religious support,recreation.
事实上,一个人老年经历如何取决于晚年事件发生的环境和一个人所得到的社会支持:前者包括事件发生的先后顺序,如何发生,何时发声;后者包括足够的财力,住房条件,医疗保健,社会地位,宗教支持和文化娱乐
3.2 定语后置
- 结构复杂,信息负载量大;
- 关键是前置不通顺,叙述不清楚
- Contemporary technological reporting is full of notions of electronic communities in which people interact across regions or entire continents.
现代技术报告中充满了电子社区的概念,在电子社区中,人们可以跨越地区或者是整个大陆进行交流。
地区之间或大陆之间,人们通过电子技术进行交流而构成一些电子社会,这种概念在现代技术报道中比比皆是- For example, electronic communication filters out and alters much of the subtlety, warmth, contextuality, and so on that seem important to fully human, morally engaged interaction.
比如,对于完全人性化的、涉及道德方面的交流似乎很重要的一些因素,包括细微的心理差别、情绪的热烈程度、不同的场景等,在电子社会中大都被滤除或改变了。- Under the law of competition, the employer of thousands is forced into the strictest economies, among which the rates paid to labor figure prominently, and often there is friction between the employer and the employed, between capital and labor, between rich and poor.
在竞争法则下,成千上万的雇主不得不实行一些最严厉节约措施。在这些措施中,付给工人的工资首当其冲。这样,雇主和雇员之间,劳资双方之间以及富人和穷人之间就常有摩擦。
3.3 否定结构的翻译
3.3.1 部分否定
- 所谓部分否定,是指代词或者副词如all, both, every, every-, many, entirely, altogether, absolutely, wholly, completely等与否定词not搭配使用。翻译为“并非所有、并不是都”。
All that glitters is not gold. 并非所有发光的都是金子.
Both the windows are not open. 两扇窗户并不都是开着的。
Everybody does not believe the rumor. 并不是每个人都听信这个谣言的。
3.3.2 全部否定
- 构成全部否定的单词和词组主要有以下这些:never,no,not,none(没人,谁都不,没有任何东西),nobody,nothing,nowhere,neither(两者都不),nor(也没有,也不),not at all (一点也不)。
He is no professor. 他根本不是教授。
None of my friends smoke. 我的朋友都不抽烟。
Our great motherland has never before been so prosperous as it is today. 我们伟大的祖国从来没有像今天这样繁荣昌盛。
3.3.3 双重否定
双重否定是指同一个句子中出现两个否定词,即否定之否定。翻译时候,可以直接用汉语双重否定,也可以直接翻译为肯定句。常见的双重否定形式主要有:no...not(没有......不)。
Now no spaceship cannot be loaded with man.
现在没有任何宇宙飞船不能载人。(用汉语的双重否定翻译)
现在所有的宇宙飞船都可以载人。(用汉语的肯定结构翻译)
3.3.4 需要注意一些具有否定意义的词:
The specification lacks detail. 这份说明书不够详尽。
The error in calculation escaped the accountant. 会计没有注意到这个计算上的错误。
The newspaper accounts are far from being true. 报纸的报道远非事实。
Her beauty is beyond compare. 她的美丽是无以伦比的。
He is anything but a scholar. 他绝对不是一个学者。
The machine is working none the worse for its long service. 这台机器并没有因为长期使用而运转不良。
You might as well burn the book than give them to her. 你把这些书给他还不如烧毁了好。
4. 状语从句翻译
- 状语的位置很灵活,前中后均可;
- 最佳位置是在主语后,动词前
- 状语从句绝大多数都可以按原顺序直接翻译;但一般要把时间、条件、让步、原因状语从句翻译到主句前。
4.1 时间状语从句的翻译
- 主要表现:
when(当...的时候),
whenever(每当...),
as(当...时),
while(在...期间,正当...的时候)
since(自从...),
It has been more than two years since we parted last time.(since引导从句)
She moved to London last May and has since got a job on a newspaper.(since单个副词作状语)
since(自从...),
before(在...前),
after(在...后),
I have met him before.(before单个副词作状语)
once(一旦...),
until, till(直到...才,如果不.... ),
as soon as(一...就),
- 特殊表现:
the moment, the minute(一...就),
immediately, every time(一...就),
no sooner... than(一...就),
hardly(scarcely)... when(一...就)
4.2 原因状语从句的翻译
- 主要表现:
because(因为),
since(既然,由于),
as(因为),
now that(既然),
- 特殊表现:
seeing that, considering that(既然,考虑到,因为),
Seeing (that) all the guests have come here,let's have dinner.既然客人都来了,我们吃饭吧。
in that(因为,原因在于),
These two areas are similar in that they both have a high rainfall during this season.
这两个地区之所以相似,是因为在这个季节降雨量都很高。
- 翻译方法:一般需要把原因状语从句翻译到主句之前,构成“前因后果”的顺序;如果原因太长,有时候也可以采用“之所以...是因为”。
- 原因状语(短语)
because of
on account of
due to
thanks to
attribute to
owing to
for the reason...
as a result of
4.3 让步状语从句的翻译
- 主要表现:
though(虽然),
although(虽然),
even if(即使),
while(尽管),
whatever(无论什么),
wherever(无论哪里),
whoever(无论谁),
however(无论怎样),
- 特殊表现:
no matter(不论,不管),
for all that(尽管),
She was strong,
for all (that) she was so small.
她身体强壮,却很瘦小。
in spite of the fact that, despite the fact that(尽管)
一般用“虽然,尽管”在前面;用“但是,然而”在后面。
4.4 条件状语从句的翻译
- 主要表现:
if(如果),
unless(除非,如果不),
I will not go to the party unless I’m invited. 如果他们不邀请我,我不会去参加舞会的。
- 特殊表现:
providing that, granting that, supposing that(如果,假如),
provided that, granted that, given that, suppose that, (如果,假如,假定)
to the extent that (如果说)
Suppose it will rain tomorrow , whatshall we do? 假如明天下雨,怎么办?
Given that they are experienced,they will do a good job.如果他们有经验,他们会干得很出色。
on condition that(如果,只要),
I’ll let you go on condition that you never waste money.只要你不乱花钱,我就让你去。
only, only that, only if(只要,只有),
I would do it with pleasure,only l am not too busy. 只要我不是太忙,我乐意干这项工作。
if only(但愿,要是...就好了)翻译到主句前是最佳位置。
4.5 目的状从的翻译
- 主要表现:
in order that(为了),
lest(以防),
in case(以防,以免),
for fear that(以防)
- 翻译方法:
前用“为了”,后用“以免”。
He pushed open the door gently and stole out of the room for fear that he should awake her.
为了不惊醒她,他轻轻推开房门,悄悄地溜了出去。
He emphasized it again and again, lest she should forget.
他反复强调这一点,免得她忘了。
- 结果状从的翻译主要表现:
so...that,
such...that,
to such a degree that
to such an extent that
一般用“如此...以至于,结果是,这样一来”等词来翻译。
5. 英语特殊句型的翻译
5.1被动结构
1.首先可以主宾颠倒;
2.其次,可以用“让、给、叫、受到、得到、加以、得以、为...所、由...来、是...的”等代替;必要的时候,可以增加“人们、有人”等泛指的主语;
3.万不得已,可以用“被”字,但是句子要通顺。
5.2 形式主语
1.可以当成词组,翻译到句子最开头,用“据...”,“有人...”,“...的是”等结构翻译。
It is reported that...
It is taken that...
It is noted that...
It is important that...
2.可以先翻译后面部分,再加“这是...的”
5.3 There be句型
- 先翻译英语的状语,再加“有”;
- 增加“人们、大家、我们”等汉语的泛指主语;
- 直接翻译为汉语的“无主句”。