考研英语（11-20）转自何凯文老师

 

11.   There is, as Robert Rubin, the treasury secretary, says, a “disjunction” between the mass of business anecdote that points to a leap in productivity and the picture reflected by the statistics.

 

【词汇突破】

the treasury secretary 财政部长（美）

anecdote 轶闻，趣闻

statistics 数据（还有一个我们不熟悉的意思：表格）

picture 情况，事态，局面，状况，情形，形势

 

【主干识别】There is a disjunction.

 

【其他成分】as Robert Rubin, the treasury secretary, says 插入语；between the mass of business anecdote that points to a leap in productivity and the picture reflected by the statistics后置定语修饰a disjunction.

 

【微观解析】between the mass of business anecdote and the picture; 为定语的主体部分；that points to a leap in productivity修饰anecdote；reflected by the statistics修饰statistics。

 

【难点揭秘】由于插入语的加入，造成了对主干是别的难度，尤其是在between… and…结构的识别中由于加入了定语从句使其难于理解。

 

【译文赏析】正如财长鲁宾所说，在表明生产力飞跃发展的商业佚事和数据所反映的情况之间存在着脱节。

 

【翻译点拨】也可以把比较长的那个部分单独翻译，这样更符合中文的习惯：有大量表明生产力飞跃发展的商业佚事，但是财长罗伯特.鲁宾认为现实的数据表明的情况并不能支持这些传奇。

 

 

12.   Their methods do not attempt to estimate the actual biomass (the amount of living biological matter) of fish species in particular parts of the ocean, but rather changes in that biomass over time.

 

【词汇突破】

estimate 估量，评估

not…but 不是……而是……

【主干识别】Their methods do not attempt to estimate the actual biomass but changes.

 

【其他成分】括号中的内容对biomass进行解释和说明；of species和in particular parts of the ocean做后置定语修饰biomass， in that biomass over time后置定语修饰changes.

 

【难点揭秘】estimate的宾语为the actual biomass 和changes的并列，并列连词为but , 在阅读的过程中往往 会由于长定语的分割而产生阅读的障碍。

 

【译文赏析】他们的研究方法并不是想估计出某些特定地区鱼类的实际生物量（活的生物总量），而是估计出这些生物量随着时间发生的变化。

 

【翻译点拨】多个定语在修饰着changes因此顺序应该做符合中文习惯的调整。

 

 

13.   One leading authority says that these intensely powerful mental events can be not only harnessed but actually brought under conscious control, to help us sleep and feel better.

 

【词汇突破】

authority 权威

harness 使……停止的意思；和stop 可以互换但是更加正式的表达；还有一个单词是curb，这个单词表示控制的意思相当于control，原意是缰绳的意思，这个单词为考研高频词。

conscious 有意识的

intensely powerful mental event在原文中就等于dreams;

 

【主干识别】one leading authority says that+宾语从句；

 

【其他成分】宾语从句的主干是these intensely powerful mental events can be not only harnessed but actually brought under conscious control; 并列连词not only …but also…连接两个并列的动词harnessed 和 brought；to help us sleep and feel better 为目的状语

 

【难点揭秘】动词的并列造成识别上的困难。

 

【译文赏析】而一名顶级权威认为，这些极其强烈的大脑活动不仅可以被抑制，实际上还可以受到意识的控制，进而帮助我们睡眠，使我们感觉好一些。

 

 

14.   But if robots are to reach the next stage of laborsaving utility, they will have to operate with less human supervision and be able to make at least a few decisions for them- selves—goals that pose a real challenge.

 

【词汇突破】

utility 运用

supervision 监管

 

【主干识别】they will have to operate and be able to make a few decisions. 并列的两个谓语由and 连接。

 

【其他成分】But if robots are to reach the next stage of laborsaving utility状语；with less human supervision状语；at least状语；goals that pose a real challenge整个句子的同位语。

 

【微观解析】同位语goals 被定语从句修饰；

 

【难点揭秘】动词的并列，状语的隔离；同位语的识别需要关注。

 

【译文赏析】但是如果机器人能在下一个阶段达到节省人工的运用，它们将必须在更少的人力监督之下工作，而且还要至少能够自己做出几个决定--这些目标才会带来真的挑战。

 

【翻译点拨】对于the next stage of laborsaving utility的处理，如果直译就是：如果机器人要达到节省人工的运用的下一个阶段在，这样的表达不仅拗口而且难懂，就是典型的死译，所以把定语转译为状语。

 

 

15.   But the human mind can glimpse a rapidly changing scene and immediately disregard the 98 percent that is irrelevant, instantaneously focusing on the monkey at the side of a winding forest road or the single suspicious face in a big crowd.

 

【词汇突破】

glimpse 快速的看一眼；

disregard 抛弃，丢弃

irrelevant 不相干

instantaneously 立即

winding 蜿蜒曲折的

suspicious 可疑的

 

【主干识别】the human mind can glimpse a rapidly changing scene and immediately disregard the 98 percent并列的两个动词glimpse和disregard

 

【其他成分】that is irrelevant 修饰 the 98percent, focusing on the monkey at the side of a winding forest road or the single suspicious face in a big crowd. 现在分词短语作状语，focus 的动作发出者就是句子主语human mind。

 

【微观解析】the monkey or the single suspicious face 为focus on 的并列宾语

 

【难点揭秘】动词的并列在主句中出现；而在现在分词短语中出现并列宾语；

 

【译文赏析】但是人类的大脑可以只迅速地瞟一眼一个快速改变的场面，然后立刻放弃98％的不相关信息，而马上聚焦于一条崎岖森林道路边的一只猴子，或者在茫茫人海中的一张可疑的脸。

 

 

16.   A comparison of British geological publications over the last century and a half reveals not simply an increasing emphasis on the primacy of research, but also a changing definition of what constitutes an acceptable research paper.，

 

【词汇突破】

reveal 揭露

constitutes 包含

primacy 重要性，首要地位

 

【主干识别】A comparison reveals not…but also …主谓宾结构

 

【其他成分】of British geological publications定语修饰comparison, over the last century and a half定语修饰publications，an increasing emphasis on the primacy of research宾语，a changing definition of what constitutes an acceptable research paper并列宾语

 

【微观解析】an increasing emphasis on the primacy of research其中on the primacy of research修饰emphasis; research修饰definition ; what 引导一个宾语从句作of 的宾语，what为宾语从句中的主语。

 

【难点揭秘】出现并列的宾语并且在宾语中的定语又出现一个宾语从句，这样就增加了句子的复杂性，并且在句中出现了好几个动态名词。

 

【译文赏析】将过去一个半世纪英国地质学领域的出版物做一下比较，(我们)就会发现不仅对科研的主导地位的强调不断攀升，而且一篇可接受的科研论文所包含的内容的定义也有所变化。

 

【翻译点拨】在这个句中有两个动态名词一个是comparison，还有一个为emphasis，其中还有一个动态形容词changing；在翻译的处理上都翻译为动词，并增加概说的主语“我们”。

 

 

17.   I believe that the most important forces behind the massive M&A wave are the same that underlie the globalization process: falling transportation and communication costs, lower trade and investment barriers and enlarged markets that require enlarged operations capable of meeting customers’ demands.

 

【词汇突破】

M&A 为mergers and acquisitions 的缩写表示合并和兼并的意思为经济术语。

underlie 构成…的基础；导致…发生。例如：The social problems underlying these crises remain unsolved.（引起这些危机的社会问题尚未解决。）

trade and investment barriers 贸易和投资壁垒

globalization process 全球化进程(可以作为写作词汇使用)

 

【主干识别】I believe that+宾语从句

 

【其他成分】the most important forces behind the massive M&A wave are the same 为宾语从句主干；that underlie the globalization process为定语从句；“：”后为对forces的解释；

 

【微观解析】三种力量的并列为falling transportation and communication costs,以及lower trade and investment barriers 和 enlarged markets后面接一个定语从句 that require enlarged operations和后置定语形容词短语：capable of meeting customers’ demands

 

【难点揭秘】并列的三种力量，由于修饰语比较长和并列连词较多使其解析较难；

 

【译文赏析】我认为巨大的并购浪潮背后的最重要的推动力和促进全球化进程的力量是一样的：即降低交通运输成本，逐渐减少贸易投资壁垒，以及为能满足消费者需求而大幅度拓展得市场。

 

 

18.   It is entirely reasonable for auditors to believe that scientists who know exactly where they are going and how they will get there should not be distracted by the necessity of keeping one eye on the cash register while the other eye is on the microscope.

 

【词汇突破】

auditors 审计人员

distract 分散注意力

 

【主干识别】It is entirely reasonable to believe that +宾语从句. 形式主语从句

 

【其他成分】for auditors 状语；scientists who know exactly where they are going and how they will get there should not be distracted by the necessity of keeping one eye on the cash register while the other eye is on the microscope.宾语从句。

 

【微观解析】scientists should not be distracted 宾语从句主干；who know exactly where they are going and how they will get there 定语从句修饰scientist；where they are going and how they will get there定语从句中know的宾语从句；by the necessity of keeping one eye on the cash register while the other eye is on the microscope.状语；of keeping one eye on the cash register修饰the necessity 作定语。while the other eye is on the microscope状语修饰keeping。

 

【难点揭秘】主语从句中出现定语从句，定语从句中出现并列的宾语这样隔离的障碍就更为显著了。

 

【译文赏析】审查者完全有理由相信，知道自己准备做什么、怎么做的科学家不应该因为必须一只眼盯着收银机，另一只眼盯着显微镜而分散了注意力。

 

【翻译点拨】by短语在句子中是充当状语，翻译为原因，where they are going and how they will get there处理为知道做什么，知道怎么做，这样的表达符合中文的习惯。如果直接翻译为：知道他们要去哪里和怎么去，就是对于字面含义的翻译。属于死译。

 

 

19. Instead, we are treated to fine hypocritical spectacles, which now more than ever seem in ample supply: the critic of American materialism with a Southampton summer home; the publisher of radical books who takes his meals in three-star restaurants; the journalist advocating participatory democracy in all phases of life, whose own children are enrolled in private schools.

 

【词汇突破】

hypocritical 虚伪的；

spectacles 景象

ample 充足的

radical 激进的，根本的

journalist 记者，新闻工作者

advocate 支持

participatory democracy 参与制民主

enrolled in 注册入学，入伍

 

【主干识别】we are treated to fine hypocritical spectacles 主谓结构的被动态

 

【其他成分】 which now more than ever seem in ample supply 定语从句修饰spectacles；“：”之后列出三种虚伪的景象的代表人物，举例说明。

 

【微观解析】定语从句还原为一个完整的句子：The spectacles now more than ever seem in ample supply.其主干为：The spectacles seem in ample supply；now more than ever为状语。代表人物一 the critic of American materialism（美国物质主义的批评者） with a Southampton summer home;（其拥有南安普顿的避暑山庄）；代表人物二 the publisher of radical books（激进书刊的出版者）who takes his meals in three-star restaurants，定语从句讲他们却在三星级酒店就餐（因为激进主义者往往是最求生活极简的）；代表人物三 the journalist advocating participatory democracy in all phases of life（支持在人生的各个阶段推崇参与制民主的记者）whose own children are enrolled in private schools定语从句讲他们自己的孩子却在私立学校上学（私立学校的教育是精英制的，而参与制民主是需要和大众贴近的）。

 

【难点揭秘】冒号后并列的三个部分就是三个名词后面接上比较长的定语修饰，这样就造成了阅读的困难；

 

【译文赏析】相反，我们看到了这些非常虚伪的景象，他们似乎比以前的任何时候都更多见：批判美国式物质主义的人却拥有位于南安普顿的避暑山庄：激进书籍的出版商却在三星级餐厅享用一日三餐；倡导在人生各个阶段实施参与式民主的记者，他的子女却就读于私立学校。

 

【翻译点拨】we are treated to fine hypocritical spectacles如果直接翻译那就是：我们被招待了很好的虚伪景象；这样的说法并不符合中文的习惯，中文是多主动，英语多被动，因此句子转译为：我们看到了这些非常虚伪的景象fine 处理为非常。

 

 

20.But it is a little upsetting to read in the explanatory notes that a certain line describes a fight between a Turkish and a Bulgarian officer on a bridge off which they both fall into the river—and then to find that the line consists of the noise of their falling and the weights of the officers, "Pluff! Pluff! A hundred and eighty-five kilograms."

 

【词汇突破】

explanatory 解释性的

upsetting 不安

consists of 包含

 

【主干识别】 it is a little upsetting to read that+宾语从句and then to find that+宾语从句；形式主语句，句子主语为 to read and to find.在主语中带有两个动词不定式中的宾语从句；

 

【其他成分】 in the explanatory notes 状语；a certain line describes a fight between a Turkish and a Bulgarian officer on a bridge宾语从句主干；off which they both fall into the river起连接句子作用的定语从句；the line consists of the noise of their falling and the weights of the officers宾语从句主干；"Pluff! Pluff! A hundred and eighty-five kilograms."是Line的同位语。

 

【微观解析】off which they both fall into the river还原为一个句子就是：they both fall into the river off the bridge.

 

【难点揭秘】主语是两个并列的成分识别并列主语是一大难点；

 

【译文赏析】但当我们先是从解释性注释中得知某诗行讲述了一个土耳其军官和一个保加利亚军官在桥上格斗并双双掉进河里，而后又发现该行诗中只充斥着"扑通，扑通，185公斤重"这类对他们落水时的声音以及对军官们体重的描写时，我们不免感到困惑不安。

 

【翻译点拨】先把两个比较长的主语单独译成两个句子，再翻译剩下的部分，打破英语中的句子限定，单独成句是很重要的翻译技巧，简单讲就是哪个部分太长就尽量的单独翻译。