英文句子翻译技巧
以下浅谈英译汉的几点技巧。
第一,翻译时注意英文的句型,英文的句型一般来说有相应的中文译法。如It的句型的翻译:
(1)It is+名词十从句:
It is a fact that?事实是?? It is a question that???是个问题 It is good news that???是好消息 it is common knowledge???是常识
(2) It is+过去分词十从句:
It is said that?据说?? It must be pointed out that?必须指出?? It is asserted that?有人主张?? It is supposed that?据推测?? It is believed that?据信?? It must be admitted that?必须承认?? It is reported that?据报道?? It will be seen from ii that?由此可见?? It has been proved that?已证明?? It is general1y considered that?人们普遍认为??
(3)It is+形容词十从句:
It is necessary that?有必要?? It is likely that?很可能?? It is clear that?很清楚?? It is important that?重要的是??
(4) It+不及物动词十从句:
It follows that?由此可见??
It happens that?碰巧??
It turned out that?结果是??
第二,注意英语被动句的翻译。英文的被动句经常用汉语主动句表达,如:You are requested to give a performance
英文的被动句译成汉语的主动句:请你给我们表演一个节目。英文中被动意义也可以用汉语中含有主动意义的句子来表达。常译成“被”、“由”、“受”、
“为?所”等等。例如:What is feared as failure in American society is,above all,loneliness.(在美国社会中作为失败而为人们所恐惧的,莫过于孤独了。)
第三,注意长句的翻译。首先不要被长句吓住,即使是很长的句子,也是由最基本的成分组成。分析句子的基本成分,主语、谓语、宾语、状语。抓住主*分,然后逐次分析各词意思以及相互间的逻辑、语法关系,再进行翻译。值得注意的是关系分句的翻译。关系分句主要功能是作名词(词组)的后置修饰语(即定语),但除作名词修饰语外,关系分句还可起其他作用,比如起状语分句和并列分句的`作用,因此译成汉语时要注意,限定性关系分句翻译时因为英文置于名词后,汉语则将其置于先行项(antecedent)的前边,使其译成带有“的”字的定语句子,如:I want a wife who will work and send me to school.(我想要个既能工作又能送我上学的老婆)。有的句子过长,前置会显得累赘,或不符合汉语的习惯,这样我们翻译时将从句后置,把它翻译成跟主句平行的并列句。如:I want a wife who will not trouble me with a wife's duties but a1ways listens to me.(我想要个老婆,她不会以妻子的义务来打搅我,而是始终听命于我。)
非限制性关系分句和它的先行项之间有比较松散的关系。就其意义上来说,在句子中有时相当于二个并列分句,有时在语义上起状语分句的作用,翻译时可将其后置译成并列句,例如:
The sun warms the earth, which makes it possible for plants to grow.(太阳温暖了大地,这才使植物有可能生长。)也可以完全脱离主句,译成独立句。如:She was very patient towards the children, which her husband seldom was.(她对孩子们很耐心,她丈夫却很少这样。)
Exercises: Put the following into Chinese:
①It is reported that they have found another star. ②It happens that I have my check-book with me. ③It is likely that he will succeed. ④It is a question that we arrive before l0 o'clock. ⑤She was advised to take the medicine。 ⑥she told me that a big reservoir was being built in her hometown. ⑦I'll never forget the day when l came to the University. ⑧Yesterday I saw a wonderful film, which was about World War II. Key to the exercises:
①据报道,他们又发现了一颗星。 ②碰巧我带着支票簿。 ③很可能他将成功。 ④我们必须十点钟前到达是个问题。 ⑤她被劝告吃药。
⑤她告诉我她的家乡正在建造一个大型水库。
⑦我将永远不会忘记我来这所大学的那一天。
⑧昨晚我看了一部精彩的电影,是关于二次世界大战的。
一、句子翻译的类型
初中阶段的句子翻译题主要指"将汉语句子译成英语",其常见的类型有:①根据汉语提示补全句子(每空一词);②根据汉语意思和英语提示词语,写出语法正确的句子(所给的英文必须都用上);③根据所给提示词,将下列各句译成英语;④根据部分汉语提示完成句子等。
二、句子翻译的技巧
I. 认真审题,确定词义。
审题包括"审"英语、汉语两部分内容。审英语部分时(跳过空格)读一下已经给出的那一部分,然后再仔细分析一下要求翻译的英语;审汉语部分时,了解汉语句子(或所给的汉语部分)所要表达的意思,然后联想一下相关词汇和句型,再考虑时态、词形变化、人称与数的一致性等问题。例如:
这是一辆英国的轿车。
This is _______ _______ car.
【分析】根据此题所给的汉语句子和英语句子中所留的两个空格可知,本题应填"一辆英国式的",其中包含两个单词,即an/a
English;不过这里又涉及到不定冠词an/a用法,a用于以辅音音素
(音标)开头的单词或字母前,an则用于以元音音素开头的单词或字母前。所以本题应填an English。
II. 分析辨别,确定词性。
同学们在做"句子翻译"这种题型时,要切忌一知半解,不要轻易动笔答题。英语中有许多意义相同的词或短语对这些貌似相同实则大相径庭的词、短语的用法,我们就得从分析句子结构入手,认真辨别,仔细分析,判断该词或短语在句中作何成分来定。例如:
1. 他每天骑着自行车去上学。
a. He goes to school ______ ______ every day.
b. He goes to school ______ ______ ______ every day. c. He _____ ______ ______ to school every day.
浏览所给的英汉句子,本题所要填的是"骑自行车"。而"骑自行车"的英文可以是ride a /(one's) bike 或by bike /on the bike。通过分析句子结构,句子a、b需用介词短语作状语,故答案分别为:by bike,on the bike;句子c缺少谓语部分,故用动词短语来表达,因此答案为rides a / his bike。
2.瞧!他们长得很像。
Look! They ___________.
英语中表示"长得很像"可用look like与 look the same表达。但这两个短语在句中所起的作用不同,look like其实表示"A像B"即A look(s) like B;而look the same则表示"A和B看起来是一样的"即A and B look the same。因此,符合本题句子结构的答案应是look the same。
III. 根据空格数,考虑词汇。
解句子翻译题时,有时要求每空一词。故做题时还需要注意词数、有伸缩的词汇和结构,否则多填或少填都是错误的,即使意思符合也不合要求。有些词的缩写可写在一个空格内,如:isn't, let's,what're等;也可将缩略式展开,分写进几个空格,如I'm→I am, there're→there are, no→not a(an)/any 等。例如:
那不是她的字典。
a. That ______ ______ dictionary.
b. That ______ ______ ______ dictionary.
由于题a给出了两个空格,故填isn't her;而题b给出了三个空格,则填is not her。
IV. 灵活运用,切忌呆板。