Question

英语长句翻译技巧中的“顺序法”

Answer 1

当英语长句的内容的叙述层次与汉语基本一致时, 可以按照英语原文的顺序翻译成汉语。例如:

例1. Even when we turn off the beside lamp and are fast asleep, electricity is working for us, driving our refrigerators, heating our water, or keeping our rooms air-conditioned.

分析: 该句子由一个主句, 三个作伴随状语的现在分词以及位于句首的时间状语从句组成, 共有五层意思: A. 既使在我们关掉了床头灯深深地进入梦乡时; B.电仍在为我们工作; C. 帮我们开动电冰箱; D. 加热水; E. 或是室内空调机继续运转。上述五层意思的逻辑关系以及表达的顺序与汉语完全一致, 因此, 我们可以通过顺序法, 把该句翻译成:

即使在我们关掉了床头灯深深地进入梦乡时, 电仍在为我们工作: 帮我们开动电冰箱, 把水加热, 或使室内空调机继续运转。

例2. But now it is realized that supplies of some of them are limited, and it is even possible to give a reasonable estimate of their “expectation of life”, the time it will take to exhaust all known sources and reserves of these materials.

分析: 该句的骨干结构为“It is realized that…”, it为形式主语, that引导着主语从句以及并列的it is even possible to …结构, 其中, 不定式作主语, the time …是“expectation of life”的同位语, 进一步解释其含义, 而time后面的句子是它的定语从句。五个谓语结构, 表达了四个层次的意义: A. 可是现在人们意识到; B. 其中有些矿物质的蕴藏量是有限的; C. 人们甚至还可以比较合理的估计出这些矿物质“可望存在多少年”; D. 将这些已知矿源和储量将消耗殆尽的时间。根据同位语从句的翻译方法, 把第四层意义的表达作适当的调整, 整个句子就翻译为:

可是现在人们意识到, 其中有些矿物质的蕴藏量是有限的, 人们甚至还可以比较合理的估计出这些矿物质“可望存在多少年”, 也就是说, 经过若干年后, 这些矿物的全部已知矿源和储量将消耗殆尽。

下面我们再列举几个实例:

例3. Prior to the twentieth century, women in novels were stereotypes of lacking any features that made them unique individuals and were also subject to numerous restrictions imposed by the male-dominated culture.

在20世纪以前, 小说中的妇女像都是一个模式。她们没有任何特点, 因而无法成为具有个性的人; 他们还要屈从于由男性主宰的文化传统强加给他们的种种束缚。

例4. This method of using “controls” can be applied to a variety of situations, and can be used to find the answer to questions as widely different as “Must moisture be present if iron is to rust?” and “Which variety of beans gives the greatest yield in one season?”

这种使用参照物的方法可以应用于许多种情况, 也能用来找到很不相同的各种问题的答案, 从“铁生锈, 是否必须有一定的湿度才行?”到“哪种豆类一季的产量?”

例5. It begins as a childlike interest in the grand spectacle and exciting event; it grows as a mature interest in the variety and complexity of the drama, the splendid achievements and terrible failures; it ends as deep sense of the mystery of man`s life of all the dead, great and obscure, who once walked the earth, and of wonderful and awful possibilities of being a human being.

我们对历史的爱好起源于我们最初仅对一些历的宏伟场面和激动人心的事件感到孩童般的兴趣; 其后, 这种爱好变得成熟起来, 我们开始对历史这出“戏剧”的多样性和复杂性, 对历的辉煌成就和悲壮失败也感兴趣; 对历史的爱好, 最终以我们对人类生命的一种深沉的神秘感而告结束。 对死去的, 无论是伟大与平凡, 所有在这个地球上走过而已逝的人，都有能取得伟大奇迹或制造可怕事件的潜力。

例6. If parents were prepared for this adolescent reaction, and realized that it was a sign that the child was growing up and developing valuable powers of observation and independent judgment , they would not be so hurt, and therefore would not drive the child into opposition by resenting and resisting it.

如果做父母的对这种青少年的反应有所准备, 而且认为这是一个显示出孩子正在成长, 正在发展珍贵的观察力和独立的判断力的标志, 他们就不会感到如此伤心, 所以也就不会因对此有愤恨和反对的情绪而把孩子推到对立面去。