2019考研英語掌握20種翻譯技巧之逆序法
逆序法:英語有些長句的表達次序與漢語表達習慣不同,甚至完全相反,這時必
須從原文后面開始翻譯。
例如:
例1. Aluminum remained unknown until the nineteenth century,because nowhere in nature is it found free,owing to its always being combined with other elements,most commonly with oxygen,for which it has a strong affinity.
分析:這個句子由一個主句,兩個原因狀語和一個定語從句,“鋁直到19世紀才被人
發(fā)現(xiàn)”是主句,也是全句的中心內容,全句共有四個謂語結構,共有五層意思:
A.鋁直到19世紀才被人發(fā)現(xiàn);
B.由于在自然界找不到游離狀態(tài)的鋁;
C.由于它總是跟其他元素結合在一起;
D.最普遍的是跟氧結合;
E.鋁跟氧有很強的親和力。
按照漢語的表達習慣通常因在前,果在后,這樣,我們可以逆著原文的順序把該句翻譯成:鋁總是跟其他元素結合在一起,最普遍的是跟氧結合;因為鋁跟氧有很強的親和力,由于這個原因,在自然界找不到游離狀態(tài)的鋁。所以,鋁直到19世紀才被人發(fā)現(xiàn)。
例2. It therefore becomes more and more important that,if students are not to waste their opportunities,there will have to be much more detailed information about courses and more advice.
分析:該句由一個主句,一個條件狀語從句和一個賓語從句組成,“……變得越來越重要”是主句,也是全句的中心內容,全句共有三個謂語結構,包含三層含義:
A.……變的越來越重要;
B.如果要使學生充分利用他們的機會;
C.得為他們提供大量更為詳盡的信息,作更多的指導。
為了使譯文符合漢語的表達習慣,我們也采用逆序法,翻譯成:因此,如果要使學生充分利用他們(上大學)的機會,就得為他們提供大量關于課程的更為詳盡的信息,作更多的指導。這個問題顯得越來越重要了。
下面我們再舉幾個實例:
例3. It is probably easier for teachers than for students to appreciate the reasons why learning English seems to become increasingly difficult once the basic structures and patterns of the language have been understood.
一旦了解英語的基本結構和句型,再往下學似乎就越來越難了,這其中的原因,也許教師比學生更容易理解。
例4. They (the poor) are the first to experience technological progress as a curse which destroysthe old muscle-power jobs that previous generations used as a means to fight their way out of poverty.
對于以往幾代人來說,舊式的體力勞動是一種用以擺脫貧困的手段,而技術的進步則摧毀了窮人賴以為生的體力勞動,因此首先體驗到技術進步之害的是窮人。
例5.A great number of graduate students were driven into the intellectual slum when in the United States the intellectual poor became the classic poor,the poor under the rather romantic guise of the Beat Generation,a real phenomenon in the late fifties.
50年代后期的美國出現(xiàn)了一個任何人都不可能視而不見的現(xiàn)象,窮知識分子以“跨掉的一代”這種頗為浪漫的姿態(tài)出現(xiàn)而成為美國典型的窮人,正是這個時候大批大學生被趕進了知識分子的貧民窟。
例6. Such is a human nature in the West that a great many people are often willing to sacrifice higher pay for the privilege of becoming white collar workers.
許多人寧愿犧牲比較高的工資以換取成為白領工人的社會地位,這在西方倒是人之常情。
例7. Insects would make it impossible for us to live in the world;they would devour all our crops and kill our flocks and herds,if it were not for the protection we get from insect-eating animals.
假如沒有那些以昆蟲為食的動物保護我們,昆蟲將吞噬我們所有的莊稼,害死我們的牛羊家畜,使我們不能生存于世。
以上是為大家準備整理的“2019考研英語翻譯基礎復習技巧:逆序法”的相關內容。