浅谈英语定语的翻译_孙太群

1、浅谈英语定语的翻译孙太群 石广银一、两个或两个以上前置定语的翻译两个或两个以上前置定语的顺序往往是限定词(包括冠词、物主代词、指示代词、不定代词等 数词 描绘形容词 表特征的形容词(包括大小、形状、新旧、年龄等,次序大致如此,但不甚固定 表示颜色的形容词 表示类属的形容词(包括专有形容词和表示材料质地的形容词 名词性限定词(包括动名词。然而,在汉译时,译文中的定语顺序,一是为了照顾汉语的语言习惯,不能与原文中的顺序完全一致;二是要紧扣和忠实原文,避免译文引起误解。例如:1a very valuable bronze Egyptian cat.一只非常珍贵的埃及铜猫。2the ancient C

2、hinese history.中国古代史。3some Western European Countries.西欧一些国家4a modern,powerful,socialist country.社会主义的现代化强国5a powerful industrial socialist c ountry.一个强大的社会主义工业国。6a great and most glorious cause.极其光荣伟大的事业。7an American university president.美国的一位大学校长。8the first beautiful little white Chinese stone bri

3、dge.中国第一座美丽的小白石桥。从以上的例子来看,在汉语中越能说明事物本质的定语越要放在前面,说明规模大小或力量强弱的定语则放在后面,而英语则相反,越能说明事物本质的定语越要靠近它所修饰的名词。二、英语中后置定语的翻译在英语中,定语后置的情况司空见惯,后置定语译成中文的习惯是将其移至被修饰的词之前。如果英语中有两个或两个以上的后置定语,汉译时一般来说,后面的定语须相应地移到前面。例如:1There is something very nice in the drum.鼓声里面有些美妙的东西。2There is nothing special.没什么特别的事。3That is the grea

4、test difficulty ima ginable.那是想象得到的、最大不过的困难了。4Never had I seen a face so happy,sweet and radiant.我从未见过如此幸福、甜美、容光焕发的面孔。5English is a language easy to learn but difficult to master.英语是一门易于入门却难于精通的语言。6a river one hundred miles long.一百英里长的河7Tom is a man greedy for money.汤姆是个贪财之徒。8All these are matters w

5、orthy of attention.这一切都是值得注意的事情。9A man taller than Jane.一个比简高的男人。从上面的例子中,我们可以发现,用作后置定语的名词和某些代词的修饰语不仅有一个或一个以上的形容词,而且多种多样的短语可以放在名词后面作定语,这样可以增加对被修饰名词的信息量,限制该名词的语义范畴,使该名词的所指更为具体化。值得注意的是,从深层结构上看,任何一个修饰名词的后置短语都可以看成一个省略了的简单定语从句,理解和翻译时应引起重视。下面举几个例子,再说明一下短语后置被看作简单83定语从句的情况,注意翻译。例如:1The books on the shelf are

6、 mine.书架上的书是我的。(介词短语2She is the woman responsible for the im provement.她是那位负责改进工作的女士。(形容词短语3The last man to leave the sinking ship was the captain.最后一位离开沉船的人是船长。(不定式短语4I come from a city located in the southern part of the country.我来自南方的一个市。(过去分词短语5We have an apartment overlooking the park.我们拥有一套俯瞰公

7、园的公寓。(现在分词从表层结构上看,用作后置定语的短语与定语从句不同:一个是短语;另一个则是一个完整的句子。而事实上,上面五个例子都可以用定语从句来表达:1The books that are on the shelf are mine.2She is the woman who is responsible for the improve ment.3The last man who left the sinking ship was the captain.4I come from a city which is located in the southern part of the co

8、untry.5We have an apartment which overlooks the park.上面五例说明了作后置定语的短语与定语从句的关系,旨在提醒大家注意,并深刻理解作后置定语的短语,以免在翻译时产生误解。对于多数定语从句的翻译,则应采取不同的方法加以处理,现分述如下。三、定语从句的翻译1.前置法:英语定语从句的译法主要涉及到限定性定语从句的译法和非限定性定语从句的译法。限定性定语从句对所修饰的先行项目起限定作用,与先行项目关系密切,不用逗号分开,较短的限定性定语从句可译成带 的 的定语词组,放在被修饰词之前,从而将复合句译成汉语单句。例如:1The man who gave

9、us a report yesterday was a model worker.昨天晚上给我们作报告的那个人是劳动模范。2This is a book which tells about rocket technology.这是一本关于火箭技术的书。3A library is a place where books are kept for reading.图书馆是藏书供阅读的地方。2.后置法:对于非限定性定语从句或者较长的限定性定语从句,由于放在被修饰词的前面会显得头重脚轻,因此,我们常采用后置法。后置法又分成三种,分述如下:1译成并列句,重复先行词。(1I told the story

10、to John,who told it to his brother.我把这事告诉了约翰,约翰又告诉了他弟弟。(2They are striving for the ideal which is close to the heart of every Chinese and for which, in the past,many Chinese have laid down their lives.他们正在为一个理想而努力,这个理想是每个中国人所珍爱的。在过去,许多中国人曾为了这个理想而牺牲了自己的生命。2译成并列句,省略先行词。(1He saw in front that haggard w

11、hite-haired old man,whose eyes flashed red with fury.他看见前面那个憔悴的白发老人,眼睛里闪着愤怒的红光。(2It is he who received the letter that an nounced the death of your uncle.是他接到那封信,说你的叔叔去世了。3译成独立句。(1He had talked to Vice-President Nixon,who assured him that everything that could be done would be done.他和副总统尼克松谈过话。副总统向他

12、保证,凡是能做到的都将全力去做。(2One was a violent thunderstorm,the worst I had ever seen,which obscured my objec tive.有一次是暴风雨,猛烈的程度实为生平84所仅见。这阵暴风雨遮住了我的目标。3.融合法:由于限定性定语从句与主句关系比较紧密,所以汉译时可将主句压缩成汉语词组作主语,而把定语从句翻译成谓语,融合成一个句子。例如:(1We used a plane of which almost every part carried some indication of national identity.我们

13、驾驶的飞机几乎每个部件都有国籍的某些标志。(2We are a nation that must adhere to the guiding principle of socialism and four moderniza tions.我们这个国家必须坚持社会主义和四个现代化的基本方针。4.拆分法:英语非限定性定语从句对先行词不起限制作用,只对它加以描写、叙述或解释。当主、从句之间关系比较松散时,可以把定语从句拆出来,译成一个单独的句子放在主句前面或后面。例如:(1We have six American teachers,who can t speak C hinese.我们有六位美籍教师

14、。他们都不会说中国话。(2Nevertheless the problem was solved suc cessfully,which showed that the computations were accurate.不过问题总算圆满地解决了。这说明计算很准确。5.转换功能法:英语中有些定语从句跟主句在逻辑上有状语关系,实际上起着主句的原因、结果、条件、让步等状语的作用。翻译时应善于从原文的字里行间发现这些逻辑上的关系,然后译成汉语里各种相应的偏正复句。例如:1译成表原因的分句:(1The ambassador was giving a dinner for a few people w

15、hom he wished especially to talk to or hear from.大使只宴请几个人,因为他特地想和这些人谈谈,听听他们的意见。(2The computer,which seems to play the role of a human brain,is often called a electronic brain.由于计算机起着类似人脑的作用,所以常被称作电脑。2译成表结果的分句:(1There was something original,indepen dent,and heroic about the plan that pleased all of t

16、hem.这个方案富于创造性,独出心裁,很有魅力,所以他们都很喜欢。(2They turned a deaf ear to our de mands, which enraged all of us.他们对我们的要求置之不理,这使我们大家很气愤。3译成表目的的分句:(1We have to oil the moving parts of the machine,the friction of which may be greatly re duced.我们必须给机器的可动部件加油,以便使摩擦大大减少。(2He wishes to write an article that will at trac t public attention to the matter.他想写篇文章以期引起公众对此事的关注。4译成表条件的分句:(1Men became desperate for work,any work,which will help them to keep alive their families.人们极其迫切地要求工作,不管什么工作,只要它能维持一家人的生活就行。(2He may have acute appendicitis,in which case he will have to be operat