英语长句的翻译( 一)

1、英语长句的翻译（一）英汉句子结构和思维方式的差异在长句翻译中的表现11. 英汉句子结构的差异Synthetic vs. Analytic(综合与分析）Compact vs. Diffusive （紧密与流散）Hypotactic vs. Paratactic （形合与意合）Complex vs. Simple（繁复与简短）2 汉语长句 英语长句流水句，竹节句 树形句，葡萄句 3英汉句子结构的差异英语与汉语句子结构的差异表现在：1) 英语重形合，汉语重意合 (Hypotactic vs. Paratactic)；2) 英语句子呈扩展式，汉语句子取紧缩式；3) 英语长句为复合句，汉语长句为连动句或

2、流水句；4) 定语结构的负荷力不同。例如：4When Chou En-lais door opened they saw a slender man of more than average height with gleaming eyes and a face so striking that it bordered on the beautiful. (Agnes Smedley: The Great Road) 周恩来的房门打开了，他们看到了一位身材修长的人，比普通人略高，目光炯炯，面貌引人注目，称得上清秀。5As a righteous intellectual, Im ashame

3、d of the outrageous policy of intimidation employed by the die-hard conservatives who control the government to try to strangle social reform and to prevent the people from carrying forward their praiseworthy efforts towards building an ideal society. 操纵着我国政府的死硬的保守派分子，实行强暴的威吓政策，企图扼杀社会改革和阻挠人们为建立一个理想社

4、会所做出的值得称赞的努力。作为一个具有正义感的知识分子，我对此感到羞耻。62. 英汉两种语言思维方式的差异英汉两种语言思维方式的差异表现在：英语强调主体由近及远，由里及外；汉语主体不突出，主客体融合，方向上由远及近，由次到主。表现在时间关系上，英语可以先叙述后发生的事情，后叙述先发生的事情，而汉语常常依照时间顺序。表现在因果关系上，英语常常从果到因，强调果对主体的影响，而汉语则从因到果顺理推移，从解释到结论，从条件到结果。在叙和议的关系上，英语一般先表态后叙事，而汉语一般先交代事情，后发表议论，如：7We had been dismayed at home while reading of t

5、he natural calamities that followed one another for three years after we left China in 1959. （句子依照反时间顺序；突出事件对主体造成的影响；先议后叙）试比较：我们在1959年离开了中国，此后，中国连续三年遭到自然灾害。我们在国内读到这方面的消息，心情颇为低沉。（句子依照自然的时间顺序展开，先叙后议）8I put on my clothes by the light of a half-moon / just setting,/ where rays streamed through the narro

6、w window near my cribs. 我趁着正要落下去的半个月亮的亮光穿上衣服；月光从小床边窄窄的窗子射了进来。一轮半月正徐徐落下， 微弱的月光透过床边狭窄的窗子洒了进来， 我借着月光穿上了衣服。句子的分解,语序的重新安排, 体现了英汉句式结构和思维方式的差异. 英语：突出主体，把背景放在后面,形式上避免头重脚轻。汉语: 先铺垫背景, 意义重心结尾. 形式上被分解了, 不会出现头重脚轻. 9北京的冬季，地上还是积雪，灰黑色的秃树枝丫叉在晴朗的天空中，而远处有一二风筝浮动，在我是一种惊异和悲哀。Often I feel deeply depressed to see the Pekin

7、g winter scene when the thick snow banks up on the ground and the bare ashen tree branches thrust up against a blue sky, while in the distance one or two kites are floating casually.（刘宓庆汉英对比研究与翻译）意合转换为形合背景到主体的顺序调整为主体到背景 103. 英汉两种语言句子结构和思维方式的差异性在长句拆译中的表现11Officials acknowledged that the 2000 census i

8、n Turkey, which reported a national population of 64,059,000, was distorted by fake counts at scores of municipalities, whose state budgets are tied to population size. 据2000年度人口普查，土耳其人口数为64，059，000，官方并不讳言这一结论掺有水分，因为人口数与地方政府的财政预算是紧紧挂钩的，为此数十个地方政府有虚报现象。（从背景事实发表观点解释原因）12The existence of giant clouds wa

9、s virtually required for the Big Bang, first put forward in the 1920s, to maintain its reign as the dominant explanation of the cosmos.A:宇宙大爆炸理论是二十世纪二十年代首次提出来的，在解释宇宙起源的诸多理论中，这一理论占着主导地位。而巨星云的存在说对于该理论又几乎是不可缺少的。（本句翻译时首先将顺译法不好处理的first put forward in the1920s提在句首翻译，但在翻译to maintain its reign as the domina

10、nt explanation of the cosmos时，如不补充若干过渡信息，句子便无法自然连贯，所以必须加上“在解释宇宙起源的诸多理论中”这一隐含信息做过渡。）13The existence of giant clouds was virtually required for the Big Bang, first put forward in the 1920s, to maintain its reign as the dominant explanation of the cosmos.相比译文A拆解得太散，也可以采取比较直译的方法：B: 宇宙大爆炸理论于1920年代首次提出，巨星

11、云的存在对于维持其在解释宇宙起源诸多理论中的主导地位是必不可少的。14From the time our cavemen ancestors gnawed their wild-pig bones in front of their smoking fire to our own days when we sit around a table spread with snowy linen and shining silver, we have the history of change in eating habits from the simple satisfaction of hung

12、er to the meal as a delightful, if rather complex, social institution.从前，我们穴居的祖先在烟雾弥漫的篝火边啃咬野猪骨头。在今天，我们围坐在铺着雪白桌布，摆着铮亮银具的餐桌旁进餐。吃饭从仅仅为了充饥裹腹到如今成为了一种愉悦但复杂的社会习俗。这就是人类饮食习惯变革的历史。从前，我们穴居的祖先在烟雾弥漫的篝火边啃咬野猪骨头，其目的只是为了充饥果腹。在今天，我们围坐在铺着雪白桌布，摆着铮亮银具的餐桌旁进餐，吃饭就成了一种相当复杂，但又令人愉快的社会习俗。这就是人类饮食习惯变革的历史。（reformulation）15Hypotac

13、tic vs. ParatacticThere is nothing more disappointing to a hostess who has gone a lot of trouble or expense than to have her guest so interested in talking politics or business with her husband that he fails to notice the flavor of the coffee, the lightness of the cake, or the attractiveness of the

14、house, which may be her chief interest and pride.There is nothing more disappointing to a hostess who has gone a lot of trouble or expense than to have her guest so interested in talking politics or business with her husband that he fails to notice the flavor of the coffee, the lightness of the cake

15、, or the attractiveness of the house, which may be her chief interest and pride.：最令女主人失望的是，她花了许多心思或费用来招待客人，可是这位客人只顾津津有味地与她的丈夫谈政治、谈生意，全然没有注意到香喷喷的咖啡，松软的糕点，或房间内讲究的陈设，而这些可能才是她最感兴趣和引为自豪的。（顺着拆解）：女主人用了很多心神，也花了很多费用，准备好了香喷喷的咖啡和松软的糕点，并将屋内陈设装扮得极有特色。虽然她对此饶有兴趣并引以自豪，但她的客人对此却视若无睹，只顾与丈夫谈政治、谈生意。还有什么比这让她更失望的呢！（重新组织，重

16、写）17In the words of Justice Holmes, “judicial inquiry investigates, declares, and enforces liabilities as they stand on present or past fact and under laws supposed already to exist.” 译：用霍姆斯法官的话说就是：“司法审讯调查，宣判和强制执行责任都应基于过去或现在的事实，并遵守已有法律。”（学生作业）译： 用霍姆斯法官的话说就是：“司法审讯是以被认为业已存在的法律为准绳、以过去或现在的事实为根据，对各种责任进行调

17、查、宣判并强制履行。”（参考译文）（译文把两层意思整合起来，整体意思大体相当，但是结构改变了，意义与原文还是有微微出入。译文结构与原文结构对应，更加忠实）18 Over the past two decades, venture capital has fostered the growth of many of the worlds leading high technology and other emerging growth companies in the United States.（修饰语的处理）Corporations such as Microsoft, Compaq and

18、 Intel are but a few examples of American companies whose early growth was facilitated by venture capital investments.（定语从句的处理）The availability of venture capital financing to young high technology companies has been a primary contributor tothe dramatic revenue growth enjoyed by, and the increased c

19、ompetitiveness of Americas high technology industry and to the economic expansion and increased employment levels experienced in Californias Silicon Valley and other areas of high technology company concentration. （长句的处理）19 Over the past two decades, venture capital has fostered the growth of many o

20、f the worlds leading high technology and other emerging growth companies in the United States.（修饰语的处理）Corporations such as Microsoft, Compaq and Intel are but a few examples of American companies whose early growth was facilitated by venture capital investments.（定语从句的处理）过去的二十年中，在美国风险投资促进了许多世界高技术公司和其

21、他一些新兴公司的发展。许多美国公司的早期发展得益于风险资金投资，微软，康帕，因特尔就是其中几个成功例子。（郭）20The availability of venture capital financing to young high technology companies has been a primary contributor tothe dramatic revenue growth enjoyed by, and the increased competitiveness of Americas high technology industry and to the economi

22、c expansion and increased employment levels experienced in Californias Silicon Valley and other areas of high technology company concentration. （长句的处理）21The availability of venture capital financing to young, high technology companies has been a primary contributor tothe dramatic revenue growth enjoyed by, and the increased competitiveness of Americas high technology industry an