基础英语很重要

一、基础英语很重要

本小节呼应第二章第二节“译对的七个方面”之“语法”部分的教学内容。

目标学生在英语的被动语态应用方面已经比较熟练；至于应该使用is being done时，学生却写成了is done，那是因为对原文的微妙之处理解不够，或者英语语感不足；应该使用were done时，学生却写成了was done 甚至is done，那是因为英语基础较弱或者不够细心，并非被动句的转换问题。总之，被动句本身问题不多，但是与被动句相关联的基础英语问题却是此起彼伏。前面例句中的D类和C类译文已经一再证明了这一点，下面再看几个例句。

例31　货已装船，相关单据下周寄给你。

D1. The goods was shipped, and the related documents will mail to you next week.

D2. The commodities have been shipped and the relative documents will be sent to you next week.

C1. Cargo on board, the relevant bill of document will be sent to you next week.

C2. The cargo has been loaded, and the related invoice will be sent to you next week.

C3. The cargo has been loaded, and the related documents will be sent to you next week.

三个C类译文除了“单据”译法问题之外，都有一个“动态与静态(mental vs. physical)”的问题，都在cargo一词上不够准确。英文的cargo无论是单数还是复数，更为经常的是指概念，表示“船货”、“负荷”或“荷重”，多指一批整体意义上的货，例如ship the cargo装货、discharge the cargo卸货、a cargo ship货船，等等。从这个意义上讲，译文D2的commodities也有类似问题。这些都是用词问题，都能够通过查词典得到及时解决。

B. Goods were already loaded, and the related documents will be sent to you next week.

译文B的问题是goods之前应当增加定冠词the。

A1. The consignment on board, the relevant documents will be sent to you next week.

A2. The goods already aboard, relevant documents will be sent to you next week.

A3. The goods have been loaded onto the ship, and the documents will be sent to you next week.

A4. The shipment was already on board the vessel, and the shipping documents will be sent to you next week through the post office.

例32　具体奖励的金额将在四月初通知各零售商并返款。

D. Specific awards will be returned to the retailers informed in early April.

C. The retailers will be informed in early April the detailed money for award which will be returned then.

B1. The reward amount will be announced and reimbursed to dealers in early April.

B2. The specific reward amount will be notified to all the retailers in early April to be refunded.

B3. The retailers will be informed in early April of the money to be awarded /the money which will be awarded to them.

译文B3是C的修改版，从对比中可以看出基础英语（inform的用法）和专业术语的重要性。同时也可看出，所谓的“术语”其实并不多么深奥复杂，常用词一样够用。

A1. The reward amounts to be reimbursed to dealers will be announced in early April.

A2. The specific rewards will be notified in early April to all the retailers to be refunded.

A3. The (names of all the) retailers to be refunded will be informed in early April of their specific rewards /reward amounts /reimbursements.

A1是B1的修改版；A2和A3都是B2的修改版。从中可以看出词序的重要性。

例33　据介绍，生产高档皮具的皮子还是得进口，牌子响，价格贵，但不愁没销路。

D1. I was told that the lather made with this technology was the raw material for making elegant lather products.

D2. It is heard that, at current, the raw skin for high standard leather products has to be imported due to its reputation. It is hotly in demand despite of its high price.

C. It is suggested that nowadays the raw material of high-grade leatherware | should be imported. With the good brand image, they will be in great demand despite high price.

B. It is introduced that imported leather is better for producing high-grade leather products, which makes the products reliable, expensive and customer-favored.

译文A是C的修改版。

A. It is said that the raw hides for making high-grade leather products have to be imported. With the good brand names, such goods are in great demand despite their high prices.