译文分析常用句子

4.6　长句的译法

【译技自测】

请尝试翻译下面两个长句，看看不用拆译法能否把它们翻译出来以及译文的可读性如何。

1.This is not an easy lesson to learn，especially when we are young and think that the world is ours to command，that whatever we desire with the full force of our passionate being can，nay，will，be ours．

2.Whatever the attitudes and opinions of individual governments of the group of member states for which I speak today，there is a firm consensus amongst all of them that the General Assembly took a historic decision on the night of 25 October，1971 when，it restored to the People's Republic of China its rights in the United Nations，and that the world organization we all cherish is now entering a new era．

所谓英语长句，一般是指20个词左右的句子，这是英译汉中的一大难点。有些英语句子除了主—谓—宾，主—系—表以及“there be”的结构主干外，还携带有各种修饰成分(如从句、短语或独立主格等)，其定语或状语可以一环套一环，修饰中另有修饰或限定，形成了峰回路转、错综复杂的长句结构，最长的句子有时可达100多词乃至200多词。所以翻译长句时首先必须找出其语法主干，然后理清各种修饰成分之间的逻辑关系，真正搞懂长句的结构和要表达的信息。译文的表达一般采用四种方法:

4.6.1　拆离法

所谓拆离法，是指把英语长句的各种复杂成分在必要的时候从长句的主干上拆离出来，译成外形上独立但却与原搭配伙伴保持着“藕断丝连”关系的语言单位。不但从句、短语、独立主格可以这样处理，有时一个形容词、名词或副词等单个词汇也可从原文的结构主干上分离出来，译成单独的句子或短语。从翻译实践来看，在绝大多数情况下，长句都得拆散开来译成分述的小句，否则译文无法表达比较复杂的修饰关系，至少会造成译文的严重失畅。在许多情况下，硬要保形，必然害义。

【译例分析】

【例1】That is why we think that even the independent African countries are already qualified to have international relations．

［译文］我们认为即使是非洲的独立国家也已经有资格同国际发生关系，道理就在于此。

［分析］这个句子看似简单，但也需要拆译。表语过长，而且又是一个由特殊疑问词“why”引起的名词性从句。如译成:“这就是我们认为即使是非洲的独立国家也已经有资格同国际发生关系的原因(或道理)。”那么在“这就是……的道理”中插进了27个字的句子就显得很臃肿，所以必须设法把这27个字的句子拉出来，使“这就是……的道理”这一汉语句子框架靠拢。

【例2】The more we can enjoy what we have，the happier we are.It's easy to overlook the pleasure we get from loving and being loved，the company of friends，the freedom of living where we please，even good health．

［译文］我们越能知足常乐，就越感到幸福。施人以爱，被人所爱，友人相伴，居之其所，乐之自由，身体健康，这一切所带来的快乐都易为人们所忽略。

［分析］“the pleasure”之后是省略“that”的定语从句，把定语从句分译成了几个短句。

(摘自王振国，李艳琳《新英汉翻译教程》)

【例3】“I didn't mean any particular harm，but so long as rebukes are going，I might say it wasn't quite your affair to jump to the conclusion that we couldn't change any note that you might happen to be carrying around.On the contrary，we can.”

［译文］“我并不见得有多少恶意，可是你要开口教训人的话，那我倒要告诉你，像你这样凭空武断，认为我们换不开你身边可能带着的什么大钞票，那未免是瞎操心。恰恰相反，我们换得开!”

［分析］这句话的主要难点在于“to jump to the conclusion that...”这个不定式短语所包含的同位语从句和定语从句。这个不定式的逻辑位置是在“it”上，在句中作主语。但它的包容量很大，所以必须拆开来译。

【例4】The president said at a press conference dominated by questions on yesterday's election results that he could not explain why the Republicans had suffered such a widespread defeat，which in the end would deprive the Republican Party of long held superiority in the House．

［译文］在一次记者招待会上，问题集中于头一天的选举结果，总统就此发了言。他说他不能够解释为什么共和党遭到了这样大的失败。这种情况最终会使共和党失去在众议院中长期享有的优势。

［分析］这个句子的主干是“The president said...that he could not explain...”，关键是有一个过去分词短语、两个宾语从句和一个非限定性定语从句，在翻译时不容易都挂在句子的主干上，因此必须拆译。这里至少应把过去分词短语和定语从句从主干上拆离出来，译成单独的句子。如果译成“总统在一次问题集中于昨天的选举结果的记者招待会上说，他不能够解释为什么共和党遭到了最终将会使该党失去在众议院中长期享有的优势这样的失败”，也可以勉强传达出原文的意思，但译文的可读性显然较差。

【例5】Well，the brothers，chatting along，happened to get to wondering what might be the fate of a perfectly honest and intelligent stranger who should be turned adrift in London without a friend，and with no money but that million pound bank note，and no way to account for his being in possession of it．

［译文］就这样，两兄弟在闲聊时忽然想到，如果有一个非常诚实和聪明的外方人漂泊到伦敦，举目无亲，手头除了那张一百万镑的钞票以外，分文没有，而且又无法证明他自己是这张钞票的主人，那么他的命运会是怎样呢?

［分析］这个句子虽然不很长，但是也不好译。这一句非要拆译不可。要译成一个句子几乎是不可能的。特别是定语从句中所包含的几个介词短语，连成一个句子十分困难。

【例6】Well，you can imagine how it was with a young fellow who had never been taken notice of before，and now all of a sudden couldn't say a thing that wasn't taken up and repeated everywhere;couldn't stir abroad without constantly overhearing the remark flying from lip to lip，“There he goes;that's him!”couldn't take his breakfast without a crowd to look on;couldn't appear in an opera box without concentrating there the fire of a thousand lorgnettes.Why，I just swam in glory all day long—that is the amount of it．

［译文］喔，你可以想象得到那是个什么滋味:一个年轻小伙子，从来没有被人注意过，现在忽然之间，随便说句什么话，马上就会有人把它记住，到处传播出去;随便到哪儿走动一下，总不免经常听见人家一个个辗转相告:“那儿走着的就是他，就是他!”吃早餐的时候，也总是有一大堆人围着看;一到歌剧院的包厢，就要使得无数观众的望远镜的火力都集中到我身上。哎，我简直就是一天到晚在荣耀中过日子——十足是那个味道。

［分析］这个句子中由“who”引导的定语从句多达67个词，十分冗长，必须拆译。

【译例欣赏】

【例1】It is he who received the letter that announced the death of her uncle．

［译文］是他接到那封信，说她的叔叔去世了。

【例2】His failure to observe the safety regulations resulted in an accident to the machinery．

［译文］因为他没有遵守安全规则，机器出了故障。

【例3】When the reply came a few months later，they were enrolled as full member，but their membership were kept a secret from outside．

［译文］过了几个月，回信来了，他们都被吸收为正式党员，但他们的党籍对外界保密。

【例4】The following three points discuss some of the major reasons that good financial record keeping is crucial to the success of your business．

［译文］以下三点讨论的是几个主要原因，说明为什么记好财务账目对企业的成功至关重要。

4.6.2　改变顺序法

英语一般是先总提或先说个人感受，后叙述事由或背景;在时间顺序上先说最近发生的事，而后再说过去发生的事。汉语的叙述顺序则相反。此外，英语的有些句型与汉语的顺序也不一样。所以英译汉时，遇到这类情况都应改变顺序。有的可以借助于汉语的外位成分表达来处理顺序的倒置。在汉语中，用于句外或句中的一个或几个词语指同一事物的成分，叫做外位成分。例如:“用不同的方法去解决不同的矛盾，这是马克思列宁主义者必须严格遵守的一个原则。”在这句话中，“用不同的方法去解决不同的矛盾”就是外位成分，“这”是复指代词。运用外位成分来翻译英语的某些长句可以突出某些成分，引起读者注意，而且也可以简化句子结构，消除臃肿现象，做到条理清晰。在翻译时运用汉语外位成分来改变顺序，大致有以下几种情形:

1.有些以“it”作先行主语的句型，可把后面的真正主语部分译为外位成分，放在句首。

【译例欣赏】

【例1】It is extraordinary that in all the years the British spent in Egypt they never got to know the real people of Egypt．

［译文］英国人在埃及消磨的岁月这么长久，而对真正的埃及人民却一无所知，这是颇不寻常的。

【例2】It is good to theorize，that is to say，to analyse the problems confronting us as a nation and elaborate an ideal solution for each of them．

［译文］把我们作为一个民族所面临的问题提到理论上来加以分析并为每个问题制定一个理想的方案，这是对的。

2.“that”从句作主语时，一般都译为外位成分，置于句首。

【译例欣赏】

【例1】That she is still alive is a consolation．

［译文］她还活着，这是使人感到宽慰的。

【例2】That we need more equipment is quite obvious．

［译文］我们需要更多设备，这是显而易见的。

【例3】That she was chosen made a tremendous stir in her village．

［译文］她被挑选上了，这在村子里引起很大的轰动。

【例4】That those who had learned from us now excelled us was a real challenge．

［译文］向我们学的人反倒超过了我们，这确实对我们是一个促进。

3.某些倒装或头轻脚重的长句，需要把后面的冗长结构译作外位成分，置于句首。

【译例欣赏】

【例1】Such is 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．

［译文］许多人常常宁愿牺牲比较高的工资以换取成为白领工人的社会地位，这在西方倒是人之常情。

【例2】No longer are “separate but equal”schools regarded as being permitted under the“equal protection of the laws”provision of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution．

［译文］根据宪法修正案第十四条关于“法律上受公平保护”的条款，所谓“分隔而平等”的学校，已不再视为合法。

【例3】The election system is such that such a large majority ordinarily cannot be attained on a major law unless at least a large part of the three major groups—business，agriculture，and labor—support it．

［译文］除非某项重大议案获得商业、农业和劳工三大社会集团中至少是大部分人的支持，否则这项议案通常也不可能获得(国会的)大多数支持，这就是所谓选举制。

【例4】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．

［译文］50年代后期的美国出现了一个任何人都不可能视而不见的现象，穷知识分子以“垮掉的一代”这种颇为浪漫的姿态出现而成为美国的典型的穷人，正是在这个时候大批大学毕业生被赶进了知识分子贫民窟。

4.有些句子中的“by”结构或者“by doing(或in doing)”结构需要译为外位成分，置于句首。

【译例欣赏】

【例1】I am struck by the passionate dedication and devotion to country by all classes of people，from the leadership down to all the citizens．

［译文］这里各阶层人民，从领导到老百姓，都热情地忠于祖国，这使我印象很深。

【例2】...and she never missed a funeral.She excused this preference by saying that，if she did not go to other people's funerals，they would not come to hers．

［译文］……每逢葬礼，她都一次不落地前往参加。她说，要是她不去参加别人的葬礼，人家将来也不会参加她的葬礼。她就是这样为自己的这种爱好进行辩解的。

【例3】At the opening banquet，Nixon seemed to have paraphrased his host's position by saying:“There are of course some who believe that the mere act of saying a statement of principles or a diplomatic conference will bring lasted peace.This is naive.”

［译文］尼克松在欢迎宴会上说:“当然，有些人认为只要发表一项原则声明或举行一次外交会议就能带来持久和平。这是天真的想法。”尼克松这番话似乎是在阐述东道国的立场。

4.6.3　插入法

插入法就是利用破折号或括号把难以处理的句子成分插入到译句中。破折号用于表示语流的中断、转折或跃进，也可以用于对文中的某一部分进行注释说明。括号一般用于解释语意、补充说明、交代某一事实或引语的出处。但是插入法只是一种不得已而为之的变通手段，在段落翻译中不宜多用。能不用尽量不用。

【译例分析】

【例1】Hold fast to life...but not so fast that you cannot let go.This is the second side of life's coin，the opposite pole of its paradox:we must accept our losses，and learn how to let go．

［译文］紧紧抓住生活——可不要紧得使你不能松手。这就是生活的另一面——矛盾的另一方:我们必须接受损失，学会松手。

［分析］“...but no so fast...”被译为插入成分，作补充说明。“The opposite pole...”是同位语，也被译为插入语。

【例2】The second aspect is the application by all members of society from the government official to the ordinary citizen，of the special methods of thought and action that scientists use in their work．

［译文］第二个方面是全体社会成员(从政府官员到普通公民)都使用科学家们在他们工作中所采用的那种特殊的思考方法和行为方法。

［分析］把“from...to...”介词短语用插入法放在“members of society”之后，作进一步说明。如不用插入法，可译为:第二个方面是从政府官员到普通公民的全体社会成员都使用科学家们在他们工作中所采用的那种特殊的思考方法和行为方法。

【例3】The method was largely developed by physicists，chemists and biologists;it was later adopted by people working in such areas as education，psychology and sociology，where the subjects of research were often people．

［译文］这种(科学)方法在很大程度上先是由物理学家、化学家和生物学家使用，后来为在教育学、心理学和社会学等领域内(其研究对象是人)工作的研究人员所采纳而发展起来的。

［分析］非限制性定语从句“where the subjects...”被译成了插入成分，放在被修饰的名词后面，进行解释和说明。

【例4】In 1582 Richard Mulcaster，one of the earliest English grammarians who paid attention to this problem，wrote“the English tongue is of small reach，stretching no further than this island of ours(England)，nay，not there over all”．

［译文］1582年，理查德·马尔卡斯特——最早注意到这个问题的英语语法家之一写道:“英语的流行范围很小，充其量只在我们这个英格兰岛——甚至没有遍及全岛。”

［分析］第一个插入破折号引进同位语“one of...”，对文中人物进行注释说明;第二个破折号位于句尾，表示转折或递进。但这句的翻译也可以不用插入法，译为:最早注意到这一问题的英语语法家之一理查德·马尔卡斯特1582年写道:“英语的流行范围很小，充其量只在英格兰，而且并没有遍及全岛。”

4.6.4　重组法

有些英语长句顺译、逆译或拆译都有困难，这时就应该考虑打乱原文顺序，分成若干小的语言单位，按照汉语的时间或逻辑顺序重新组合句子。简言之，就是把英语长句译为若干小分句。这样就摆脱了原文语序和句子形式的约束，使汉语译文流畅自然、富有文采。但要注意防止漏译和忽略原文的语气轻重、分寸。

【译例分析】

【例1】On the marble fireplace in the mathematics building at Princeton University is carved，in the original German，what one might call his(Einstein's)scientific credo:“God is subtle，but he is not malicious.”

［分析］这句英文的翻译难点主要在于它的倒装语序以及“what one might call”这个插入语。经过重组可译为:

［译文］在普林斯顿大学数学大楼里，大理石壁炉上用德文刻着:“上帝是难以捉摸的，但他绝无恶意。”这句话也可称作是他(爱因斯坦)的科学信条。

【例2】At school the student needs to increase his knowledge in an organized way，to acquire sufficient vocabulary in science for effective communication，and to learn some facts because they are important in everyday living，such as knowledge that is useful for his health，for his safety and for an understanding of his surroundings．

［分析］这是个主从复合句，主句中“the student needs...”后并列了3个不定式“to increase his knowledge...to acquire sufficient vocabulary...and to learn some facts”，原因状语从句中的“they”指前面所谈的“facts”，定语从句的先行词“knowledge”也暗指“facts”。搞清它们之间的关系后就可以跳出原来的句式，翻译出更符合汉语习惯的译文。

［译文］在学校里，学生需要系统地扩大知识，掌握足够的科学词汇，以便有效地进行交际;还要懂得一些诸如对增进健康、保障安全以及了解周围环境等有用的常识，因为这些常识在日常生活中是十分重要的。

【例3】Law and order is the longest running and probably the best loved political issue in U.S.history.Yet it is painfully apparent that millions of Americans who would never think of themselves as lawbreakers，let alone criminals，are taking increasing liberties with the legal codes that are designed to protect and nourish their society．

［分析］这句英文中“painfully apparent”、“who would...”等成分需要重组。

［译文］法律和秩序是美国历史上持续时间最长，也可能是政治上的最热门的话题。然而，如今数以百万计的美国人尽管从来不认为自己会违反法律，更不用说会成为罪犯了，却正在越来越随便地践踏那些专为保护他们和为造福于他们的社会而制定的法规。显而易见，这不能不使人痛心疾首。

【例4】A student of mathematics must become familiar with all the signs and symbols commonly used in mathematics and bear them in mind and be well versed in the definitions，and formulas as well as the technical terms in the field of mathematics，in order that he may be able to build up the foundation of the mathematical subject and master it well for pursuing advanced study．

［分析］这是个主从复合句。其中主句的主语“A student of mathematics”带三个平行结构的谓语“must become familiar with...bear them in mind and be well versed in...”，然后由“in order that”引导一个目的状语从句，这个目的状语从句同时也带有两个平行结构的谓语“may be able to build up the foundation...and master it well for pursuing advanced study”。汉语表达习惯上总是目的在前，行动在后。所以，翻译时可按逆译法从后往前翻译，把目的先译置前，便是规范的汉语译文。

［译文］为了能打好数学基础，掌握好数学，以利于深造，学数学的学生必须熟悉和牢记数学中所有常用的符号和代码，精通数学方面的定义、公式和术语。

【例5】When in the course of human events，it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another，and to assume among the powers of the earth，the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them，a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which compel them to the separation．

［分析］这句英文较长，翻译难点在于“When...”从句以及主句的主语“a decent respect to...”。“When...”从句包括两个并列主语，并列主语中又包含定语从句，“a decent respect to...”也不能按照原结构来译。这样必须打乱原来的组句形式，进行译文重组。

［译文］在人类事务的发展进程中，有时一个民族必须解除它和另一个民族之间的政治联系，必须争取自然法则和上帝所赋予它的权利，以使自己在世界各国中享有独立与平等的地位。此时，出于对人类舆论的真正尊重，这个民族必须把他们不得不寻求独立的原因公诸于世。

【译文改进】

1.Born in 1879 in Ulm，Germany，Albert Einstein was two years old when his parents moved to Munich，where his father opened a business in electric supplies．

［原译］阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦1879年生于德国的乌尔姆城，当他父母移居慕尼黑并在那里开了一家生产电气器材的工厂时，他才两岁。

2.I should wish to die while still at work，knowing that others will carry on what I can no longer do，and content in the thought that what was possible has been done．

［原译］我就希望在工作时死去，知道自己不再能做的事有人会继续下去，并且怀着满意的心情想到，自己能做的事都已做到了。

3.And he knew how ashamed he would have been if she had known his mother and the kind of place in which he was born，and the kind of people among whom he was born．

［原译］他知道她要是知道了他的母亲是什么样的人，他出生的地方的种类，他出生在什么样的人中间，他会是如何地丢人。

4.One of my best speeches was delivered in Hyde Park in torrents of rain to six policemen sent to watch me，plus only the secretary of the society that had asked me to speak，who held an umbrella over me．

［原译］我最精彩的一次讲话是在海德公园的暴雨中讲的。我的话是讲给六名派来监视我的警察听的，另外还有邀请我讲话的那个团体的唯一秘书，他给我打着伞。

5.When Smith was drunk，he used to beat his wife and daughter;and the next morning，with a headache，he would rail at the world for its neglect of his genius，and abuse，with a good deal of cleverness，and sometimes with perfect reason，the fools，his brother painters．

［原译］史密斯喝醉酒时常常打老婆和女儿，第二天早晨还头疼，抱怨世界忽视他的才华，非常聪明地有时又是颇有理由地骂那些傻瓜——他的画家同行。

【译技提高】

(一)翻译下列句子。

1.Establishing a distinct identity outside class seems to be the Princetonian solution to a classic problem for students at elite colleges:What do you do when you go from being the smartest kid in your school to a place where you're nothing special?

［提示］先译“What...?”再回过头来译“Establishing a distinct...”。否则很难译通顺。

2.If you have wide and keen interests and activities in which you can still be effective，you will have no reason to think about the merely statistical fact of the number of years you have already lived，still less of the probable brevity of your future．

［提示］“in which...”从句可译为并列的谓语，“still less...”可以译为并列谓语或句子。

3.It was an experience I had with a student，whom I shall call Alan，early in my teaching career that illustrated the truth of that legend to me.When Alan was in the eighth grade，he majored in“trouble”with a minor in“suspensions”.He had studied how to be a bully and was getting his master's in“thievery”．

［提示］“whom...”和“that...”两个定语从句都应分开来译，可译为独立的句子。

(二)翻译以下篇章。

The Chinese，from the highest to the lowest，have an imperturbable quiet dignity，which is usually not destroyed even by a European education.They are not selfassertive，either individually or nationally;their pride is too profound for selfassertion.They admit China's military weakness in comparison with foreign Powers，but they do not consider efficiency in homicide the most important quality in a man or a nation.I think that，at bottom，they almost all believe that China is the greatest nation in the world，and has the finest civilization.A Westerner cannot be expected to accept this view，because it is based on traditions utterly different from his own.But gradually one comes to feel that it is，at any rate，not an absurd view;that it is，in fact，the logical outcome of a self- consistent standard of values.The typical Westerner wishes to be the cause of as many changes as possible in his environment，the typical Chinese wishes to enjoy as much and as delicately as possible.This difference is at the bottom of most of the contrast between China and the English- speaking world．

The business of “saving face”，which often strikes foreigners in China as ludicrous，is only the carrying out of respect for personal dignity in the sphere of social manners.Everybody has“face”，even the humblest beggar，there are humiliations that you must not inflict upon him，if you are not to outrage the Chinese ethical code.If you speak to a Chinese in a way that transgresses the code，he will laugh，because your words must be taken as spoken in jest if they are not to constitute an offense．