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摘要:长难句在英语学习过程中频繁出现,而长难句翻译又一直都是困扰着英语学习者的一大难题,所以剖析长难句并且附加相应的技巧和实战练习是很有必要的。通过梳理长难句的难点,总结长难句的翻译技巧以及分析长难句练习,可以大大训练英语学习者分析长难句的技能,从而降低在听说读写译长难句的难度。
关键词:英语学习;长难句;技巧
一、引言
无论是我们在阅读英语报刊杂志、听新闻广播、还是阅读考试类分文章,我们经常都会遇到大量的长难句,这些长难句往往就是阻挡我们阅读理解的一个很大的绊脚石。但是在阅读过程中,只要能大致理解长难句的意思即可,然而如果是翻译长难句,那就会困难得多,因为我们还需要完全吃透句子的意思,弄懂其大意,分析好结构,然后在按照译出语的表达习惯对句子进行重组变换,然后完完整整地翻译出来。这样一来,长难句的翻译会比只是淡淡理解长难句要困难得多。通过对长难句进行相应的技巧剖析并进行实例讲解,一步步解决长难句的翻译难点。
二、长难句翻译难点
(一)句子长,且结构复杂。
(二)句子中的主要成分夹杂了大量的修饰语,各种前置定语和后置定语穿插出现,容易让译者混淆主要句子主干成分。
(三)句子中生词较多。
(四)复合句中句子成分较多,夹杂了各种名词性从句或者状语从句等。
(五)特殊句式的运用,比如说强调句、倒装句和省略句等
(六)两种语言之间的语言差异和表达习惯不同
三、长难句分析技巧和策略
任何英文句子都可以分为简单句(只有一套主谓的句子)、并列复合句(若干个简单句用并列连词、冒号、分号等连接形成的句子)以及主从复合句(若干个简单句用从属连词、关系代词、关系副词等连接形成的句子)。所以总而言之,一个英文句子就是由若干个简单句和若干个连接词组合而成。
(一)长难句的基本知识
首先必须先知道简单句的五种基本句型。
1.主语+及物动词+宾语
Employers hire skilled people on fixed-term contracts.
2.主语+不及物动词
Tow faces appeared at our window.
3.主语+系动词+表语
Two of the causes for bad things are overconfidence and unanticipated events.
4.主語+双及物动词+间接宾语+直接宾语
He gives a ring to his mother.
5.主语+复合及物动词+宾语+宾语补足语
This dress made her attractive.
掌握完基本句型之后,我们还需要熟悉各种从句的功能和特点。
1.主语从句:在复合句中充当主语
例句:That he could finish the project within the deadline in such hard condition wins our respect.
2.宾语从句:在复合句中充当宾语
例句:My mother hopes that everything goes well.
3.表语从句:在复合句中充当表语
例句:The question is whether he can be admitted to the university.
4.定语从句:在复合句中充当定语
例句:He is the boy who likes dancing.
5.状语从句:在复合句中充当状语
例句:While Mary is singing, John is watching TV.
6.同位语从句:在复合句中充当同位语
例句:We are delighted at the news that our daughter is expecting a baby.
(二)长难句的解析步骤
1.找出句子的主干,分清主句的主语和谓语
2.确定主句和各个修饰成分之间的关系
3.理顺句子之间发生的先后顺序
4.调整语序,确定句子含义,按照译出语的表达习惯翻译
(三)长难句翻译的相关策略
1.顺译法
2.逆译法
3.词性转换法
4.分译法
5.综合译法
四、长难句翻译实例分析
笔者将结合以上所提及的翻译方法和策略对一些翻译实例中遇到的长难句进行分析和翻译。
(一)On one side are the positive changes that AI will bring, enabling people to achieve more, far more quickly, by using technology to enhance their existing skills.
分析:句子的主干是On one side are the positive changes, 其实这句话是个倒装,还原成正常语序是:The positive changes are on one side,enabling people to achieve more, far more quickly, by using technology to enhance their existing skills这里是伴随状语,这句话可以直接采用顺译法不需要对语序进行调整,但是要对句子进行拆分,这样才会符合汉语流水句的表达习惯。 译文:一方面,人工智能会带来积极的变化,通过利用技术强化现有技能,人们可以做到更多,速度也大大加快。
(二)Liberalism, the political theory of the ascendant bourgeoisie, long ago lost the capacity to explain events in the world of the welfare state and the multinational corporation; nothing has taken its place.
分析:句子的主干是Liberalism lost the capacity,the political theory of the ascendant
bourgeoisie是做liberalism的同位語,long ago做副词状语,不是句子的主干成分,这个句子是实则是有两个句子,用分号隔开了,另一个句子的主干成分就是nothing has taken its place,这里的its就是指上文的liberalism.
译文:自由主义曾是上层资产阶级赖以生存的政治理论,可在当今这个福利国家为上
跨国公司遍布的世界里,自由主义早已失去其解释能力了。然而迄今为止,还没有一个新理论可以取而代之。
(三)Monitoring everything that people do online, from shopping to reading to posting on social media, lets internet giants build detailed personal profiles that can be used to target advertisements or recommend items of interest.
分析:句子的主干是Monitoring everything lets internet giants build detailed personal
profiles,monitoring everything 是ing分词作主语,that people do online, from shopping to reading to posting on social media 是定语从句,先行词是everything,这里的定语从句可以采用融合法,不要机械翻译成的。除此之外,这里的from...to...不要机械地翻译成从什么到什么,而是可以说比如……。在翻译这种ing做主语时可以增补主语,让译文更有可读性
翻译:互联网巨头可以通过监控人们在网上所做的每一件事(比如购物、阅读、社交媒体上发帖),来建立详细的个人资料,以便推送定向广告、或推荐感兴趣的商品。
(四)As AI systems start to be applied in areas like predictive policing, prison sentencing, job recruitment or credit scoring, a second area of concern is that of “algorithmic bias”—the worry that when systems are trained using historical data, they will learn and perpetuate the existing biases.
分析:这句话的主干:a second area of concern is that of “algorithmic bias”,这里的that是替换concern,as AI systems start to be applied in areas like predictive policing, prison sentencing, job recruitment or credit scoring是时间状语从句,the worry that when systems are trained using historical data, they will learn and perpetuate the existing biases,解释了前面的担忧是什么,worry后面that引导的从句是同位语从句,解释说明worry的内容,这个同位语从句中还夹杂了时间状语从句when systems are trained using historical data.这个句子的成分比较复杂,所以在分析完所有句子结构之后,要进行分译法,把句子拆开,翻译成汉语的流水句。
翻译:目前人工智能系统开始应用于预测性警务、刑期判决、工作招聘或信用评分等领域,这引起了人们的第二点担忧——“算法偏见”。“算法偏见”指人们担心当系统使用历史数据进行训练时,它们会学习现有偏见,并延续下去。
(五)As well as being safer, self-driving vehicles would make traffic flow more smoothly, because they would not brake erratically, could be routed to avoid congestion and could travel close together to increase road capacity.
分析:句子的主干是 self-driving vehicles would make traffic flow more smoothly,as well as being safer是非谓语成分,as well as 在这里做介词相当于in addition to,还原主语就是self-driving vehicles are safer,所以在翻译的时候要还原主语。句中的because they would not brake erratically, could be routed to avoid congestion and could travel close together to increase road capacity是原因状语从句,because引导了三个句子, they would not brake erratically, (they)could be routed to avoid congestion和(they) could travel close together to increase road capacity。 翻译:自动驾驶汽车不但会更安全,而且会让交通更顺畅,因为它们不会随意猛踩刹车,却会规划路线避免拥堵,还会紧挨着行驶以增加道路容量。
(六)A study by Texas A&M University estimates that 90% penetration of self-driving cars in America would be equivalent to a doubling of road capacity and would cut delays by 60% on motorways and 15% on suburban roads.
分析:句子的主干是A study estimates,by Texas A&M University是補充说明该研究是由谁做的,estimates that 90% penetration of self-driving cars in America would be equivalent to a doubling of road capacity and would cut delays by 60% on motorways and (cut delays by)15% on suburban roads,是estimate的宾语从句,宾语从句中还包含了两个简单句,同时在翻译事还原句中一些省略成分,增强句子可读性。
翻译:德克萨斯农工大学(Texas A&M University)的一项研究估算,如果自动驾驶汽车在美国的普及率达到90%,就相当于道路容量扩大了一倍,并且能够使高速公路和郊区道路上的延误分别减少60%和15%。
(七)Engineers working on AVs insist that they take cyber-security very seriously, and say that the multiple redundant sensor and control systems they build in to make a vehicle mechanically safe will also provide some protection.
分析:句子的主干是Engineers insist that A and say that B, working on AVs 是ing分词作后置定语,因为修饰成分较短,所以在翻译时可以考虑进行前置。 that they take cyber-security very seriously和that the multiple redundant sensor and control systems they build in to make a vehicle mechanically safe will also provide some protection都是宾语从句,后者的主干成分是the multiple redundant sensor and control systems will also provide some protection,其中they build in to make a vehicle mechanically safe是定语从句,先行词是the multiple redundant sensor and control systems。这句话的结构比较复杂,但是不要做过多的语序调整,直接按照顺译法翻译即可,但是需要进行拆分,是句子更符合中文表达习惯。
翻译:从事无人车研发工作的工程师坚持认为,他们非常重视网络安全,并表示,他们内置的多个冗余传感器和控制系统将提供一些保护,使车辆机械部分安全运转。
(八)In America, 49% of postings in the quartile of occupations with the highest pay are for jobs that frequently ask for coding skills.
分析:句子的主干是49% of postings are for jobs,in the quartile of occupations with the highest pay 是修饰postings,that frequently ask for coding skills是定语从句,先行词是jobs.
翻译:在美国,前1/4的高收入职位中,49%的都会经常用到编程技能。
五、结语
总的来说,长难句翻译如果弄清楚句子的主干,分清楚句中各个成分,结合长难句的翻译策略,根据英汉两种语言之间不同的思维逻辑和表达习惯对句子进行调整就能忠实、完整地将原文翻译出来。当然,刚刚开始练习的时候可能会比较难,但是加大练习多多分析一定会攻克长难句这个难关,更加高效地学习英语。
参考文献
[1]史倩.大学英语翻译教学中长难句翻译要点探讨——评《大学英语文化翻译教程》[J].上海纺织科技,2018,46(10):78.
[2]王跃华.谈英语长句翻译技巧[J].黑龙江教育学院学报,2015,34(06):135-136.
[3]丁雪,孟佳.浅析英语长句翻译的翻译原则与技巧[J].西部皮革,2016,38(14):162.
关键词:英语学习;长难句;技巧
一、引言
无论是我们在阅读英语报刊杂志、听新闻广播、还是阅读考试类分文章,我们经常都会遇到大量的长难句,这些长难句往往就是阻挡我们阅读理解的一个很大的绊脚石。但是在阅读过程中,只要能大致理解长难句的意思即可,然而如果是翻译长难句,那就会困难得多,因为我们还需要完全吃透句子的意思,弄懂其大意,分析好结构,然后在按照译出语的表达习惯对句子进行重组变换,然后完完整整地翻译出来。这样一来,长难句的翻译会比只是淡淡理解长难句要困难得多。通过对长难句进行相应的技巧剖析并进行实例讲解,一步步解决长难句的翻译难点。
二、长难句翻译难点
(一)句子长,且结构复杂。
(二)句子中的主要成分夹杂了大量的修饰语,各种前置定语和后置定语穿插出现,容易让译者混淆主要句子主干成分。
(三)句子中生词较多。
(四)复合句中句子成分较多,夹杂了各种名词性从句或者状语从句等。
(五)特殊句式的运用,比如说强调句、倒装句和省略句等
(六)两种语言之间的语言差异和表达习惯不同
三、长难句分析技巧和策略
任何英文句子都可以分为简单句(只有一套主谓的句子)、并列复合句(若干个简单句用并列连词、冒号、分号等连接形成的句子)以及主从复合句(若干个简单句用从属连词、关系代词、关系副词等连接形成的句子)。所以总而言之,一个英文句子就是由若干个简单句和若干个连接词组合而成。
(一)长难句的基本知识
首先必须先知道简单句的五种基本句型。
1.主语+及物动词+宾语
Employers hire skilled people on fixed-term contracts.
2.主语+不及物动词
Tow faces appeared at our window.
3.主语+系动词+表语
Two of the causes for bad things are overconfidence and unanticipated events.
4.主語+双及物动词+间接宾语+直接宾语
He gives a ring to his mother.
5.主语+复合及物动词+宾语+宾语补足语
This dress made her attractive.
掌握完基本句型之后,我们还需要熟悉各种从句的功能和特点。
1.主语从句:在复合句中充当主语
例句:That he could finish the project within the deadline in such hard condition wins our respect.
2.宾语从句:在复合句中充当宾语
例句:My mother hopes that everything goes well.
3.表语从句:在复合句中充当表语
例句:The question is whether he can be admitted to the university.
4.定语从句:在复合句中充当定语
例句:He is the boy who likes dancing.
5.状语从句:在复合句中充当状语
例句:While Mary is singing, John is watching TV.
6.同位语从句:在复合句中充当同位语
例句:We are delighted at the news that our daughter is expecting a baby.
(二)长难句的解析步骤
1.找出句子的主干,分清主句的主语和谓语
2.确定主句和各个修饰成分之间的关系
3.理顺句子之间发生的先后顺序
4.调整语序,确定句子含义,按照译出语的表达习惯翻译
(三)长难句翻译的相关策略
1.顺译法
2.逆译法
3.词性转换法
4.分译法
5.综合译法
四、长难句翻译实例分析
笔者将结合以上所提及的翻译方法和策略对一些翻译实例中遇到的长难句进行分析和翻译。
(一)On one side are the positive changes that AI will bring, enabling people to achieve more, far more quickly, by using technology to enhance their existing skills.
分析:句子的主干是On one side are the positive changes, 其实这句话是个倒装,还原成正常语序是:The positive changes are on one side,enabling people to achieve more, far more quickly, by using technology to enhance their existing skills这里是伴随状语,这句话可以直接采用顺译法不需要对语序进行调整,但是要对句子进行拆分,这样才会符合汉语流水句的表达习惯。 译文:一方面,人工智能会带来积极的变化,通过利用技术强化现有技能,人们可以做到更多,速度也大大加快。
(二)Liberalism, the political theory of the ascendant bourgeoisie, long ago lost the capacity to explain events in the world of the welfare state and the multinational corporation; nothing has taken its place.
分析:句子的主干是Liberalism lost the capacity,the political theory of the ascendant
bourgeoisie是做liberalism的同位語,long ago做副词状语,不是句子的主干成分,这个句子是实则是有两个句子,用分号隔开了,另一个句子的主干成分就是nothing has taken its place,这里的its就是指上文的liberalism.
译文:自由主义曾是上层资产阶级赖以生存的政治理论,可在当今这个福利国家为上
跨国公司遍布的世界里,自由主义早已失去其解释能力了。然而迄今为止,还没有一个新理论可以取而代之。
(三)Monitoring everything that people do online, from shopping to reading to posting on social media, lets internet giants build detailed personal profiles that can be used to target advertisements or recommend items of interest.
分析:句子的主干是Monitoring everything lets internet giants build detailed personal
profiles,monitoring everything 是ing分词作主语,that people do online, from shopping to reading to posting on social media 是定语从句,先行词是everything,这里的定语从句可以采用融合法,不要机械翻译成的。除此之外,这里的from...to...不要机械地翻译成从什么到什么,而是可以说比如……。在翻译这种ing做主语时可以增补主语,让译文更有可读性
翻译:互联网巨头可以通过监控人们在网上所做的每一件事(比如购物、阅读、社交媒体上发帖),来建立详细的个人资料,以便推送定向广告、或推荐感兴趣的商品。
(四)As AI systems start to be applied in areas like predictive policing, prison sentencing, job recruitment or credit scoring, a second area of concern is that of “algorithmic bias”—the worry that when systems are trained using historical data, they will learn and perpetuate the existing biases.
分析:这句话的主干:a second area of concern is that of “algorithmic bias”,这里的that是替换concern,as AI systems start to be applied in areas like predictive policing, prison sentencing, job recruitment or credit scoring是时间状语从句,the worry that when systems are trained using historical data, they will learn and perpetuate the existing biases,解释了前面的担忧是什么,worry后面that引导的从句是同位语从句,解释说明worry的内容,这个同位语从句中还夹杂了时间状语从句when systems are trained using historical data.这个句子的成分比较复杂,所以在分析完所有句子结构之后,要进行分译法,把句子拆开,翻译成汉语的流水句。
翻译:目前人工智能系统开始应用于预测性警务、刑期判决、工作招聘或信用评分等领域,这引起了人们的第二点担忧——“算法偏见”。“算法偏见”指人们担心当系统使用历史数据进行训练时,它们会学习现有偏见,并延续下去。
(五)As well as being safer, self-driving vehicles would make traffic flow more smoothly, because they would not brake erratically, could be routed to avoid congestion and could travel close together to increase road capacity.
分析:句子的主干是 self-driving vehicles would make traffic flow more smoothly,as well as being safer是非谓语成分,as well as 在这里做介词相当于in addition to,还原主语就是self-driving vehicles are safer,所以在翻译的时候要还原主语。句中的because they would not brake erratically, could be routed to avoid congestion and could travel close together to increase road capacity是原因状语从句,because引导了三个句子, they would not brake erratically, (they)could be routed to avoid congestion和(they) could travel close together to increase road capacity。 翻译:自动驾驶汽车不但会更安全,而且会让交通更顺畅,因为它们不会随意猛踩刹车,却会规划路线避免拥堵,还会紧挨着行驶以增加道路容量。
(六)A study by Texas A&M University estimates that 90% penetration of self-driving cars in America would be equivalent to a doubling of road capacity and would cut delays by 60% on motorways and 15% on suburban roads.
分析:句子的主干是A study estimates,by Texas A&M University是補充说明该研究是由谁做的,estimates that 90% penetration of self-driving cars in America would be equivalent to a doubling of road capacity and would cut delays by 60% on motorways and (cut delays by)15% on suburban roads,是estimate的宾语从句,宾语从句中还包含了两个简单句,同时在翻译事还原句中一些省略成分,增强句子可读性。
翻译:德克萨斯农工大学(Texas A&M University)的一项研究估算,如果自动驾驶汽车在美国的普及率达到90%,就相当于道路容量扩大了一倍,并且能够使高速公路和郊区道路上的延误分别减少60%和15%。
(七)Engineers working on AVs insist that they take cyber-security very seriously, and say that the multiple redundant sensor and control systems they build in to make a vehicle mechanically safe will also provide some protection.
分析:句子的主干是Engineers insist that A and say that B, working on AVs 是ing分词作后置定语,因为修饰成分较短,所以在翻译时可以考虑进行前置。 that they take cyber-security very seriously和that the multiple redundant sensor and control systems they build in to make a vehicle mechanically safe will also provide some protection都是宾语从句,后者的主干成分是the multiple redundant sensor and control systems will also provide some protection,其中they build in to make a vehicle mechanically safe是定语从句,先行词是the multiple redundant sensor and control systems。这句话的结构比较复杂,但是不要做过多的语序调整,直接按照顺译法翻译即可,但是需要进行拆分,是句子更符合中文表达习惯。
翻译:从事无人车研发工作的工程师坚持认为,他们非常重视网络安全,并表示,他们内置的多个冗余传感器和控制系统将提供一些保护,使车辆机械部分安全运转。
(八)In America, 49% of postings in the quartile of occupations with the highest pay are for jobs that frequently ask for coding skills.
分析:句子的主干是49% of postings are for jobs,in the quartile of occupations with the highest pay 是修饰postings,that frequently ask for coding skills是定语从句,先行词是jobs.
翻译:在美国,前1/4的高收入职位中,49%的都会经常用到编程技能。
五、结语
总的来说,长难句翻译如果弄清楚句子的主干,分清楚句中各个成分,结合长难句的翻译策略,根据英汉两种语言之间不同的思维逻辑和表达习惯对句子进行调整就能忠实、完整地将原文翻译出来。当然,刚刚开始练习的时候可能会比较难,但是加大练习多多分析一定会攻克长难句这个难关,更加高效地学习英语。
参考文献
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