英文合同長(zhǎng)句的翻譯是對(duì)譯者翻譯綜合技能的考驗(yàn)。由于篇幅巨大，沒有人能對(duì)句子的結(jié)構(gòu)一目了然，必須借助句子的語法結(jié)構(gòu)分析來查明各句子成分之間的相互關(guān)系。因此合同長(zhǎng)句的翻譯首先是對(duì)譯者語法基本功的極大挑戰(zhàn)。其次，長(zhǎng)句之所以冗長(zhǎng)的重要原因就在于修飾成分（定語、狀語、補(bǔ)語）眾多，如何安排修飾成分與被修飾成分之間的語序成為另一大挑戰(zhàn)。
【例1】
ABC's board of directors, or，if appropriate, any committee administering ABC's 1995 Stock Option Plan (the“Stock Option Plan”) shall，prior to the Effective Time, terminate，or adopt such resolutions or take such actions as may be required to adjust， the terms of all then outstanding employee stock options to purchase ABC Shares granted under the Stock Option Plan (each，an “Employee Option”) and the terms of the Stock Option Plan to provide that at the Effective Time，each Employee Option outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time will be deemed to constitute an option to acquire， on the same terms and conditions as under such Employee Option，the number of shares of XYZ Common Stock as the holder of such Employee Option would have been entitled to receive pursuant to the Merger Agreement had such holder exercised such Employee Option in full immediately prior to the Effective Time，at the price provided for in the Merger Agreement and any such shares issuable under such Employee Options shall dilute only the shares to be issued to holders of ABC Shares in the Merger.
翻譯步驟：
第一步：通讀全句，找出句子的主干成分。
全句的主語并不復(fù)雜，即: ABC's board of directors, or，if appropriate, any committee administering ABC's 1995 Stock Option Plan (the“Stock Option Plan” ) ABC 公司董事會(huì)或者（適當(dāng)情況下，也可以是）管理《ABC公司1995股票期權(quán)計(jì)劃》的任何委員會(huì)。
謂語部分是：“shall…terminate，or adopt”譯為“應(yīng)當(dāng)終止或通過”。句中位于“shall”和 “terminate”之間的部分是修飾謂語部分的時(shí)間狀語，即 : “prior to the Effective Time"譯為：在生效日期之前。按漢語的語言習(xí)慣，時(shí)間狀語通常放在謂語之前，因此謂語和時(shí)間狀語部分的譯文經(jīng)過合并后為：“應(yīng)當(dāng)在生效日期之前終止或通過”。
在查找賓語的過程中，我們發(fā)現(xiàn)除了 terminate，or adopt (such resolution)外還有另一個(gè)并列的謂語成份，即or take ( such actions)，于是巳經(jīng)譯完的主謂部分應(yīng)當(dāng)予以修正，譯文變?yōu)椋骸皯?yīng)當(dāng)在生效日期之前終止或通過……或者采取……”。本句中共有三個(gè)謂語動(dòng)詞terminate，adopt和take，其中前兩個(gè)共一個(gè)賓語，即such resolution, 對(duì)應(yīng)于最后一個(gè)動(dòng)詞“take”的賓語是such actions。
至此，句子的主干成份全部找出，經(jīng)合并，其譯文為：
ABC公司董事會(huì)或者（適當(dāng)情況下，也可以是）管理《ABC公司1995股票期權(quán)計(jì)劃》的任何委員會(huì)應(yīng)當(dāng)在生效日期之前終止或通過此種決議或者采取此等行動(dòng)。
第二步：找出各主干成分的修飾成分。
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