英語習(xí)慣于用長的句子表達比較復(fù)雜的概念, 而漢語則不同,常常使用若干短句, 作層次分明的敘述。因此, 在進行英譯漢時, 要特別注意英語和漢語之間的差異, 將英語的長句分解, 翻譯成漢語的短句。
1.There have been attempts to explain these taboos in terms of inappropriate social relationships either between those who are involved and those who are not simultaneously involved in the satisfaction of a bodily need,or between those already satiated and those who appear to be shamelessly gorging.(5)
人們試圖對這些禁忌作出解釋,所依據(jù)的要么是那些正置身于某一身體需要滿足的人與那些并置身于某一身體需要之滿足的人之間的,要么是那些早已酒足飯飽的人與那些正在不知羞恥地狼吞虎咽失之間的不相稱的社會關(guān)系。難句類型:復(fù)雜修飾、省略
解釋:前面的主架構(gòu)There have been attempts to explain these taboos很簡單,從in terms of inappropriate social relationships開始句子變難,ralationship后面跟著一個一直延續(xù)到句末的長長的修飾成分,其中有兩個固定搭配,either…or…和between…and…,不但如此,原文把這兩個搭配又套在一起,變成了either between…and…,or between…and…;再加上每一個between…and之后都是those who這樣的結(jié)構(gòu),就愈發(fā)令人眼花繚亂了。
意群訓(xùn)練:There have been attempts to explain these taboos in terms of inappropriate social relationships either between those who are involved and those who are not simultaneously involved in the satisfaction of a bodily need,or between those already satiated and those who appear to be shamelessly gorging.
2.Many critics of Family Bronte’s novel Wuthering Heights see its second part as a counterpoint that comments on,if it does not reverse,the first part,where a "romantic" reading receives more confirmation. (5)
研究艾米麗。勃朗特(Emily Bronte)小說《呼嘯山莊》(Wuthering Heights)的許多文學(xué)評論家,將小說的第二部分視作一種對比物,即使沒有將第一部分予以逆轉(zhuǎn)的話,也是在對第一部分作出一種詮釋評判,而在小說第一部分中,一種“浪漫的”的讀解能獲得更為充分的確證。
難句類型:復(fù)雜修飾、插入語
解釋:上面的翻譯中為了符合中文習(xí)慣不得不把修飾the first part的where引導(dǎo)的定語從句翻譯到中括號以外。本句主要難在兩個地方,一個是插入語if it does not reverse如何理解,另一個是counterpoint的意思是什么。產(chǎn)生,插入語的位置比較討厭,把comments on the first part這樣一個連貫的說法割成兩段,增加了閱讀的難度。而且它的意思容易理解錯;if既可以理解成如果的意思,也可以理解成即使的意思。如果理解成即使的意思,則上下文的意思則要理解成即使不反對第一部分,也要給予第一部分一個負面的評論。然而此處不能這樣理解,因為that之前的counterpoint的意思不是相反、對立,而是指和諧的組成部分的意思。這個詞來源于一個音樂術(shù)語,指音樂中的對位法、旋律配合,引伸為形容兩個不同的東西彼此和諧一致,同義詞是harmony。因此文中的if it does not reverse的意思是假如不反對第一部分,則是與第一部分和諧一致的評論的意思。這種情況下,插入語純屬廢話。
意群訓(xùn)練:Many critics of Family Bronte’s novel Wuthering Heights see its second part as a counterpoint that comments on,if it does not reverse,the first part,where a "romantic" reading receives more confirmation.
3.Granted that the presence of these elements need not argue an authorial awareness of novelistic construction comparable to that of Henry James, their presence does(15) encourage attempts to unify the novel’s heterogeneous parts. (4+)
誠然,這些因素的存在并不能證明作者對小說架構(gòu)的意識可與亨利。詹姆斯(Henry James)的那種意識相比擬;然則,任何力圖將小說所有形形色色的因素統(tǒng)一起來的做法,在某種程度上注定是無法令人信服的。 Granted that:大家都統(tǒng)一、當然,表讓步,=admitted , of course.
難句類型:復(fù)雜修飾、抽象詞
解釋:本句的結(jié)構(gòu)固然復(fù)雜,但造成最大的閱讀難度的,主要還是對一些抽象詞的理解。正面是對一些關(guān)鍵詞匯的解釋:
Granted that出現(xiàn)在句首,其意思是大家都同意、當然,實際上是一種讓步語氣,等于admitted,of course。
Need not argue中的argue在此不是表示常用的那個辯論、爭論的意思,而是表示意味著或證實的意思,其同義詞是maintain或prove。
Camparable的詞義有兩個,除了讀者熟悉的that can be compared之外,還有一個意思是worthy of comparison,其同義詞是as good as。本文中用的是后面的那個意思,對于這個詞義的理解,后面的第18題考到了。
意群訓(xùn)練:Granted that the presence of these elements need not argue an authorial awareness of novelistic construction comparable to that of Henry James, their presence does(15) encourage attempts to unify the novel’s heterogeneous parts.
4.This is not because such an interpretation necessarily stiffens into a thesis(although rigidity in any interpretation of this or of any novel is always a danger),but because Wuthering Heights has recalcitrant elements of undeniable power that,ultimately,resist inclusion in an all-encompassing interpretation. (5) 這倒不是因為這樣的一種解釋必定會僵化成為一個命題(盡管對這部或任何一部小說的解釋中,僵化死板總是一種危險),而是因為《呼嘯山莊》擁有一些極難駕御的因素,以其無可辯駁的力度,最終拒絕被囿于一個囊括無遺的解釋中。
難句類型:復(fù)雜修飾、插入語、抽象詞
解釋:本句的兩個插入語雖然有一些干擾性,但是最為主要的難點在于成批出現(xiàn)的抽象詞,如interpretation/necessarily/stiffen/thesis/rigidity/recalcitrant/element/undeniable/power/ultimately/resist/inclusion/all-encompassing等。據(jù)筆者估測,對于初學(xué)GRE或GMAT的學(xué)習(xí)者而言,在一句話中出現(xiàn)了三個心上的抽象詞就會使閱讀理解造成障礙,而這句話中出現(xiàn)了十三個這樣的單詞,讀不懂也不足為怪。
意群訓(xùn)練::This is not because such an interpretation necessarily stiffens into a thesis(although rigidity in any interpretation of this or of any novel is always a danger),but because Wuthering Heights has recalcitrant elements of undeniable power that,ultimately,resist inclusion in an all-encompassing interpretation.