所謂簡(jiǎn)單句的合譯,系指把英語(yǔ)的兩個(gè)或兩個(gè)以上相鄰的、且有句號(hào)隔開的簡(jiǎn)單句合并譯成漢語(yǔ)的一個(gè)單句或包含兩個(gè)或兩個(gè)以上分句的一個(gè)句子,這一般適應(yīng)于以下幾種情況。
一、句間有補(bǔ)述關(guān)系
有時(shí),英語(yǔ)前后兩個(gè)句子的語(yǔ)義關(guān)聯(lián)非常緊密,不可分割。最常見的是后句對(duì)前句的內(nèi)容進(jìn)行解釋、說明和總結(jié)性的補(bǔ)述。此時(shí)為了完整,系統(tǒng)地表達(dá)出原意,可把原文的幾個(gè)獨(dú)立句合譯為漢語(yǔ)一句中的幾個(gè)分句。例如:
1) The ants have a good many enemies. They include birds, bears, and "ant-eaters" of various kinds.
螞蟻有許多天敵,其中包括鳥、熊和各種“食蟻獸”。
2) Halley made a surprising discovery. The comets that had appeared in 1531, 1607,and 1682 had the same orbit.
哈雷意外地發(fā)現(xiàn),1531,1607和1682年出現(xiàn)的幾顆彗星 的運(yùn)行軌道是相同的。
3) So far, about 15,000 people in the United States have been diagnosed as having AIDS. Over half of these people have already died.
到目前為止,美國(guó)已有約15,000人被確診患有艾滋病, 其中一半以上已經(jīng)死亡。
4) Cast- iron contains small proportions of other substances. These nonmetallic constituents of cast-iron include carbon, silicon and sulphur.
鑄鐵含有少量非金屬成分,其中有碳、硅和硫。
5) Ionium and thorium have different atomic weights. Neither atomic weight is a whole number.
鍰和釷的原子量不同,而且都不是整數(shù)。
兩個(gè)英語(yǔ)簡(jiǎn)單句合譯成漢語(yǔ)一個(gè)句子后,有時(shí)要減譯原文中的某些詞語(yǔ),但減詞不能減意。
二、句間有并列關(guān)系
有時(shí),英語(yǔ)中相鄰的兩個(gè)簡(jiǎn)單句在意義上存在并列關(guān)系,兩者的地位是同等的。此時(shí)可把這兩個(gè)簡(jiǎn)單句合譯成漢語(yǔ)一個(gè)并列句中的兩個(gè)分句。例如:
6) Some kinds of arthritis are caused by injury. Some forms of arthritis are caused by infections. And the causes of some forms of arthritis --- such as rheumatoid arthritis ---remain a mystery.
有些關(guān)節(jié)炎是傷痛造成的,有些則是由感染引起的,還有些(如風(fēng)濕性關(guān)節(jié)炎)病因尚未查清。