大学英语六级翻译技法:(六)正反表达法

(六)正反表达法

叙述同一事物或表达同一思想时,可以正说也可以反说。汉语如此,英语也是如此。因此翻译时应根据英语习惯,采用正面或反面的表达。

I.汉语从反面表达,英语从正面表达

1.动词

1)很多欠发达地区的女孩得不到上学的机会。

Lots of girls in underdeveloped regions were denied the chance to go to school.

2)但这些措施能否对减缓砍伐森林的速度有足够的影响,现在还看不出来。

But it remains to be seen whether these measures will have enough impact on slowing the rate of removing the forests.

3)你大可不必受此麻烦。

You might well have spared yourself the trouble.

4)双方未能就领土问题的解决达成协议。

The two parties failed to reach an agreement over the solution of the territory issue.

2.副词

1)A:他们干得很好。B:没错。

A:The did quite a good job.B:Exactly.

2)不出所料,在短短的三个星期里我们没有发现什么新的真相。

Predictably,we did not uncover any new truths in three short weeks.

3)警署专员为未能很好地监督自己的部门而公开致歉。

The police commissioner publicly apologized for poorly supervising his department.

4)“你知道,有一点我深信不疑,”她一边吃着冰淇淋一边说。

“You know,there's one thing I thoroughly believe in,”she said,as she ate the ice-cream.

3.形容词

1)外表可能是靠不住的。

Appearances can be deceptive.

2)委员会的决定不是不可改变的。

The committee's decision is not final.

3)真没想到会在这儿碰见你。

This is the last place where I expected to meet you.

4)有时候,事情并不像看上去那么简单。

Sometimes things are more than what they appear.

4.介词

1)我现在已经不在乎了,所以为自己点了咖啡,为她要了冰淇淋加咖啡。

I was past caring now,so I ordered coffee for myself and an ice-cream and coffee for her.

2)这个问题我解决不了。

This problem is above me.

3)但它的好处不只这些。

But its beneficial effects go beyond this.

4)很少有人不赞赏他的才干的。

There are very few but admire his talents.

5.连接词

1)我还没明白是怎么回事,比赛就结束了。

Before I realized what had happened,the game was over.

2)他还没赶到公司,会议就已经开始了。

The conference had already commenced before he hurried to the company.

6.名词

1)一时全场鸦雀无声。

Silence resigned all over for a while.

2)他开车时心不在焉,差点闯祸。

His absence of mind during driving nearly caused an accident.

7.短语

1)事实与你想的完全不同。

The truth is quite other than what you think.

2)结果远非我们想象的那样。

The result was far from what we had expected.

3)要不是因为邻国的帮助,很难在这么短的时间内解决难民问题。

But for the assistance from the neighboring countries,it is difficult to solve the problem of refugees within such a short period of time.

4)如果完全不让人做白日梦,他们的情绪平衡会被打乱。

When individuals are completely prevented from daydreaming,their emotional balance can be disturbed.

8.句子

1)欲速则不达。

Haste makes waste.

2)工作还没做。

The work has yet to be done.

3)你太小了,还不能开车。

You are too young to drive.

4)我有九或十年没见着他了。

It has been nine or ten years since I met him.

II.汉语从正面表达,英语从反面表达

1.动词

1)有一天我跟他一起骑着车子四处逛,看怎样卸船。

I rode around with him one day seeing how the ships unloaded.

2)尽管他反复解释,但人们还是心存疑惑。

The doubt was still unsolved after his repeated explanations.

2.副词

1)很多人认为首相实际上是很没面子地辞职了。

Many agreed that the Prime Minister had in effect resigned dishonorably.

2)拉姆斯非尔德先生说,苏联正以空前的规模推行制造导弹的计划。

Mr.Rumsfeld said that the Soviet Union was unprecedentedly engaged in a missile-building program.

3.形容词

1)它可能促使人们对具体的答案过分相信。

It may promote undue confidence in concrete answers.

2)与一般人的看法相反,经常有意识地致力于解决某个问题实际上是一种效果最差的处理问题的方法。

Contrary to popular belief,constant and conscious effort at solving a problem is,in reality,one of the most inefficient ways of coping with it.

3)布拉姆斯发现,只有当他接近一种深沉的白日梦幻境时,他的想法才轻松而来。

Brahms found that ideas came effortless only when he approached a state of deep daydreaming.

4)这个美丽的小村子位于苏格兰的群山中。村里有些人说,他们对安东尼·威廉姆斯这个人一直心存疑惑。

There are those in this beautiful village in the mountains of Scotland who say that they were never quite sure about Anthony Williams.

4.名词

1)他对他父亲所从事的行业表现出强烈的厌恶。

He manifested a strong dislike for his father's business.

2)据说有人在他们中间搞挑拨离间。

It is said that someone has sown discord among them.

5.短语

1)赶紧把这份文件打出来。

Don't lose time in typing this file.

2)我只要最好的。

I want nothing but the best.

3)调查清楚地表明这笔钱是非法所得。

The investigation left no doubt that the money was illegal gains.

6.句子

1)直到1916年他才成为公民。

He did not become a citizen until 1916.

2)我从来只吃一种东西。我觉得现在的人吃得太多了。

I never eat more than one thing.I think people eat far too much nowadays.