词类转换翻译法
在英译汉的过程中,有些句子可以逐词对译,有些句子则由于英汉两种语言的表达式不同,就不能逐词对译。原文中有些词在译文中需要转换词类,才能使汉语译文通顺自然。
一、名词的转译
1.英语名词转译成动词
由动词派生的名词,具有动词意思的名词,以结尾表示身份或职业的名词等,这些名词都可以转译成动词。
【例1】 The remembrance of these will add zest to his life.
×对于这些事情的回想将会增添他生活的乐趣。
1【译文】 回想起这些事情,会给他的生活增添乐趣。
【例2】 He looked on the Convention as a fair and faithful representation of the people.
×他认为这次大会是人民的公正忠实的代表。
2【译文】 他认为这次大会公正忠实地代表了人民。
【例3】 Other governmental activities are the responsibilities of the individual states, which have their own constitutions and laws.
×其他政府活动则是各个州的责任,各州都有自己的宪法和法律。
3【译文】 其他政府职能则由各个州来承担,各州都有自己的宪法和法律。
【例4】 The sight and sound of our jet planes filled me with special longing.
4【译文】 看到我们的喷气式飞机,听到隆隆的机声,我感到特别神往。
【例5】 To my knowledge, some computers have gone missing.
5【译文】 据我所知,有几台计算机失踪了。
【例6】 He was a good listener and they would like to talk with him.
×他是个好听众,所以他们喜欢同他谈话。
6【译文】 他善于听取别人意见,所以他们喜欢同他谈心。
1)由动词派生的名词转译成动词,在政论文体中出现比较多。
·The government called for the establishment of more technical schools.
政府号召建立更多的技术学校。
·Until 1972, all efforts by the two nations to curb the nuclear arms race had founded on one point: U.S. insistence on the right to make on-site inspections of the Soviet strategic arsenal and Russias refusal.
到一九七二年为止,美苏之间关于限制核军备竞赛的一切努力都在这一点上失败了:美国坚持有权视察苏方战略武器现场,而苏联则拒绝这样做。
·Rockets have found application for the exploration of the universe.
火箭已经被用来探索宇宙。
2) 含有动作意味的名词(在记叙、描写文体中出现较多)往往可以转译成动词。
·Vietnamese War is a drain on American resources.
越南战争不断消耗着美国的资源。
·A glance through his office window offers a panoramic view of the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.
从他的办公室窗口可以一眼看到华盛顿纪念碑和林肯纪念馆的全景。
·Britain has no such natural protection from a flood of Hollywood.
英国没有这种天然的保护物来阻挡好莱坞影片的长驱直入。
3)英语中有些加后缀-er的名词,如teacher教师,thinker思想家等等,有时在句中并不指其身份和职业,而是含有较强的动作意味。在汉语中没有恰当的对应名词时,往往可以译成动词。
intact是什么意思·He is a good eater and a good sleeper.他吃得饱睡得香。
·I am afraid I can’t teach you swimming. I think my little brother is a better teacher than I.
我担心自己不能教你游泳。我想我的小弟弟比我教得好。
·Some of my classmates are good singers.我同班同学中有些人歌唱得很好。
·Talking with his son, the old man was the forgiver of the young man’s past wrong doing.
在和儿子谈话时,老人宽恕了年轻人过去所干的坏事。
4) 作为习语主体的名词往往可以译成动词。
·Every morning she would go to the lake area for a walk.
每天早晨,她都要到湖区去散步。
·They took a final look at it, still intact in the darkness.
他们最后看了它一眼——它依旧安然无恙地耸立在黑暗中。
·The next news bulletin, shorter than usual, made no mention of the demonstration.
下一个新闻节目比通常短,没有提到游行。
·A great cloud rose from the ground and followed the trail of the great sun. At first it was a giant column, which soon took the shape of a supramundane mushroom. For a feeling inst
ant it took the form of the Statue of Liberty magnified many times.
一朵庞大的烟云随着一轮巨日从地面升起。它起初是个巨大的圆柱,很快形成了凌云驾空的大蘑菇,一瞬间又变成了一座扩大了许多倍的自由女神像。
课堂练习
1. New York City was a bitter disillusionment to some immigrants.
纽约使一些移民的幻想痛苦地破灭。
2. The growing concentration of wealth in the hands of a few people raised social and political issues.
财富逐渐集中在少数人手中,引发了许多社会问题和政治问题。
3. The American airline industry has enjoyed significant expansion in the last twenty years.
过去的二十年中,美国的航空工业迅速发展。
4. I think my little brother is a better teacher than I.
我想我的小弟弟比我教得好。
N-V
He is a good singer.他唱歌唱得好。
In China, there is a lot of emphasis on politeness.在中国,人们非常注重讲礼貌。
A careful study of the original text will give you a better translation.
仔细研究原文,你会翻译得更好。
I admire your decision to fight for the difficulties in preparing the examination.
你决定战胜复习考试中的困难,这一点我很羡慕。
Exercise
我们特别强调搞好售后服务(n)
We lay special stress on the importance of offering good follow-up service.
真题
In terms of nations, it will be a world of much greater economic equality.2001.9
就(每个)国家而言,世界各国经济将越发不相上下。
If the learning of a new language begins before lower adolescence, one is likely to be able to speak such a language with complete naturalness, but if learned after upper adolescence some hangover of a mother-tongue feature is very likely to persist. 2000.9
如果一个人在少年时期就学一门新的语言,那么(将来)很可能说得很流利。但如果成年还没有学语言,母语的一些习惯特征就会根深蒂固。
2.名词转译成形容词
由形容词派生的名词,以及有些加不定冠词时,译成形容词。
·Given that they’re inexperienced, they’ve done a good job.
鉴于他们没有经验,干成这样真不错。
·This experiment was a success. 这个实验很成功。
【例7】 Diligence and intelligence are of considerable importance to your success.
7【译文】 勤奋和才智对于获得成功是颇为重要的。
【例8】 I have so much work to do that a holiday for me this year is out of the question.
8【译文】 我有很多工作要做,今年休假是不可能的了。
【例9】 It's such a nuisance that I've got to work on Saturday.
9【译文】 我星期六还得上班,真讨厌。
【例10】 As he was a perfect stranger in the city, I hope you will give him the necessary help.