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常用句式翻译--Part II 补充阅读--第一页
(Notes on Translation of Attributives between English and Chinese) |
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| The following attributive clauses are named semi — adverbial by R ． W ． Zandvoort in his work entitled A Handbook of English Grammar. The term signifies that such clauses are attributive ones in form ． but adverbial ones in function and sense ． Some calls such clauses as “ formally attributive clauses functioning as adverbial ones in sense ” ． They may be translated into Chinese as adverbial clauses expressing cause ， purpose ， condition ， etc. e.g ． 1 ．Premier Zhou who was busy all day long never knew what fatigue was ． (who=though or although he) 周总理虽然整天很忙，却从不知疲倦。 (concession) 2 ．My uncle ， who will be seventy tomorrow ， is still a keen sports man ． (who=though or although he) ． 我伯父虽然明天就满七十岁了，但仍爱好运动。 (concession) 3 ．Envoys were sent who should strengthen our international position ． (who should=so that they should) 。 派了使节，以便加强我们的国际地位。 (purpose) 4 ．Anybody who should do that would be laughed at ． (who=if he) 无论是谁，只要做那种事情，都一定会受到嘲笑。 (condition) 5 ．For further particulars you had better apply to my brother, who has paid particular attention to the subject. (who=because he) 关于细节，你最好询问我弟弟．因为他对这个问题特别留意。 (cause) All such attributive clauses can be placed after the words they modify in the Chinese version and connected to them by “虽然”，“以便”，“只要” or “因为” etc ． Meanwhile ， the subjects of the subordinate clauses may be omitted in translation as in examples l ， 2 ， 3 ， 4 ， if they refer to the same persons as those of the main ones ； otherwise, they should be retained in the Chinese version as in example 5 ． Sometimes ， the subordinating conjunction expressing cause may be omitted in the Chinese version, and the relation between cause and result can still be felt by the reader ． e ． g ． 6 ．Our teacher ， who is getting old ， will soon retire ． (who=as he) 我们的老师，年纪大了，不久就要退休。 (cause) 7 ．The people's war in Russia ， which inflicted heavy losses on Napoleon's army ， incensed the conqueror ， who had never met that kind of opposition anywhere in Europe. (which=because it ； who=as he) 俄国的人民战争，使拿破仑的军队受到重大的损失，激怒了这位征服者， ( 因为 ) 他在欧洲任何地方都从来没有遭到过那样的反抗。 (cause) Some Chinese sentences have long, complicated attributives( 定语 )placed in front of the noun they modify ． In English ， these modifiers might be put in a different place — before the word being modified or after, for example ． And they may be either a simple attributive or a complicated attributive clause ． These can pose differences for Chinese translators ． How do you put them in the correct logical and grammatical order in English? 0ne way is to put the 1ong Chinese modifier in an attributive clause ． But remember ： in English ， we put an attributive clause after the word it modifies ． This is the exact reverse of the Chinese order ． following are two examples ： 1 ．即使那些没有被告知严重病情的病人，对其疾病的潜在后果也是非常清楚的。 Even those patients who were not told of the serious illness were quite aware of the possible outcome ． Here ，“即使那些没有被告知严重病情的” modifies “病人” and is put before it ． But in English ， who were not told of their serious illness, the attributive clause is put after “ patient” ． |
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