名词从句的译法

名词从句的译法
英语名词从句包括主语从句、宾语从句、表语从句和同位语从句等。

翻译这类从句时，大多数可按原文的句序译成对应的汉语，但也可由一些其它处理方法。

现分述如下。

一、主语从句
1．以what, whatever, whoever 等代词引导的主语从句翻译时一般可按原文顺序翻译。

1）What he told me was only half-truth.
他告诉我的只是这些半真半假的东西而已。

2）Whatever he saw and heard on his trip gave him a very deep impression.
他此行所见所闻都给他留下了深刻的印象。

3）Whoever has made a voyage up the Hudson must remember the Kaatskill Mountains.
凡是在哈得逊河上游航行过的人是一定记得卡兹吉尔群山的。

2．以it 作形式主语所引出的真主语从句，翻译时视情况可以提前，也可以不提前。

（1）形式主语从句提前译，为了强调起见，it一般可以译出来，如果不需要强调，it也可以不译出来。

1) It doesn’t make much difference whether he attends the meeting or not.
他参加不参加会议没有多大关系。

2) It is a fact that the U. S. S. R. has sent its fleet to all parts of the world.
苏联已把它的舰队派往世界各地，这是事实。

3) It seemed inconceivable that the pilot could have survived the crash.
驾驶员在飞机坠毁之后，竟然还能活着，这看来是不可想象的。

（2）形式主语从句不提前，it一般不需要译出来。

1) It is strange that she should have failed to see her own shortcomings.
真奇怪，她竟然没有看出自己的缺点。

2) It was obvious that I had become the pawn in some sort of toplevel power play.
很清楚，某些高级人物在玩弄权术，而我却成了他们的工具。

3) It is rumoured (reported) that the meeting will be held in June.
据传（报），这个会将在六月间举行。

二、宾语从句
1．用that, what, how引导的宾语从句汉译时一般不需要改变它在原句的顺序。

1) I told him that because of the last condition, I’d have to turn it down.
我告诉他，由于那最后一个条件，我只得谢绝。

2) Can you hear what I say?
你听得到我所讲的吗？
3) I also told him how appealing I found the offer.
我也告诉他，这提供的机会对我有多大的吸引力。

4) He would never let the history books say of him that he had been content to sit
on the sidelines, to be a gentle, leisurely President, letting events take their course.
他决不肯让将来的历史书说他甘当一个袖手旁观、悠闲文雅而听任事情自行发展的总统。

有时可加“说”字，再接下去译原文表语从句的内容。

1) Smith replied that he was sorry.
斯密斯回答说，他感到遗憾。

2) He would remind people again that it was decided not noly by himself but by lots of others.
他再三提醒大家说，决定这件事的不只是他一个人，还有其他许多人。

2．用it作形式宾语的句子，汉译时that引起的宾语从句一般可按原文顺序；it不译。

1) I made it clear to them that they must hand in their papers before 10 o’clock in the morning.
我向他们讲清楚了的，他们必须在上午十时前交卷。

2) I take it for granted that you will come and talk the matter over with him.
我想你会来跟他谈这件事情的。

但有时在译文中也可将that引起的宾语从句提前。

1) I regard it as an honour that I am chosen to attend the meeting.
我被选参加会议，感到光荣。

2) Anyhow, old chap, I owe it to you that I am here.
不管怎么说，老朋友，我现在还能在这儿，全靠你。

三、表语从句
英语表语从句跟宾语从句一样，一般可按原文顺序翻译。

1) That is how the student movement broadened out into a nationwide movement for a war of resistance against foreign invaders.
就这样，学生运动发展成一个全国性的要求对外国侵略者进行抗战的运动。

2) The fact, however, remains that, though seemingly a big military power, she is far from invulnerable in her air defence.
然而，现实情况仍旧是，虽然她貌似一个军事强国，她的防空却远非无懈可击的。

3) What he emphasized over and over again was that, no matter how difficult it might be , they should never retreat even for an inch.
他所再三强调的是，不管多么困难，他们决不应该后退寸步。

4) The conclusion, drawn in one of the concluding paragraphs, is that American foreign policy goals can be attained only by “maintaining a position of strength.”
文件结尾有一段作出的一个结论是，美国只能通过“保持实力地位”才能达到对外政策的目的。

5) His view of the press was that the reporters were either for him or against him.
他对新闻界的看法是，记者们不是支持他就是反对他。

6) This is what he is eager to do.
这就是他所渴望做的。

7) That was how a small nation won the victory over a big power.
就这样，小国战胜了大国。

8) This is where the shoe pinche s.
这就是问题的症结所在了。

四、同位语从句
同位语从句是用来对名词（或代词）作进一步的解释。

同位语可以是单词、短语或从句，这里先介绍英语同位语从句的译法。

1．同位语从句汉译时不提前
1) He expressed the hope that he would come over to visit China again.
他表示希望再到中国来访问。

2) There were also indications that intelligence, not politics was Helm s’ primary concern.
而且也有种种迹象表明，赫尔姆斯主要关心的是情报，而不是政治。

3) An obedient son, I had accepted my father’s decision that I was to be a doctor, though the prospect interested me not at all.
作为一个孝顺的儿子，我接受了父亲的决定，要当医生，虽然我对这样的前途毫无兴趣。

2．同位语从句汉译时提前
1) Yet, from the beginning, the fact that I was alive was ignored.
然而，从一开始，我仍然活着这个事实却偏偏被忽视了。

2) But I know I couldn’t turst him. There was always the possibility that he was a political swindler.
但我知道不能相信他。

他是政治骗子这种可能性总是存在的。

3) It does not alter the fact that he is the man responsible for the delay.
应由他承担延误的责任，这个事实是改变不了的。

4) They were very suspicious of the assumption that he would rather kill himself than surrender.
对于他宁愿自杀也不投降这种假设，他们是很怀疑的。

3．增加“即”（或“以为”）或用冒号、破折号分开
1) “Influenced by these ethics, Powers lived under the delusion that money does not stink…”
受了这种道德观念的熏陶，鲍尔斯生活在一种错觉中，以为金钱总是香喷喷的……”
2) But it ignores the fact that, though pilots, we potentially were in as much danger of capture as any covert agent.
但却忽略了这一点，即我们虽说是驾驶员，却和任何潜伏的特务一样有被俘的危险。

3) But considered realistically, we had to face the fact that our prospects were less than good.
但是现实地考虑一下，我们不得不正视这样的事实：我们的前景并不妙。

4) And there was the possiblity that a small electrical spark might accidentally bypass the most carefully planned circuit.
而且总有这种可能性——一个小小的电火花，可能会意外地绕过了最为精心设计的线路。

第三部分用单词、短语作同位语的译法。

1．说明身份、称号的英语同位语往往放在专有名词后面，汉译时一般放在前面。

1) They silently surrounded Lazarev, a young soldier, in order to take him prisoner.
他们悄悄地包围了一个年轻战士拉扎列夫，企图俘虏他。

2) According to Snyder, my cousin, Oswald mentioned this matter.
根据我表兄斯奈德的叙述，奥斯瓦德提到过这件事。

3) “If something works out, Joe Alsop will write that it was Bundy the brilliant Harvard Dean who did it …”
“如果有什么事做成了，约瑟夫。

艾尔索普就会写道，这应归功于那个有才华的哈佛大学院长邦迪……”
2．限制性同位语以及用形容词、数词等作进一步说明的同位语在英语中往往放在本位语后面，汉译时一般毋需改变位置。

1) That theory was advanced by the famous Chinese geologist Li Siguang.
那条理论是中国地质学家李四光提出来的。

2) I have been to all the cinemas in this city, big or small.
这个城市里的电影院我都到过，大的也罢，小得也罢。

3) We two like to go there.
我们两个想去。

3．原文中有些同位语，汉译时往往需要作适当扩充或加破折号、冒号等。

1) Her son, my employer’s nephew, was himself an assistant in the shop.
她的儿子，也是我老板的侄子，也在店里当伙计。

2) The search narrowed down to one plane, the B-25 Mitchell medium bomber.
搜索范围缩小到一种飞机：B-25米契尔式中型轰炸机。

3) But in three hours we reached our destination, Vladimir Prison.
但三小时后我们就到了目的地——弗拉基米尔监狱。

4) Instead of the actual April date, they said it had occurred on May 1,1965, the fifith anniversary of my flight.
他们报导的（举行典礼的）日期，不是实际上的四月份的某日，而是一九六五年五月一日——我飞行的五周年纪念日。

5) They were particularly struck by Peking’s allusion to five principles of “peaceful coexistence”, the specific language of the 1955 Bandung Conference of non-aligned countries, a moment of maximun Chinese contact with the non-Chinese world.
北京提到了“和平共处”五项原则，这就更打动了他们的心。

“五项原则”是一
九五五年不结盟国
一、试译下列各句，原文中主语从句中的位置在译文中不变：
1. What has happened is no surprise to us. We all know well enough what he is .
所发生的事对我们来说并不奇怪。

他为人如何我们是够清楚的。

2. Whatever he says is reliable.
他所说的都是可靠的。

3. The King declared, “Whoever makes my daughter laugh shall marry her.”
国王宣称：“谁要是能把我女儿逗乐了，就可以娶她做妻子。

”
4. Whether we did or did not choose to carry them was up to us.
我们想不想带他们，由我们自己决定。

二、试译下列各句，以it作形式主语所引起的真主语从句在译文中提前：
1. It’s a bit fishy that he should have given away a mattres like that.
他竟然把那样的床垫送人，这可有点叫人怀疑。

2. It was in vain that the old lady asked her if she was aware she was speaking to Miss Pinkerton.
老太太问她明白不明白她是在对平克顿小姐说话，但这是白费心血。

3. It seemed incredible that thirty hours ago he had never set eyes on any of those three flaxen heads.
三十个小时以前，他从来没有瞧一瞧这三个淡黄色脑袋中的任何一个。

这似乎是不能相信的。

三、试译下列各句，以it作形式主语所引起的真主语从句在译文中不提前：
1. It’s a pity that you live at such a distance.
很遗憾，有住得那样远。

2. It is clear that she has some great sorrow.
很明显，她心中有着什么大的伤心事。

3. It was clear that he was going to meet Miss Carr and wanted to be alone.
很清楚，他是去看卡尔小姐了，所以要一个人去。

四、试译下列各句，原文宾语从句的位置在译文中不变：
1. I don’t know what you did that for .
我不懂你为什么要做那件事。

2. A principle of science tells what usually happens under certain conditions.
科学原理告诉我们在一定条件下所会发生的事情。

3. I don’t think I understand.
我觉得不懂。

4. Next day he found they had arranged to go by train to Totnes (陶特纳斯), and picnic at Berry Ponneroy (伯里波默罗古堡).
第二天，他发现大家已经安排好，打算坐火车到陶特纳斯去，在伯里波默罗古堡野餐。

五、试译下列各句，形式宾语it省略不译：
1. I think it true that he ventured out to sea.
我想真的他己冒险出海。

2. I wanted to make it clear whether he was a foreign or not.
我要弄清楚他是不是外国人。

3. I took it for granted that he would sign the document.
我认为他当然会在文件上签字。

六、试译下列各句，可增加“说”，再译原文宾语从句：
1. I replied that they had never brought up the subject in conversation.
我回答说，在谈话中，他们从来没有提到这个问题。

2. She had explained that interviews were the only way to keep the case in public consciousness.
她曾解释道，接见记者是使公众不至忘却这桩案件的唯一办法。

3. He commented wryly that he had heard quite a bit about me.
他皱着眉说，关于我的情况他已经知道不少了。

4. He began, “Well, I guess things don’t look every good at all.”
他一开始便说，“嗯，我想情况看来并不很妙。

”
5. I am sorry I wrote that I might quit school.
很遗憾，我信中曾说我可能要退学。

七、试译下列各句，原文表语从句在译文中的位置不变：
1. The fact is that the old lady believed Rebecca to be the meekest creature in the world.
事实是，老太太以为丽贝卡是天下最驯良的小家伙。

2. That is why the machine parts wear away during the use.
那就是机器零件在使用中磨损的原因。

八、试译下列各句，注意同位语的译法：
1. They jumped to the conclusion that all over our flights out of Pakistan had been made from Peshawar (白沙瓦).
他们匆忙作出结论：我们从巴基斯坦飞出的飞机都是从白沙瓦起飞的。

2. The meeting was to take place at a hotel, the Park Hotel on Nanjing Road.
会议在一个饭店内举行——南京路国际饭店。