大学英语翻译技巧 7

第七单元句子的翻译（3）

真实、虚拟条件句和否定句的翻译

第一部分：英语中真实条件句和虚拟条件句的翻译

一. 真实条件句的翻译

在真实条件句中，说话人或把条件视为事实，或仅仅提出条件，不作任何主观设想，如果条件实现，主句内容便成为事实；如果条件不实现，结果也就不会发生。译成分句即可。

例如：

·If the weather is not good, I shall stay at home.

如果天气不好，我将呆在家里。

·Unless the weather is good, I shall stay at home.

如果天气不好，我将呆在家里。

·I will stay at home providing /provided/ on condition(that) the weather is not good.

假如天气不好，我就呆在家里。

·I will stay at home only if the weather is not good.

如果天气不好，我只好呆在家里。

·I will stay at home if only the weather is not good.

只要天气不好，我就呆在家里。

·Given bad weather, I will stay at home.

假使天气不好，我就呆在家里。

·Suppose we can’t get the necessary equipment, what shall we do?

假设我们弄不到必要的设备，那我们怎么办？

·As long as we don’t lose heart, we’ll find a way to overcome the difficulty.

只要我们不灰心，我们就能找到克服困难的方法。

·Granted that this is true, what conclusion can you draw?

就算这是实际情况，你又能得出什么结论呢？

·Send us a message in case you have any difficulty.

万一有什么困难请给我们一个信。

·We’ll let you use the room on condition that you keep it clean.

我们可以让你们用这个房间，如果你们能保持清洁的话。

·She would have fallen but that I caught her.

要不是我抓住她，她就摔倒了。

·He is a quite conscientious man so far as I know.

据我所知，他是一个很负责的人。

二. 虚拟条件句的翻译

1.用“早”“本来”“原先”“当初”译出虚拟语气。

例如：

·If you had tried, you would have been able to do it.

如果你原先设法做了，你早就会了。

·With his aid you would have succeeded.

当初若有他帮助，你早就成功了。

·She could have come to a patty, but she has been sick.

她本来要出席这个宴会，但她病了。

·Such mistakes could have been avoided.

这样的错误本来是可以避免的。

·I was ill that day. Otherwise I would have taken part in the parade.

我那天生病了，否则我就参加游行了。

2.用“多好”“吧”“怎么办”译出虚拟语气。

例如：

·If only he could speak French.

要是他会说法语多好啊！

·Suppose a lion should come out of the forest.

假如一头狮子从树林中冲出来，怎么办？

·You might do me a great favor.

请帮帮忙吧！

·Wouldn’t it be better for us to do it ourselves?

咱们自己干不是更好吗？

3. 用“竟然”“居然”“怎么”译出虚拟语气。例如：

·It is strange that he should be absent today.

今天他居然缺席，真奇怪。

·That he should think me capable of it!

他居然认为我会干出这种事来。

·That it should have come to this!

事情怎么会闹到了这个地步！

·It is a great pity that he should be so conceited.

真遗憾他竟会这样自高自大。

4. 用表示愿望的句子译出虚拟语气。例如：

·I wish she would marry me.

可惜她不愿意嫁给我。

·Had he time, he would help you decorate your room.

可惜他没有时间帮你装饰房间。

·My naughty son is always driving me crazy, I could have given his a good beating everyday.

我那淘气的儿子总让我着急，我恨不得天天打他一顿。

·I wish 1 were as versatile as you.

我巴不得像你一样什么都会。