定语从句译法

定语从句译法

定语从句是历次试题翻译部分必涉及到的。而且，还经常出现多重定语从句，一层修饰一层。

例如：

Now since the assessment of intelligence is a comparative matter we must be sure that the scale which we are comparing our subjects

provides a "valid" of "fair" comparison.

【结构分析】句中with which we are comparing our subjects 是定语从句，修饰限定the

scale。可译为："在对我们的对象进行比较时，我们所使用的…"

【参考译文】既然对智力的评估是比较而言的事，那么我们必须确保，在对我们的对象进行比较时，我们所使用的尺度能提供"有效的"或"公平的"比较。

It applies equally to traditional historians who view history as

only the external and internal criticism of sources, and to social

science historians who equate their activity with specific

techniques.

【结构分析】从机构上看，这是一个主句带两个由who引导的定语从句。尽管结构复杂、信息量大，但还是条理清晰的，因为句子结构环环相扣：前面who从句限定social

science historians。这个句子可以改写成：It applies equally to traditional

historians and to social science historians. Traditional historians

(or the former) view history as only the external and internal

criticism of sources. Social science historians (or the latter)

equate their activity with specific techniques.

这样表达的意思完全一样，但表达方式却很平淡、罗索。而从汉语的表达习惯来说，句子的修饰成分过多或过长往往会造成喧宾夺主、语言含混。如本句可照字面直译。

【参考直译】它同样适用将历史仅仅看作是对历史材料来源的内部的和外部的批评的传统历史学家，和把历史研究活动等同于具体研究方法的社会科学历史学家。

这样的译文较忠实于原文，但读者看起来却很费劲。我们可以按汉语的习惯表达调整为：

【参考译文】它同样适用于传统历史学家和社会科学历史学，传统历史学家（或前者）将历史仅仅看作是对历史材料来源的内部的和外部的批评；社会科学家历史学（或后者）把历史研究活动等同于具体的研究方法。

Probably there is not one here who has not in the course of the day

had occasion to

set in motion a complex train of reasoning, of the very same kind,

though differing in

degree, as that which a scientific man goes through in tracing the

causes of natural

phenomena.

【结构分析】本句结构较复杂。句中who has… had occasion to set in motion a complex

train of reasoning 限定前面的one；而 in the course of the day （一整天）是插入语，set

in motion a complex train of reasoning 有是倒装的，顺过来应该是set a complex

train of reasoning in motion; 后面of the very same kind

是后置定语，修饰reasoning;而the…same 又与后面的as that 从句中的as连接，其中，that是替代词，指代前面的a

complex train of reasoning （思考活动）；which

引导的定语从句修饰限定前面的替代词that；句中的though differing in degree是插入语，其中degree

是指"（思想活动）复杂程度"。

【参考译文】大概这里不会有人一整天都没有机会进行一连串复杂的思考活动，这些思考活动与科学家在探索自然现象原因时所经历的思考活动，尽管复杂程度不同，但在类型上是完全一样的。

"In short", a leader of the new school contends, "the scientific

revolution, as we call

it, was largely the improvement and invention and use of a series of instruments that

expanded the reach of science in innumerable directions."

【结构分析】that引导的定语从句限定前面的三个名词：improvement, invention 和use。特别要注意，of a

series of instruments 是后置定语，不仅仅限定use,还要管到improvement和invention。As we

call it 是插入语。