科技英语翻译基本方法和技巧

科技英语翻译基本方法和技巧

1.词义的引申

2.词类转换

2.1转换成汉语动词

2.2转换成汉语名词

2.3转换成汉语形容词

2.4转换成汉语副词

3.增词

3.1增加表示名词复数概念的词语

3.2增加表示时态的词语

3.3增加表示句子主语的词语

3.4增加原文中省略的词语

3.5增加具体化、明确化的词语

3.6增加起语气连贯作用的词语

1.词义的引申

英译汉时,有时会遇到某些词在词典中找不到适当的词义,如果生搬硬套词典中的释义,译文则不能确切地表达原文的意思,甚至造成误译。这时就应结合上下文和逻辑关系,根据汉语的表达习惯,引申词义。所谓词义引申,就是指对某些英语词

汇的含义加以扩展和变通,使其更准确地表达原文词汇所表达的特定意思。词义的引申主要包括三个方面的内容。

1.1专业化引申

英语科技文章所使用的词汇有些借自日常生活用语,但在科技语境中已赋有了不同于日常语境的专业化语义。因此,翻译时应基于其基本意义,根据所涉及专业引申出其专业化语义。例如:

(1)His mother died of difficult labor.他母亲死于难产。(不译作“困难的劳动”)

(2)The major problem in manufacturing is the control of contamination and foreign material.制造时的一个主要问题是控制污染和杂质。(不译作“外界物质”)

(3)The running of such automated establishments remains only a matter of reading various meters mounted on panels.管理这种自动化工厂只不过要求查看一下控制台上的各种仪表而已。(不译作“阅读”)

(4)More weight must be placed on the past history of patients.必须更加重视患者的病史。(不译作“过去的历史。”)

(5)The bacterial pneumonia may complicate influenza at both extremes of age.幼儿和老年流行性感冒患者可并发细菌性肺炎。(不译作“年龄的两个极端”)

(6)The doctor may insert thin needles into the skin of a patient at key points along meridians.医生可以把一些细针沿病人身上的经络插进穴位中。(不译作“关键点”) (7)Everything is ready,so I call the morning

paper up on the screen.一切准备就绪,于是我把早报调入屏幕。(不译作“喊,叫”)

(8)This kind of wood works easily.这种木料易于加工。(不译作“工作”)

(9)The patient had been given three transfusions after he Was admitted into the hospital.病人

人院后已输过三次血了。(不译作“给”)

(10)This medicine acts well on the heart.这种药治疗心脏病疗效很好。(不译作“对……起作用”)

1.2具体化或形象化引申

英语科技文章中有些字面语义颇为笼统或抽象的词语,若按字面译出,要么不

符合汉语表达习惯,要么就难以准确地传达原文所表达的意思,在这种情况下,就应

该根据特定的语境,用比较具体或形象化的汉语词语对英文词语所表达的词义加以

引申。例如:

(1)Other things being equal,copper heats up faster than iron.其他条

件相同时,铜比铁热得快。(不译作“事情”)

(2)There are many things that should be considered in determining cutting speed.在测定切削速度时,应当考虑许多因素。(不译作“事情”)

(3)The thermometer rises or falls according as the air is hot or cold.温度计的液柱随空气的冷热而下降或上升。(不译作“温度计”)

(4)Australian researchers have developed an implantable hearing prosthesis that inserts 22 electrodes into the inner ear and is

connected to a pocket speech processor.澳大利亚研究人员已经研制了一种可

植入的假耳。该假耳将22个电极插入内耳并与一台袖珍语言信息处理机相连。(不译作“听觉假体”)

(5)For the average consumer,voice-activated devices are a convenience;for the elderly and handicapped,they may become

indispensable for a wide variety of chores in the home.对一般使用者来说,声触发装置能提供方便,而对老年人和残废者来说,它可能成为从事各种家庭杂务时必要的帮手。(不译作“不可缺少的”)

(6)A large segment of mankind turns to untrammeled nature as a last refuge from encroaching technology.许多人都想寻找一块自由自在的地方,作为他们躲避现代技术侵害的世外桃源。(不译作“最后的避难所”)

(7)Her soft features effectively hid her strong mechanical foundation.她柔媚的容貌巧妙地掩饰了她那强有力的机械躯体。(不译作“基础”)

(8)While the results may seem discouraging to smokers who’d like

to quit without gaining weight.对于那些想戒烟但又不想发胖的吸烟者来说,实验结果似乎给他们泼了盆冷水。(不译作“令人泄气”)

(9)In general,the design procedure is not straightforward and will require trial and error.一般说来,设计过程不是一帆风顺的,而需要反复试验。(不译作“简单的”)

(10)Steel and cast iron also differ in carbon.钢和铸铁的含碳量也不

相同。(不译作“碳”)

1.3概括化或抽象化引申