翻译课讲义(下)

Unit 8 The Passive Voice

Section One The Passive Voice in E-C Translation

1 Introduction

1) The passive voice is more commonly used in English than in Chinese, especially in the writing of science and technology.

2) When the agent is not necessarily told or known, the passive voice is used. Sometimes it is used for the sake of connection of the context.

In E-C translation, passive voice→active voice (But the version must be made idiomatic and smooth)

2 Translation methods

1) Converting the passive voice into the active

a) keeping the original subject unchanged

✧His pride must be pinched.

他这股傲气应该打下去。

✧Whenever two objects are rubbed together, electrons are transferred from

one object to the other.

当两个物体相摩擦时，电子便从一个物体转移到另一个物体。

✧When rust is formed, a chemical change has taken place.

当锈形成的时候，就发生了化学变化。

b) changing original object into subject

✧The numerical data concerned are provided in the next chapter.

下一章提供了有关的数据资料。

✧The result of the invention of the steam engine was that human power was

replaced by mechanical power.

蒸汽机发明的结果是，机械力代替了人力。

c) changing the passive into “是…的” structure

✧Footprints on the sands are not made by sitting down.

沙滩上的足迹是走出来的。

✧Poets are born, but orators are made.

诗人是天生的，而演说家则是后天造就的。

✧The decision to attack was not taken lightly.

进攻的决定不是轻易做出的。

d) adding a proper subject to make the Chinese version smooth

✧I have not been told that he will come.

没人告诉我他要来。

✧The issue has not yet been thoroughly explored.

人们对这一问题迄今尚未进行彻底的探索。

✧She was seen to enter the building about the time the crime was

committed.

有人看见她大致在案发时进入了那座建筑物。

Some sentence patterns:

It is believed that…有人/人们认为(相信)

It is well-known that…大家知道/众所周知

It is suggested that…有人建议

It is claimed that…有人主张；人们要求

It is asserted that…有人主张（断定）

It is alleged that…人们断言

It is generally considered that…大家（一般人）认为

It is generally accepted that 人们普遍认为/大家公认

It will be said that…有人会说

It was told that…有人曾经说

1) changing the passive voice into a subjectless sentence

Omission of the subject is one of the typical features of Chinese syntax. ✧If water is heated, the molecules move more quickly.

如果把水加热，水分子就运动得更快。

✧Power would be gotten if there were money to get it with.

有了钱，就会以钱谋权。

“it is + v-ed + that ”: “据…”

It is said that…据说

It is believed that…据信

It is estimated that…据估计

It is reported that…据报道

It must be kept in mind that …必须记住

It must be realized that…必须了解（认识、明白）

It has been found that…已经发现

2) keeping the passive structure unchanged

Sometimes, we my keep the passive voice unchanged, especially when it comes to something unpleasant.

“被”, “给”, “遭”, “受”, “挨”, “为…所”, “由”, “让”, “得以”, “加以”, ”予以”, etc.

✧The enemy was soon surrounded by our troops.

敌人很快就被我军包围了。

✧Up to now, sulphur dioxide has been regarded as one of the most serious

of these pollutants.

到目前为止，二氧化硫一直被看作是这些污染物中最严重的一种。

✧Natural light or “white” light is actually made up of many colors.

自然光或者“白光”实际上是由许多种颜色组成的。

✧These signals are produced by colliding stars or nuclear reactions in outer

space.

这些讯号是由外空中的星球碰撞或者核反应所造成的。

✧In his late thirties he was almost knocked down in his despondency of the