汉译英第二讲(句子技巧翻译)学生讲义

汉译英（二）句子翻译技巧

✧主语选择

●汉语：话题式主语，不一定是动作的执行者，作主语的词性很灵活。

●英语：主语是动作的执行者，词性很固定，只可以是名词，代词，非谓语动词（doing,

to do), 主语从句等。另外，英语表达侧重于多样性，可以用不同的单词作为主语。

汉译英时，不同的句子起始点，结构完全不同，我们要尽可能变化思路，使译文句式多样。

●例1：中国人民的生活水平近年来得到很大提高。

思路一：Chinese people’s living standard has been improved a lot in recent years.

（语序未调整，句子起始点没有变化。）

●思路二：There has been great raise in the living standard of the Chinese people in

recent years.

(以“提高”作主语，原文动词作谓语，现变为名词，作主语)

●思路三：These years have witnessed great improvement in the Chinese people’s

living standard. （以“近年”作主语，原文时间状语变为主语）（还有其他思路吗？仔细想想。记住：汉语中名词皆可以充当英语句子中的主语，只看你想不想的到，当然句子有优劣之分。）

以上三个版本，第三句应该评分最高。用时间或者地点作主语，不仅强调了时间观念，而且句子简洁、生动，符合西方人的思维模式和英语表达习惯。类似的动词有：see, witness, find等。

拓展练习：

●(1 )这个运动会首先在北京兴起。

Beijing first saw the rise of the movement.（地点作主语）

●(2) 在南京城发生过许多重大的历史事件。

Nanjing witnessed many great historic events.（地点作主语）

●(3) 近十年来，中国教育发生了重大变革。

The past decade has witnessed great changes in Chinese education.（时间作主语)

China has witnessed enormous changes in education in the past ten years.

(地点作主语）

●(4) 中国在2012年成功发射了“神州九号”飞船。

2012 saw the successful launching of China’s “the Ninth Shenzhou Spacecraft”.

（地点作主语）

✧主语选择还必须符合逻辑关系。

●例2：我们国家的建设事业不仅需要工程师和科学家，同样需要各行各业的能工巧

匠。

●难点一：选词：能工巧匠：talents, skilled workers, craftsmen, artisan, gifted people. 应

该选哪个？建设：building-up, construction, development应该选哪个？

●难点二：主语的选择。我们国家，建设事业，应该选择哪个？

●译法一：Our country’s construction not only needs engineers and scientists, but also

various craftsmen. (字对字翻译，不符合逻辑）

●译法二：In her development, our country needs not only engineers and scientists,

but also various skillful craftsmen.（主语选择正确，与need照应）

●译法三：Our country in her development needs not only engineers and scientists, but

also talents of various kinds.

●换个思路：以工程师，科学家，能工巧匠做主语怎么改？

●译法四：Engineers, scientists, as well as craftsmen play a vital role in our national

development.

记住：多积累地道的英文好词好句，不要拘泥于中文形式“亦步亦趋”，“东施效颦”，“闭门造车”。地道保持原汁原味是汉译英的王道。

●例3：这个战略思想现在已经有了实施的机遇。

●译法一：This strategy has the opportunity to implement itself now.

●译法二：This strategic idea has already had the opportunity to be implemented.

●诊断：主语选择错误。不符合主谓逻辑。

●改译一：Now we have the opportunity to implement this strategy. （主谓符合逻辑）

●改译二：An opportunity has unfolded before us to adopt the strategy. (注意“策略”

之前的动词选择）

拓展练习：我们的成长和壮大离不开大家的支持和帮助。

●译法一：Our growth and development is without your help and support.

●译法二：Our growth and development can’t be realized without your help and

support.

●病症诊断：完全按照原文形式，思路不开阔，主语选择不符合逻辑，与谓语搭配不

当，译文“中式英语”现象十分突出。

●改译一：Without your help and support, we can’t grow up.

●改译二：We can hardly turn into what we are today without your help and support.

We can’t flourish (thrive, prosper) without your help and support.

我们公司发展历程简介”如何翻译？

●例4：我们的事业从胜利走向胜利。

●译文一：Our career has won one victory to another.

●点评:主谓搭配不当，“win”主语一般是人。

●改译：We have won one victory after another for our cause.

● A series of victories have been won for our cause.

●例5：他的英语讲得很好。

●His English speaks good.（主谓搭配不当）

●He speaks good English.（主谓符合逻辑）

✧主语选择还必须是剧中信息突出部分。

●例6：在历史上，由于长江不断改道，在武汉地区形成了众多湖泊。

●译法一：In history, because the Y angtze River’s course was changed constantly,

many lakes were formed in Wuhan district.

●病症诊断：“东施效颦”，信息重点不突出，不顾西方人思维方式, 选词也出现问题。

●分析：原文中主语不显著，但是主题显著，符合中国人思维方式，即：说话找到一

个开始点就可以。

●方法：“由于长江不断改道”可翻译为抽象名词短语。

●改译：The constant change of the course of the Changjing River in history helped

form a great many lakes in the areas around Wuhan. (信息重点突出）

●例7：我给你打国际直拨就跟给楼下李姐打电话差不多，一拨就通。

●The way I call you by international lines is almost as easy as the way I call Sister Li

downstairs. When I call you, it is easy to get through.