汉译英之主语的选择全解

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我在暖烘烘的炉火旁很快就睡着了。
The warmth of the stove soon brought sleep to me.
4 2008年奥运会将在北京举行。
There will be the 29th Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008. The 29th Olympic Games will be held in Beijing in 2008. Beijing will host the 29th Olympic Games in 2008. The year 2008 will witness the 29th Olympic Games in Beijing . The 29th Olympic Games is to be held in Beijing in 2008.
• b. Long distances and lack of transport facilities make the rural areas isolated from the outside world，which is made more serious by the lack of communication instruments. • （部分保留原文句法机构）
英语的无灵视角倾向 • 无灵句形式上让视角多变，内容上更显客 观或活泼。表示时间、地点、状态、原因、 受动、心理与感觉的语义成分都可以作为 无灵主语。
• 世纪之交，中国外交空前活跃 • At the turn of the century, China is very active in its diplomatic activities. • The turn of the century finds China most active in the diplomatic arena.
The Choice of Subjects 主语的选择
分析下列句子的主谓结构
• • • • • • • • 1. 钱你不用还了。 2.这锅饭能吃十个人。 3. 这匹马骑着两个人。 4.被人缠上是件讨厌的事。 5.老子打儿子，天经地义。 6.上面坐着主席团。 7.从她那儿能找到解决问题的办法。 8.说的是古代的一个老头，名叫愚公。
1.汉语为主题语言；主题+述题结构;主语句法功能弱
英语为主语语言:
主语+谓语结构;主语句法功能强
例如:
这件事你不用操心.
主题 述题
译:This you don’t need to worry about.
You don’t need to worry about this.
This is not something you need to worry about.
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汉语句子以人作主语--有灵主语(天人合一;人与自然浑 然一体) 英语句子以物作主语---无灵主语(强调客观及抽象概念)
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首相随时会辞职。 我对她日益钦佩。
The resignation of the Prime Minister was hourly expected.
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My admiration for her grew day by day.
• 5．能不能提前完成计划呢？ • 5．Is it possible to carry out the plan ahead of time? • 6．屋内悄无一人，只听见钟在滴答滴答地走。 • No one was in the room：only the ticking of a clock could be heard． • 7．突然钻出一只狗，追着她咬，几乎把她吓糊涂 了。 • A dog rushed out to chase after her，scaring her almost out of her wits. • 比较: She was petrified when a dog rushed out and chased her. • (状态，没有突出动作)
• 汉语是重内容的语言，“形散神聚”是汉语句子的特点。因此汉 语被称作是典型的“意合”语言。汉语中的主语不像英语的主语 那样容易确定， “主语－谓语”形式的句子在汉语里比例是不大 的，因此在汉语语法中出现了主题（话题）(Topic)这一概念。 我国著名学者赵元任（1968）说：“把主语、谓语当作话题和说 明来看待,比较合适” 。汉 语属于“主题突出”型（Topicprominent）语言。
• c. The isolation of the rural world because of distance and the lack of transport facilities is compounded by the paucity of the information media.
• （完全摒弃了原文句法结构。其中，名词化结构 （nominalization）充当主语与句式构造方式密不可分）
• • • • • •
1．活到老，学到老。 1. One should keep learning up to an old age. 2．不人虎穴，焉得虎子。 2. you can not gain if you risk nothing. (no venture, no gain) 3．留得青山在，不怕没柴烧。 3. One shall have a chance to succeed if one preserves his strength. • 4．不努力便不会成功。 • 4. you shall never succeed if you do not work hard.
1.增补主语
• １）起大风了。 • It’s blowing hard.
• • • • • • • •
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下面的句子有什么特点? 1．活到老，学到老。 2．不人虎穴，焉得虎子。 3．留得青山在，不怕没柴烧。 4．不努力便不会成功。 5．能不能提前完成计划呢？ 6．屋内悄无一人，只听见钟在滴答滴答地走。 7．突然钻出一只狗，追着她咬，几乎把她吓糊涂 了。
1、主语是某种心理感受，谓语选择 creep, strike, seize, dawn, catch, worm into, grip, enter, register, overcome, take possesion of, surround, give way to, desert, pass, tear等词汇。 1) 整个村庄笼罩在恐怖之中。 Fear gripped the village.（ Fear gripped his heart.） 2) 他失去了勇气。 Courage deserted him. 3) 一股淡淡的伤感涌上心头。 A tinge of melanchony struck me. 4) 他愤怒的说不出话。 Anger choked my words. 5)现在人们已经从乐观变为怀疑了。 By now optimism had given way to doubt.
It is hoped that Shanghai will establish friendly relations with more foreign cities in the future.
3) 经常接触某人或某事往往会让人产生喜欢。 Frequent exposure to something or someone will cause liking.
We will have the 29th Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008.
英语用非人称作主语的句子大体可以分为 两类： • 1. 用非人称代词“it”作主语 • 2.“无灵主语”＋“有灵动词”
用非人称代词“it”作主语 • 我从来也没有想到她这么吝啬。 • It never occurred to me that she was so mean. • 只要走半个钟头就可以到轮渡。 • It’s only half an hour’s walk to the ferry. • 人总是在面临考验的关头，才发现自己的 专长。 • It is in the hour of trial that a man finds his true profession.
1）热烈欢迎世界各地客商来此进一步加强合作，建立和 发展贸易关系。 Customers from various countries and regBiblioteka Baiduons are warmly welcome to establish and develop business contacts. 2) 希望今后上海能够与更多的外国城市结为友好城市。
There is no need for you to worry about this.
• 1）论文我们已经写了一大半了。 • We have finished a good part of the papers • 3）这些材料我们只够盖一栋房子。 • We could only build one house with these materials.
• 主语选择合适, 便于构句
• 因为距离远，又缺乏交通工具，农村社会是与外界隔绝的。这 种隔绝状态，由于通讯工具不足，就变得更加严重了。 • a. Due to Long distances and lack of transport facilities, the rural areas are isolated from the outside world，which is made more serious by the lack of communication instruments. • (基本保留了原文句法结构)
• 汉译英中，主语的 确立是句子翻译的第一步。选择了一定的主 语，基本决定了句子构造的走向。主语选择恰当，句子就便于 构造了。常常选择不同成分作主语，决定了不同的组句方式。 例如：
人不可貌相，海水不可斗量。 A. A person can not be judged from his appearance just as an ocean can not be measured by pints. • B. It is impossible to judge people from their appearances, and impossible to measure the ocean by pints. • C. We can’t judge people from their appearance, just as we can’t measure the ocean by pints.
• 英汉语比 较: 主语 比较 • • 英语属于偏重形式的语言，一个句子要独立表达一个完整的意 思，必须包含主语和谓语两个组成部分，英语中绝大部分句子 都是按“主语－谓语”形式构建而成的。主语与谓语的关系是施 动者与动作的关系。根据美国语言学家所提出的语言类型学观 点，英语属于“主语突出”型（Subject-prominent）语言。
主语的选择和确立
英语的主语主要有七大类
1、施动主语（agentive subject) Susan is growing flowers. 2、受动主语(affected subject) Her books translate well. 3、工具主语（instrumental subject） A stone broke the glass. 4、地点主语 (locative subject) The jar contains honey. 5、时间主语 (temporal subject) Yesterday was Monday. 6、事件主语 (eventive subject) The dispute over the problem lasted a decade. 7、it 作主语,表时间、气候或距离：It is late./It is hot. it 作形式主语：It is impossible to finish the work.