名家教你巧翻英语长难句

(1) 顺序法

如果英语长句的时间顺序、逻辑顺序以及名词性从句与汉语句子基本相似,则可按原文顺序译。

President George Bush has rejected the treaty, calling it unfair in allowing developing countries – such as China, India and Brazil—to carry on emitting

greenhouse gases unabated while rich countries must cut theirs.

(布什总统已拒绝签署该条约,称该条约不公平,因为它允许诸如中国、印度和巴西等发展中国家继续不受限制地排放温室气体,而发达国家却必须减少它们的排放量。)

(2) 逆序法

“Neither believe nor reject anything, because any other person has rejected or believed it …”

(“不要因为别的人相信或拒绝了什么东西,你也就去相信或拒绝它……”)

Yesterday, Iraqis got a glimpse of what life without Saddam Hussein may hold, as protests and politicking marked the first day of meetings to decide the country’s fate.

(昨天是伊拉克召开决定国家命运的会议的第一天,各种抗议和其它政治活动令人瞩目,让伊拉克人初次瞥见了没有萨达姆的生活会是什么样子。)

(3) 分译法

我们可以在翻译中将英语长句中一连串后置修饰语与其修饰成分分开来译,将短语或从句分拆译为短句。

The U.S. almost certainly will have departed from Thailand where the {..} has declared U.S. forces unwelcome and from Taiwan which the U.S. should evacuate under the terms of the U.S.-Chinese Shanghai Communique of 1972.

(鉴于泰国已经宣布美国军队不受欢迎,而根据中美两国1972年上海公报的规定,美国应该从台湾撤军,因此,几乎可以肯定美国将会从泰国和中国台湾撤军。)

Across all continents, nearly a billion people seek, sometimes almost desperation, for the skills and knowledge and assistance by which they may satisfy from their own resources, the material wants common to all mankind.

(遍及各大洲的近10亿人口在寻求,有时几乎是不惜一切地寻求技术、知识和援助。有了技术、知识和援助,他们就能够运用自己的资源来满足全人类的物质需要。)

当然在翻译长句时也可以把上述三种方法综合起来使用。从事翻译时间长了,长句见多了,译多了,自然就会得心应手。做个合格的甚至优秀的翻译工作者固然不易,但也并非高不可攀。只要我们端正态度踏踏实实,不断提高英文理解能力和中文表达水平,刻苦钻研,勤于积累,满腔热情投入到工作中,就一定会在翻译事业中有所成就。