[徐綻]英譯漢全真試題及詳解(2004)

字號(hào):

Unit 11 (2004年)
    The relation of language and mind has interested philosophers for many centuries.(61)The Greeks assumed that the structure of language had some connection with the process of thought which took root in Europe long before people realized how diverse language could be.
    Only recently did linguists begin the serious study of languages that were very different from their own. Two anthropologists—linguists,F(xiàn)ranz Boas and Edward Sapir,were pioneers in describing many native languages of North and South America during the first half of the twentieth century.
    (62)We are obliged to them because some of these languages have since vanished,as the people who spoke them died out or became assimilated and lost their native languages. Other linguists in the earlier part of this century,however,who were less eager to deal with bizarre data from “exotic” language,were not always so grateful.(63)The newly described languages were often so strikingly different from the well studied languages of Europe and Southeast Asia that some scholars even accused Boas and Sapir of fabricating their data. Native American languages are indeed different,so much so in fact that Navajo could be used by the US military as a code during World War Ⅱto sand secret messages.
    Sapir’s pupil,Benjamin Lee Whorf,continued the study of American Indian languages.(64)Being interested in the relationship of the language and thought,Whorf developed the idea that the structure of the language determines the structure of habitual thought in a society. He reasoned that because it is easier to formulate certain concepts and not others in a given language,the speakers of that language think along one track and not along another.(65)Whorf came to believe in a sort of linguistic determinism which,in its strongest from,states that language imprisons the mind,and that the grammatical patterns in a language can produce far-reaching consequences for the culture of a society. Later,this idea became to be known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis,but this term is somewhat inappropriate. Although both Sapir and Whorf emphasized the diversity of languages,Sapir himself never explicitly supported the notion of linguistic determinism.
    Unit 11 翻譯題解:
    61) The Greeks assumed that the structure of language had some connection with the process of thought, which took root in Europe long before people realized how diverse language could be.
    句子分析:
    這是一個(gè)帶賓語從句,定語從句的復(fù)合句,其框架結(jié)構(gòu)分析如下:
    主句的主、謂結(jié)構(gòu):The Greeks assumed that 希臘人假定
    賓語從句:the structure of language had some connection with the process of thought語言結(jié)構(gòu)與思想的過程之間有某種聯(lián)系
    定語從句:which took root in Europe(這種想法)扎根于歐洲
    時(shí)間狀語從句:long before people realized how diverse language could be早在人們意識(shí)到語言會(huì)有多么的不同之前
    翻譯技巧:
    此句可以采用層層剝繭的方法,先抓住整個(gè)句子的結(jié)構(gòu),然后再考慮具體的措詞問題。在理清了上述結(jié)構(gòu)之后,還需注意下面幾個(gè)詞語的處理:
    assumed 假定;認(rèn)為;以為
    the process of thought思想的過程;思維過程
    took root生根;在…扎下了根
    很多人不能正確理解這個(gè)動(dòng)詞詞組的意思,有的譯成了“起源于…..”,“在…….出現(xiàn)了”,有的譯成了“在….占統(tǒng)治地位”,都是不可接受的翻譯。
    long before 早在…之前;“在…之前早就…”
    考生的錯(cuò)誤在于不能辨別long before所限定的時(shí)間順序,有譯成“在扎根歐洲很長(zhǎng)時(shí)間之前”,“不久的將來人們就意識(shí)到…”, 也有譯成“很久以前人們就意識(shí)到…”。另外, 不要與before long(不久,不久以后)相混淆
    diverse “豐富;差異性;多樣性;千差萬別”
    多數(shù)人犯錯(cuò)是因?yàn)椴徽J(rèn)識(shí)該詞意思,憑印象根據(jù)拼寫類似詞而譯成“相反;倒轉(zhuǎn);轉(zhuǎn)換”。
    how diverse 多么的不同;多么的千差萬別
    could be 可能會(huì)是(can 過去式)
    完整的譯文:
    希臘人認(rèn)為,語言結(jié)構(gòu)與思維的過程之間存在著某種聯(lián)系。這種想法,早在人們意識(shí)到語言會(huì)有多么千差萬別之前在歐洲就已經(jīng)根深蒂固了。
    (62) We are obliged to them because some of these languages have since vanished, as the peoples who spoke them died out or became assimilated and lost their native languages.
    句子分析:
    這是一個(gè)帶原因狀語從句、定語從句的復(fù)合句,其框架結(jié)構(gòu)分析如下:
    主句的主、謂、賓結(jié)構(gòu):We are obliged to them 我們感激他們
    原因狀語從句:because some of these languages have since vanished因?yàn)樽源诉@些語言中的一部分消失了
    定語從句:as the peoples who spoke them die d out or became assimilated and lost their native languages 因?yàn)橹v它們的人滅亡了或同化了,并且喪失了自己的語言
    翻譯技巧:
    此句的結(jié)構(gòu)并不難掌握,主要是準(zhǔn)確表達(dá)其中的下面幾個(gè)措辭:
    1)be obliged to感激,感謝某人
    極少有人能譯對(duì)這個(gè)詞組,多數(shù)人根據(jù)oblige的常用意思譯為“被迫”,“有義務(wù)”,都不符原文。這里提醒考生,同樣的拼寫可能有多種不同的含義。許多人片面追求詞匯量,以為達(dá)到5000千、6000千詞匯就沒問題了。其實(shí),詞匯的問題比較復(fù)雜,除了拼寫、基本含義,還有搭配、用法、多重含義等。這些是用詞匯表、小字典進(jìn)行強(qiáng)記所無法解決的。
    2)have since vanished從那以后就消失了,不復(fù)存在了;此處的since 表示 “從此以后”之意;
    since 在這句中是副詞,一般人只掌握了其作為連詞和介詞的用法,而本句since后面只有單詞vanished,是謂語的一部分,這難倒了許多人,有的譯為“自從消失以后”,有的則譯為“自從他們絕種后”,都不正確。可見,詞匯的學(xué)習(xí)除了注意詞義,還要留心詞性。
    die out 滅絕,完全的滅亡(cease living completely; become extinct);不宜譯作 “死亡,消失”。
    完整的譯文::
    我們之所以感激他們,是因?yàn)閺拇艘院?,這些語言中的一部分消失了,因?yàn)橹v這些語言的人要么滅絕了,要么被同化了,因而喪失了自己的語言。
    (63) The newly described languages were often so strikingly different from the well studied languages of Europe and Southeast Asia that some scholars even accused Boas and Sapir of fabricating their data. 
    句子分析:
    這是一個(gè)帶有結(jié)果狀語從句的系表結(jié)構(gòu),主句系表結(jié)構(gòu)的框架為:
    The …languages were so different from.. that …各種語言是如此的不同,以至于……
    結(jié)果狀語:some scholars even accused Boas and Sapir of fabricating their data.一些學(xué)者甚至指責(zé)Boas 和Sapir編造了他們的資料
    定語:The newly described languages 這些新近被描述的語言
    介詞from 的賓語:the well studied languages of Europe and Southeast Asia 經(jīng)過充分研究的歐洲和東南亞的語言
    翻譯技巧:
    翻譯此句的關(guān)鍵在于掌握結(jié)構(gòu)原文的so ... that …(如此…以至于)結(jié)構(gòu);措詞表達(dá)上,應(yīng)當(dāng)注意accused sb. of sth. (指責(zé)/譴責(zé)某人作了某事),fabricating(捏造, 偽造, 虛構(gòu)),以及The newly described(這些新近被描述的),strikingly different(顯著的不同),the well studied languages(經(jīng)過充分研究的各種語言)的準(zhǔn)確譯法。
    此句難點(diǎn)有三處:
    1) strikingly different 差別顯著
    許多人不理解strikingly,要么不譯,要么錯(cuò)譯為“嚴(yán)格不同”,“完全差別”。
    2) so…that (如此…) 以至于
    由于so…that間隔長(zhǎng),有的考生看不道這一句法結(jié)構(gòu),錯(cuò)把that后的從句當(dāng)作South Asia的定語,譯文語義混亂。
    3) fabricating 編造
    這個(gè)詞許多人不認(rèn)識(shí),錯(cuò)譯為 “構(gòu)造”,“修飾”,“弄錯(cuò)”或“修改”。
    完整的譯文::
    這些新近被描述的各種語言與經(jīng)過充分研究的歐洲和東南亞的語言是如此的顯著的不同,以至于一些學(xué)者甚至指責(zé)Boas 和Sapir編造了他們的資料。
    (64) Being interested in the relationship of language and thought, Whorf developed the idea that the structure of language determines the structure of habitual thought in a society.
    句子分析:
    這是一個(gè)由現(xiàn)在分詞短語引起的帶同位語從句的復(fù)合句。
    主句的主、謂、賓結(jié)構(gòu)為:Whorf developed the idea Whorf 逐漸形成了這種見解
    同位語從句:(the idea)that the structure of language determines the structure of habitual thought in a society 在一個(gè)社會(huì)里,語言的結(jié)構(gòu)決定習(xí)慣思想的結(jié)構(gòu)
    現(xiàn)在分詞短語:Being interested in the relationship of language and thought(他)對(duì)語言與思維的關(guān)系感興趣
    翻譯技巧:
    本句在五題中相對(duì)較容易,不少人得了滿分。being interested in …應(yīng)譯作一個(gè)句子,即 “Whorf對(duì)語思維的關(guān)系很感興趣”, Developed the idea 出錯(cuò)稍多,有譯成“發(fā)明了一種認(rèn)識(shí)”,也有譯成“發(fā)展了一個(gè)注意”,都不恰當(dāng),而是“形成觀點(diǎn)”,主要是漢語表達(dá)要恰當(dāng); habitual thought 應(yīng)譯作 “習(xí)慣(性)思維”,而不宜譯作 “思考、思想”。同位語結(jié)構(gòu)可考慮用冒號(hào)提示性方法來處理。
    完整的譯文::
    Whorf對(duì)語言與思維的關(guān)系很感興趣,他逐漸形成了這樣一種觀念:在一個(gè)社會(huì)里,語言的結(jié)構(gòu)決定了習(xí)慣思維的結(jié)構(gòu)。
    (65) Whorf came to believe in a sort of linguistic determinism which, in its strongest form, states that language imprisons the mind, and that the grammatical patterns in a language can produce far-reaching consequences for the culture of a society.  
    句子分析:
    這是一個(gè)帶賓語從句,定語從句的復(fù)合句,其框架結(jié)構(gòu)分析如下:
    主句的主、謂結(jié)構(gòu):Whorf came to believe in a sort of linguistic determinism Whorf逐漸相信某種語言決定論
    定語從句:(帶兩個(gè)并列賓語從句)which, …states that, …and that..這一論點(diǎn)宣稱,……而且宣稱……
    并列賓語從句1:language imprisons the mind in 語言將思想禁錮其中
    并列賓語從句2:the grammatical patterns in a language can produce far-reaching consequences for the culture of a society 語言的語法模式可以對(duì)某一社會(huì)文化產(chǎn)生深遠(yuǎn)的影響。
    插入成分:in its strongest form以自己烈的形式
    翻譯技巧:
    此句是5個(gè)試題中最難的一句。一是結(jié)構(gòu)復(fù)雜,句中有句,一環(huán)套一環(huán);二是一些詞語不宜直譯,如:come to believe 開始相信;都需要按漢語表達(dá)習(xí)慣在措辭上進(jìn)行調(diào)整,才能翻譯出正確的意思。
    1)a sort of 某種
    典型的錯(cuò)譯是“一系列”。某些類似漢語量詞的表達(dá)需要考生給予足夠重視。
    2) linguistic determinism語言決定論
    linguistic意思是“語言的,語言學(xué)的”,determinism的后綴表示“…論,…主義”,但許多人沒能掌握這一構(gòu)詞知識(shí)。
    3) in its strongest form其極端說法是;在其烈的形式下
    很多人沒能根據(jù)本句的語境理解,而是照字面意思譯為“它的烈的形式;它的最有力的形式”,這都不符合要求。
    4) imprison the mind禁錮思維
    考生出錯(cuò)是由于沒找到表達(dá)imprison的恰當(dāng)漢語,譯為“關(guān)閉思維;囚禁頭腦”。imprison把……關(guān)在監(jiān)獄中,囚禁;
    5) far-reaching 深遠(yuǎn)的; 伸得很遠(yuǎn)的;
    這是個(gè)合成詞,許多人沒掌握,只能根據(jù)字面猜測(cè):“遠(yuǎn)不可及的”,“遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)到達(dá)的”等等, 這些都不正確。
    完整的譯文:
    Whorf逐漸接受了某種語言決定論的觀點(diǎn);這種觀點(diǎn)的極端說法是:語言禁錮了思想,語言的語法模式可以對(duì)某種社會(huì)文化產(chǎn)生深遠(yuǎn)的影響。