考研英語翻譯真題深入剖析

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Is it true that the American intellectual is rejected and considered of no account in his society? I am going to suggest that it is not true. Father Bruckbergen told part of the story when he observed that it is the intellectuals who have rejected American. But they have done more than that. They have grown dissatisfied with the role of intellectual. It is they, not American, who have become anti-intellectual.
    First, the object of our study pleads for definition. What is an intellectual? (46) I shall define him as an intellectual who has elected as his primary duty and pleasure in life the activity of thinking in a Socratic(蘇格拉底) way about moral problems. He explores such problems consciously, articulately, and frankly, first by asking factual questions, then by asking moral questions, finally by suggesting action which seems appropriate in the light of the factual and moral information which he has obtained. (47) His function is analogous to that of a judge, who must accept the obligation of revealing in as obvious a manner as possible the course of reasoning which led him to this decision.
    This definition excludes many individuals usually referred to as intellectuals—the average scientist for one. (48) I have excluded him because, while his accomplishments may contribute to the solution of moral problems, he has not been charged with the task of approaching any but the factual aspects of those problems. Like other human beings, he encounters moral issues even in everyday performance of his routine duties—he is not supposed to cook his experiments, manufacture evidence or doctor his reports. (49) But his primary task is not to think about the moral code, which governs his activity, any more than a businessman is expected to dedicate his energies to an exploration of rules of conduct in business. During most of his walking life he will take his code for granted, as the businessman takes his ethics.
    The definition also excludes the majority of factors, despite the fact that teaching has traditionally been the method whereby many intellectuals earn their living. (50) They may teach very well, and more than earn their salaries, but most of them make little or no independent reflections on human problems which involve moral judgment. This description even fits the majority eminent scholars. “Being learned in some branch of human knowledge is one thing, living in public and industrious thoughts,” as Emerson would say, “is something else.”
    縱觀今年的考研翻譯題目,我們覺得其難度適中。與近三年的考題相較,2006年的翻譯比2004的難,而比2005容易一些。換而言之,今年試題的難度值應該介于0.52與0.53之間。另外,本篇翻譯題目就其文體而言,仍然屬于近年非常熱門的社會科學類文章。由此可見,考研翻譯難度總體趨于穩(wěn)定已成定局。
    盤點今年考題,我們發(fā)現(xiàn):傳統(tǒng)的考點出現(xiàn)了一邊倒的局面,如定語從句、比較結構、指代關系等考點的出現(xiàn)頻率有所上升(2004—2006全是如此),而賓語從句、主語從句、表語從句、被動結構、插入結構等送分型考點的重要性則相對降低。此外,定語從句和指代關系的難度有所下降,而比較結構的難度則有所上升。較之以往,今年的考題,對學生實際運用英語的能力有更高的要求。
    以下,我們將逐一分析此次考試的五道試題:
    46:  I shall define him as an intellectual who has elected as his primary duty and pleasure in life the activity of thinking in a Socratic way about moral problems.
    很明顯,本題是以定語從句作為分水嶺的,我們由此將句子分成兩部分:即主句和定語從句。前一部分中,有以下得分點值得關注:首先,我們應該可以把握“define…as”(把……定義為……)這個詞組。然后,我們需要對 “him”做一些處理。這里的“him”我們既可以翻譯成為“知識分子”,也可以省略不譯。也就是說,前句我們可以翻譯成:“我會把‘知識分子’定義為這樣的人,他們……”或者是“我對于‘知識分子’的定義是……的人”。再次,本句中出現(xiàn)的“intellectual”(知識分子)是一個高頻詞匯,曾經在歷年的考研試卷中出現(xiàn)過至少20次。在2003年的62題中,“intellectual enquiry”翻譯為“知識探究”,可見,“intellectual”本身是一個一詞多義的高頻詞,我們考生在平時的復習過程中需要給予這樣的小詞以足夠的關注。
    后一部分,是由who引導的定語從句。在這個從句中,我們首先注意到一個詞組“elect…as”(把……作為)。進而我們不難發(fā)現(xiàn),這里由于句子本身的賓語比較長,因此賓語補足語被前置了。即本來是elect A as B這樣一個結構,但由于A太長,最終變成了elect as B A這樣一個結構,即elected as his primary duty and pleasure in life(B) the activity of thinking in a Socratic way about moral problems(A).從語法角度講,這就是把S+V+O+C 主謂賓補結構(S=主語;V=謂語;O=賓語;C=賓補)中的C前置成為S+V+C+O。同樣的結構,以往也曾考過,比如2003年第65題,本來是make something possible,但由于something以及它的修飾成分太長,結果變成了make possible something (which makes possible immense amounts of concrete research and understanding)。同樣是possible作為句子的賓補,如果something是短賓語,那么適用make something possible的結構,而如果something是長賓語,那么就適用make possible something的結構。
    最后,本句中出現(xiàn)的“moral”(道德)一詞也是歷年考研試卷中的高頻詞匯,已經考察近30次了。
    綜上,本句可以翻譯為:“我會把‘知識分子’定義為這樣的人,他們把以蘇格拉底的方式來思考道德問題的活動作為人生的主要任務和樂趣?!?BR>    47:His function is analogous to that of a judge, who must accept the obligation of revealing in as obvious a manner as possible the course of reasoning which led him to this decision.
    本句同樣考到(非限制性)定語從句,所以句子也可以分成主句和定語從句兩部分。主句部分相對容易,而這其中“analogous”算是個難詞。但是有上下文“to that (function) of a judge”這本身就顯示“his function”和“that of a judge”之間是某種類比關系。而此處的“analogous”正是“類似”的意思。
    定語從句部分則相對較難,也是本句翻譯的關鍵。眾所周知,理解長難句的關鍵是找出主干,本句定語從句的主干就是“who must accept the obligation”,而“obligation”后面全部是修飾成分——整個定語從句是從句套從句的復雜結構,無法很好地融合在同一個修飾成分中,所以不妨采取后置法,通過重復先行詞把本句定語從句譯成:“后者(即法官—作者注)必須接受如下(這一)義務,即……”。
    此外,這個定語從句對語言的運用能力要求更高,比如“in as obvious a manner as possible”是“reveal”(揭示)的“manner”(方式),因此,本結構亦可作“in a manner as obvious as possible”(以盡可能淺顯的方式)。
    再比如,“revealing”的賓語本來是“the course of reasoning which led him to this decision”,但中間插入了較長的方式狀語“in as obvious a manner as possible”,這就給理解造成一定困難。
    還有,which led him to this decision是一個簡短的定語從句,可以作為一個修飾成分。因此我們不妨采用前置法,把該定語從句作為中心詞的修飾語。其中值得注意的是“l(fā)ead to”這個詞組在考研翻譯中也已經出現(xiàn)數次了。
    由此,我們可以如下翻譯:“知識分子的作用與法官類似,后者必須接受如下義務,即以盡可能淺顯的方式揭示導致他做出某一決定的推理過程?!?BR>    48:I have excluded him because, while his accomplishments may contribute to the solution of moral problems, he has not been charged with the task of approaching any but the factual aspects of those problems.
    縱觀全句,句子雖長,可是理解還是比較簡單的。主要是主句加上一個本身帶有讓步狀語從句的原因狀語從句。
    主句部分主要考察了指代關系。其中,當第一次出現(xiàn)代詞“him”的時候,考生不難發(fā)現(xiàn)它指代的就是最近的中心詞“average scientist”(一般科學家)。而在后面的原因狀語從句中,則再一次考察了“his”的指代關系。根據“代一不代二”的原則,同句出現(xiàn)反復指代,那么只要翻譯首次出現(xiàn)的代詞即可。因此,這里的“his”可以直接翻譯為“他的”。
    在原因狀語從句部分中,難點在于“he has not been charged with the task of approaching any but the factual aspects of those problems”這一部分。字面意思是:他沒有被賦予接觸這些問題中事實部分以外的其它部分的任務。說得簡單點,就是“僅被賦予了研究這些問題中與事實相關的層面?!鄙晕⒔Y合上下文,可以看出,本句的意思是:沒人指望科學家研究問題的道德層面,我們只要求他們研究問題的事實層面。
    由此,結合整句的理解,我們可以將它翻譯為:“我把一般科學家排除在外了,這是因為,盡管科學家的成就可能有助于解決道德問題,但他們只有義務研究這些問題的事實層面?!?BR>    49:But his primary task is not to think about the moral code, which governs his activity, any more than a businessman is expected to dedicate his energies to an exploration of rules of conduct in business.
    本句由一個比較結構“not …any more than”分割成兩部分。該比較結構具體到本句,翻譯時大致的框架必須是:如同人們沒有期待商人……,一般科學家的主要任務也不是……。有了這個大致框架,整個句子不會有什么問題了。
    前句中中仍然出現(xiàn)了一個傳統(tǒng)考點——定語從句:“which governs his activity”,而這個定語從句本身結構比較簡單,可以作為一個修飾成分,因此,我們可以采取前置法,把整個定語從句作為形容詞翻譯在中心詞“moral code”之前。
    當然,這里出現(xiàn)的“his”也需要找到它的指代對象,也就是前句的“average scientist”。
    而在后半句中,可能給考生答題造成困難的,也許就是詞組“dedicate to”(致力于)了。然而,根據比較結構“結構相似,內容相關”的特點,考生應該會發(fā)現(xiàn)結構中的“dedicate to an exploration”其實與“think about”是有內在聯(lián)系的。
    所以,我們可以把該句翻譯成為:“但是,如同人們沒有期待商人致力于思考商業(yè)界的行為準則一樣,一般科學家的主要任務也不是思考控制其活動的道德規(guī)范?!?BR>    50:They may teach very well, and more than earn their salaries, but most of them make little or no independent reflections on human problems which involve moral judgment.
    整句由“but”分割成為主句和轉折狀語從句兩部分。此外,主句中還出現(xiàn)了“more than”引導的比較結構,該結構理解偏難,明顯考察大家的語言功底。其實這個句子的比較結構中還包含有省略結構。主句如果補全,應該是:They may teach very well, and they may teach more than earn their salaries,這樣意思就比較明顯了:知識分子可能教得很好,而且可能不光為了謀生而教書。
    而轉折狀語從句盡管簡單,但又考到了定語從句“which involve moral judgment”。只是這個定語從句仍然比較簡單,可以作為一個修飾語出現(xiàn),因為,我們還是采取前置法,把它置于中心詞之前。
    結合以上,我們可以譯作:“知識分子可能教得很好,而且可能不僅為了謀生而教書,但是他們中的大多數人對于涉及道德判斷的人類問題幾乎或者根本沒有進行過獨立的思考。”
    綜合以上5題的分析,廣大考生應該對于此次考研翻譯有了一個大致的把握——今年的考研翻譯既不同于以往,也沒有超乎我們的預計;既出現(xiàn)了一些新動向、新發(fā)展,也符合考研翻譯歷年形成的考察規(guī)律。應該說,今年的考研試題能夠客觀公正、科學合理地反應考生的真實英語水平。此次我們提供這個分析也旨在繼往開來:一方面,我們希望能夠對于剛剛經歷過今年考研洗禮的考生們提供一些直接的幫助,集思廣益,推敲考研翻譯的破題之法,切磋彼此對于此次考研翻譯的不同理解;另一方面,我們更希望為即將參加考研的同學們綜合考研翻譯的最新動態(tài),指明翻譯復習的重點和難點。當然,我們的分析也只是提供了一個起點而已,正所謂路漫漫其修遠兮,在任何征途上想取得成功,還是需要廣大同學自身努力。