英漢翻譯 chapter 9 attributive sentence.doc

Chapter 9 The Translation of the Attributive Clause Teaching aims: master the translation of the attributive clausesTeaching emphasis: combination & adverbial clausesTeaching references: Teaching methods: PracticeTeaching arrangements: 2periodsA comparative study of English and Chinese attributive structures helps us to bring this disparity to light. As some linguists have pointed out, an English sentence may be followed by an unlimited number of attributive clauses following the word being modified, while a Chinese sentence allows only a limited amount of words preceding the word being modified. And eventually, there is no correspondence between their sentence structures.Here is a typical example:This is the cat.這就是那只貓。This is the cat that killed the rat. 這就是那只捕殺了老鼠的貓。 This is the cat that killed the rat that ate the cake. 這就是那只捕殺了偷吃了蛋糕的老鼠的貓。This is the cat that killed the rat that ate the cake that lay in the house.這就是那只捕殺了偷吃了放在屋內的蛋糕的老鼠的貓。This is the cat that killed the rat that ate the cake that lay in the house that Jack built. 這就是那只捕殺了偷吃了放在杰克造的房屋內的蛋糕的老鼠的貓。Apparently, it is impossible for a translator to put all the information into one Chinese sentence in the sequence as in English. Therefore, a readable Chinese version of the last sentence should be like this:This is the cat that killed the rat that ate the cake that lay in the house that Jack built.這就是那只捕殺了老鼠的貓。老鼠偷吃了放在屋里的蛋糕。那屋是杰克蓋的。Consequently, some efficient ways have been suggested to tackle the problem that occurs in the translation of English attributive clauses.1. Restrictive Attributive Clauses1. Combination-As an attributive modifier(前置法)We actually convert the English sentence into a simple Chinese sentence or part of a Chinese clause , in which an English restrictive attributive clause is embedded(嵌入) in the Chinese sentence , and is placed before the words being modified ( the antecedents). We may call it a method of combination. 1. Pollution is a pressing problem which we must deal with.污染是我們必須解決的一個迫切問題。2. In the room where the electronic computer is kept, there must be no dust at all.存放電子計算機的房間里, 不能有一點灰塵。3. Most of the people who appear most often and most gloriously in the history books are great conquerors and generals and soldiers, whereas the people who really helped civilization forward are often never mentioned at all.歷史書上出現得最經常和最為顯耀的人物大多是偉大的征服著、將軍和士兵, 而那些真正推動文明前進的人卻往往名不見經傳。2. Division(分句后置法)Sometimes, an English sentence with a restrictive attributive clause is too long or too complicated for the translator to take as a whole. In this case, we may divide the sentence into two, placing the attributive clause after the principal clause to conform to the Chinese usage, repeating (or sometimes even not repeating) the antecedent being modified.1. They are striving for the ideal which is close to the heart of every Chinese and for which, in the past, many Chinese have laid down their lives.他們正在為實現一個理想而努力, 這個理想是每個中國人所珍愛的, 在過去, 許多中國人為了這個理想而犧牲了自己的生命。2. A fuel is a material which will burn at a reasonable temperature and produce heat.燃料是一種物質，在適當溫度下能夠燃燒并釋放出熱量。3. Mixture(混合重組法)By mixture here we mean combining the principal clause and the attributive clause into a single Chinese sentence without any demarcation.1. “We are a nation that must beg to stay alive,” said a foreign economist.一個外國經濟學家說道, “我們這個國家 不討飯就活不下去?！?. Fortunately, there are some chemical fuels that are clean and smokeless.幸好有些化學燃料是潔凈無煙的。2.Non-restrictive Attributive ClausesNon-restrictive attributive clauses are characterized by a comma between the principal and the attributive clause. In comparison with restrictive attributive clauses, non-restrictive attributive clauses hold a loose relationship with the antecedents, functioning as a supplementary part in the sentence.In terms of translation techniques, there is no significant difference between these two kinds of attributive clauses. However, the method of division is adopted more frequently in translating non-restrictive attributive clauses than in translating restrictive attributive clauses, while the method of combination is just the other way around.1.Division (拆分法)1) Translating Into Compound Sentences by Repeating the Antecedents.Fine grains of dust can reflect blue light , which coarse grains of dust cannot.微?；覊m能反射藍光, 但粗粒灰塵卻不能(反射藍光)。This is a college of science and technology, the students of which are trained to be engineers or scientists.這是一所科技大學，該校學生將被培養(yǎng)成工程師或科學工作者。2) Translating Into Compound Sentences by Omitting the Antecedents.After dinner, the four key negotiators resumed their talks, which continued into the night.飯后, 四個主要談判人物繼續(xù)進行會談, 一直談到深夜。He saw in front that haggard white-haired old man, whose eyes flashed red with fury.他看見前面那個憔悴的白發(fā)老人, 眼里閃著憤怒的目光。3) Translating Into Independent Sentences.One was violent thunderstorm, the worst I had ever seen, which obscured my objective.有一次是暴風驟雨, 其猛烈程度實為我平生所僅見。這陣暴風雨遮住了我的目標。2. Combination (合并法)Non-restrictive attributive clauses can also be translated by using the method of combination. This is the usual case when we try to avoid a loose structure and take coherence into consideration.The sun, which had hidden all day, now came out in all its splendor.整天躲在云層里的太陽，現在又光芒四射了。 He liked his sister, who was warm and pleasant, but he didnt like his brother, who was aloof and arrogant.他喜歡熱情愉快的妹妹，而不喜歡冷漠高傲的哥哥。3. English Attributive Clauses into Chinese Adverbial ClausesSome attributive clauses (both restrictive and non-restrictive) function as the adverbial in the complex sentence, having a very close logic relation with the principal clause and indicating the cause, result, purpose, time, condition, concession, and so on. Therefore, when translating such sentences, we should render them into corresponding Chinese adverbial sentences.1) He would have to be careful not to offend the foreman, who would give himthe sack at any time.他得小心謹慎，不能得罪那個工頭，因為工頭隨時都可以炒他的魷魚。 2) There was something original, independent, and heroic about the plan that pleased all of them. 這個方案富于創(chuàng)造性，獨具一格，因此他們都很喜歡。3) The scientist, who was dog-tired, went on with the experiment.那位科學家雖已筋疲力盡, 但還是繼續(xù)進行實驗。4) Men become desperate for work, any work, which will help them to keep alive their families.人們極其迫切地要求工作, 不管什么工作，只要能維持一家人的生活就行。5) Ill try to get an illustrated dictionary dealing with technical glossary,which will enable me to translate scientific literature more exactly. 我要設法搞到一本有插圖的技術用語詞典, 以便把科技文獻譯得更準確。4. Exercise: Put the following sentences into Chinese.1).Americans have a great range of customs and habits that at first may seem puzzling to visitors.2). Late last century all the universities in the United States adopt