This movement, driven by powerful motivations, built a nation out of a wilderness and, by its nature, shaped the character and destiny of an uncharted continent.(2015.46)
在翻譯該句時(shí),大家首先要對(duì)句子的語(yǔ)法結(jié)構(gòu)有一個(gè)正確的認(rèn)識(shí)。本句中built和shaped是and連接的兩個(gè)并列的謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞,主語(yǔ)是this movement,指上文的emigration,其后的driven by powerful motivations是過(guò)去分詞短語(yǔ)作后置定語(yǔ)來(lái)修飾主語(yǔ)的,賓語(yǔ)部分是a nation和the character and destiny,這里out of a wilderness作狀語(yǔ),of an uncharted continent是of短語(yǔ)做后置定語(yǔ)修飾the character and destiny,by its nature在句中做插入語(yǔ)。厘清了句子結(jié)構(gòu),大家在翻譯時(shí)就能夠正確地把握漢語(yǔ)譯文的語(yǔ)序,這對(duì)于實(shí)現(xiàn)“通順”這一標(biāo)準(zhǔn)很重要。另外,準(zhǔn)確翻譯該句還需要大家掌握“out of,從……當(dāng)中、從……里”和“uncharted,未經(jīng)探測(cè)的、未知的”這兩個(gè)釋義。清楚了這些,我們就可以用直譯法來(lái)把句子清楚流暢地翻譯出來(lái),譯文如下:
In dealing with a challenge on such a scale, it is no exaggeration to say “United we stand, divided we fall”. (2005.50)
該句首先考查了大家對(duì)“it作形式主語(yǔ)”這個(gè)語(yǔ)法點(diǎn)的掌握,其次考查了deal with和on such a scale兩個(gè)短語(yǔ)的釋義,最后考查了大家對(duì)句中引號(hào)部分的理解和翻譯。“deal with”本義為“處理、與……打交道”,但這里考慮到其后賓語(yǔ)是“challenge,挑戰(zhàn)”以及漢語(yǔ)的習(xí)慣表達(dá),我們要把 它意譯為“應(yīng)對(duì)”,“on such a scale”意為“如此規(guī)模的”,用來(lái)修飾challenge。根據(jù)前面所講的“it作形式主語(yǔ)”的翻譯方法,我們可以將句子的后半句基本譯為“毫不夸張地說(shuō)……”,但省略號(hào)部分對(duì)大家來(lái)說(shuō)比較難處理。多數(shù)考生會(huì)進(jìn)行直譯,翻譯成“團(tuán)結(jié),我們就會(huì)站起來(lái);分裂,我們就會(huì)倒下去”,此譯文基本傳達(dá)出了原文意思,但漢語(yǔ)表述并不是很清楚明確。實(shí)際上對(duì)于該部分,我們使用意譯法來(lái)翻譯更好,根據(jù)語(yǔ)境,“stand”和“fall”可分別譯為“成功”和“失敗”。譯文如下:
He adds humbly that perhaps he was “superior to the common run of men in noticing things which easily escape attention, and observing them carefully.” (2008.49)
翻譯時(shí),大家還是要先弄懂句子結(jié)構(gòu),該句中he指代上文中的“Darwin,達(dá)爾文”,that引導(dǎo)賓語(yǔ)從句,從句中“in noticing…observing them carefully”在從句中作狀語(yǔ),翻譯時(shí)要提前,而且其中which引導(dǎo)的定從又來(lái)修飾其前的things。此外,大家還要理解句中部分單詞和短語(yǔ)的釋義,“superior to”意為“優(yōu)于、勝于;地位高于;包括范圍廣于”,“common”意為“普通的、日常的”,“run”意為“種族”,則“the common run of men”譯為“普通人、常人”。這樣我們基本上可以用直譯法把句意傳達(dá)出來(lái),但定語(yǔ)從句“which easily escape attention”若直譯為“容易逃脫注意力”,則不符合漢語(yǔ)的表達(dá)習(xí)慣,句意表達(dá)比較別扭,故宜采用意譯法,譯為“人們?nèi)菀缀鲆?rdquo;。由此整個(gè)句子可譯為: