peculiar to historical work in general or to the research techniques
appropriate to the various branches of historical inquiry.
【結(jié)構(gòu)分析】根據(jù)句子結(jié)構(gòu)和語意分析,這個句子可分成5段:主句(There is
no….)+從句(whether…)+后置定語(peculiar to…)+選擇性并列從句(or….)+后置定語(appropriate
to….)。從語意上講,主句講的是結(jié)果,從句說的是細節(jié)。根據(jù)漢語的表達習(xí)慣,譯文的表達順序正好與原文相反。
【參考譯文】方法論是指一般的歷史研究中特有的概念,還是指歷史研究中各個具體領(lǐng)域適用的研究方法,人們對此意見不一。
For example, they do not compensate for gross social inequality, and
thus do not tell how able an underprivileged youngster might have
been had he grown up under more favorable circumstances.
【結(jié)構(gòu)分析】這句話長達31個單詞。從結(jié)構(gòu)上講,它是主句(they do not…)+并列謂語(and thus do
not…)+賓語從句(how able an underprivileged youngster might…)+條件狀語從句(had
he…);從語義上講,它有四層意思:"不能…..因此…..不能會有多大的才干…..如果…."。根據(jù)對這個句子的結(jié)構(gòu)分析和語意分析,我們可以把它切分成四個小段:
For example, they do not compensate for gross social inequality, /
and thus do not tell / how able an underprivileged youngster might
have been / had he grown up under more favorable circumstances.
由于每一小段包含一個意群,切分后我們就可以試譯為:
例如,它們不能彌補巨大的社會不公,因此不能說明一個物質(zhì)條件差的年輕人會有多大才干,如果他在較好的環(huán)境中長大。
上海道正認為這樣的譯文可以說已經(jīng)很清楚,漢語也基本過得去,但仔細檢查一下,我們?nèi)匀话l(fā)現(xiàn)漢語表達中還有英語的影子,那就是表示條件"如果…."放在句子最后不大符合漢語的表達習(xí)慣,因此上海道正建議可以調(diào)整為
【參考譯文】例如,測試并不彌補明顯的社會不公,因此它們不能說明一個物質(zhì)條件差的年輕人,如果在較好的環(huán)境下成長的話,會有多大的才干。
Television, it is often said, keeps one informed about current
events, allows one to follow the latest developments in science and
politics, and offers an endless series of programs which are both
instructive entertaining.
【結(jié)構(gòu)分析】從句主語帶有三個并列的謂語keeps…, allows…, and offers…
構(gòu)成一個三項并列結(jié)構(gòu),第二個三項中又各有一小的二項并列結(jié)構(gòu)。
【參考譯文】人們常說,電視使人們了解最近發(fā)生的大事, 使人跟上最新科學(xué)和政治的發(fā)展,并向人們提供無終止的既有教育意義又有娛樂性的節(jié)目。
You have all heard it repeated that men of science work by means of
induction and deduction, that by the help of these operations, they,
in a sort of sense, manage to extract from Nature certain natural
laws, and that out of these, by some special skill of their own,
they build up their theories.
【機構(gòu)分析】如能看出此句所涉及的并列結(jié)構(gòu)… that …, that… , and that…,
即可以說解決了此句的關(guān)鍵疑難點。因此,遇到長句如能查看一下是否有并列結(jié)構(gòu)很重要。
【參考譯文】人們常說過,科學(xué)家使基于歸納法和演繹法工作,借助于這些方法,在某種意義上說,設(shè)法從自然界找出某些自然規(guī)律,然后根據(jù)這些規(guī)律,用他們自己特殊的技能逐步建立起自己的理論。
From agreement on this general goal, we have, unfortunately, in the
past proceeded to disagreement on specific goals, and from there to
total inaction.
【結(jié)構(gòu)分析】本句在詞序上是倒裝,順過來應(yīng)為:"We have, unfort5unately, in the past
proceeded form agreement on this general goal to disagreement on
specific goals and from there to total inaction."句中的there指agreement
on general goal。
【參考譯文】遺憾的是,在過去我們已經(jīng)從總目標的一致發(fā)展到在目標上的分歧,并且從有所作為到無所作為。
Just as all truck drivers and construction workers are no longer
necessarily men, all secretaries and receptionists are no longer
automatically women.
【結(jié)構(gòu)分析】這里句子結(jié)構(gòu)實際上是Just as…., so…..,
譯為"正如…..,……也一樣"。從上述我們可以看出,翻譯中的關(guān)鍵在于縮小兩種語言的結(jié)構(gòu)上的差距,如果能將差距縮小到最小限度,那么翻譯就小,這本身就證明了這點。
【參考譯文】正如所有的卡車司機和建筑工人不一定都是男的,所有的秘書和接待員也不一定都是女的。
Science moves forward, they say, not so much through the insights of
great men of genius as because of more ordinary things like improved
techniques and tools.
【結(jié)構(gòu)分析】此句中的主要結(jié)構(gòu)涉及not so much…as… 的固定表達,意為:"與其說… …不如說… …"。
【參考譯文】一些新學(xué)派科學(xué)家說,科學(xué)的發(fā)展與其說起源于偉大天才的真知灼見不如說是由于改進了的技術(shù)和工具等更為普通的事物。
Interest in historical methods has arisen less through external
challenge to the validity of history as an intellectual discipline
and more from internal quarrels among historians themselves.
【結(jié)構(gòu)分析】本句的結(jié)構(gòu)是:Interest---has arisen less through---and more from---
【參考譯文】人們之所以關(guān)注歷史研究的方法論,主要是因為史學(xué)界內(nèi)部意見不一,其次是因為外界并不認為歷史是一門學(xué)問。
This will be particularly true since energy pinch will make it
difficult to combine agriculture in the high-energy American fashion
that makes it possible to combine few farmers with high yields.
【結(jié)構(gòu)分析】本句中,since引導(dǎo)的原因狀語從句,其中,to combine agriculture---是will
make的賓語,it是形式賓語;而to combine few---也是賓語,它作makes的賓語,makes后面的it也是形式賓語。
【參考譯文】這種困境是確定無疑的,因為能源的匱乏使農(nóng)業(yè)無法以高能量消耗這種美國的耕作方式繼續(xù)下去,而這種耕作方式使投入極少數(shù)農(nóng)民可獲得高產(chǎn)成為可能。
It is not that the scales in the one case, and the balance in the
other, differ in the principles of their construction or manner of
working but that the latter is a much finer apparatus and of course
much more accurate in its measurement than the former.
【結(jié)構(gòu)分析】本句結(jié)構(gòu)復(fù)雜:從整體來看,這是一個 "not---but---"
的結(jié)構(gòu),譯為"不是…而是…"。根據(jù)上下文我們知道,在not后面的that從句中,scales
指代"面包師或屠夫使用的磅秤",而balance指代"化學(xué)家使用的天平"。在but后面的that從句中,有一個比較級結(jié)構(gòu)"---much
finer --- much more --- than --- ", 其中,the latter指代balance,而the
former指代scales。
【參考譯文】這并不是說面包師或買肉者所使用的磅秤和化學(xué)家所使用的天平在構(gòu)造原理和工作方式上存在差別,而是說與前者相比,后者師一種更精密的裝置,因而在計量上必然更準確得多。