文档介绍：定语从句的翻译
英语中的定语从句有两种:限制性定语从句和非限制性定语从句。
限制性定语从句是先行词不可缺少的部分,去掉它主句意思往往不明确;
非限制性定语从句是先行词的附加说明,去掉了也不会影响主句的意思,它与主句之间通常用逗号分开。
This is the house which we bought last month.
这是我们上个月买的那幢房子。(限制性)
The house, which we bought last month, is very nice.
这幢房子很漂亮,是我们上个月买的。(非限制性)
当先行词是专有名词或物主代词和指示代词所修饰时,其后的定语从句通常是非限制性的,例如: Charles Smith, who was my former teacher, retired last year.
查理·史密斯去年退休了,他曾经是我的老师。 My house, which I bought last year, has got a lovely garden.
我去年买的的那幢房子带着个漂亮的花园。 This novel, which I have read three times, is very touching.
这本小说很动人,我已经读了三遍。
非限制性定语从句还能将整个主句作为先行词, 对其进行修饰, 这时从句谓语动词要用第三人称单数,例如: He seems not to have grasped what I meant, which greatly upsets me.
他似乎没抓住我的意思,这使我心烦。 Liquid water changes to vapor, which is called evaporation.
液态水变为蒸汽,这就叫做蒸发
常用的定语从句的翻译方法
一、合译法
合译法通常用于句式较短的情况,主要以限制性定语从句为主。在英译汉时,一般将其译成“的”字结构,有时也将定语部分译成谓语、兼语句的一部分或带有“这”字句的简单句。
“的”字结构
这是最为常见的一种英译汉的方式,翻译成中文时,将定语部分放在被修饰名词的前面
He is not the one who will give up easily.
他不是一个轻易服输的人。
Our two countries are neighbors whose friendship is of long standing.
我们两国是友谊长存的有好邻邦。
The people who worked for him lived in mortal fear of him
在他手下工作的人对他怕的要死。
There happened to be a student who was able to work out the math problem.
碰巧有一个学生能解出这道数学难题。
另外,有些定语从句英译汉时要需要将主句压缩成主语,而将定语从句译成谓语,融合为一个句子。
We have a social and political system that differed in many respects from your own.
我们的社会和政治体制在很多方面都与贵国的不一样。
We shall have a lot of people who will visit our college.
.许多人将来参观我们学校。
This is a paper mill that was built ten years ago
这家造纸厂是十年前建的。
约定俗成式定语从句是指一种it...that...的句式,这种含约定俗成式定语从句的复合句的意思实际上相当于一个让步状语从句。如It is a wise mother that knows her own daughter.(再聪慧的母亲也不见得了解自己的女儿。) 原句相当于一个状语从句No matter how wise a mother is, she may not know her own ,即将主句和从句溶合在一起翻译。例如:
It is a good machine that can work without power.
再好的机器也要有动力才能开动。
It is a long lane that has no turning.
再长的巷子也会有转弯的。
3、译成兼语句的一部分
兼语式妈妈叫我出去看看发生了什么事?
小明通知小刚来开会。
兼语句,是句中某一部分同时兼有两种不同的语句成分。