第九讲 否定句的翻译法 （Translation of Negative Sentences）
“否定”与“肯定”是人们逻辑思维中彼此对立的一对概念，完全相反，不容混淆，但每一种语言都有一套独特的表达否定概念的形式和手段。有些英语句子，如果按照汉语的习惯去推想，往往不免造成以是为非或以非为是的理解错误。现将常见的英语中的否定句型介绍如下：
一、否定成分的转译
⒈ 有些英语否定句，虽然是用否定谓语的形式，但意义上却是否定其它成分或否定全句。
① Sound does not travel so fast as light.
声音不像光那样传播快。（否定全句）
（不能译为：声音不传播像光那样快。）
② The mountain is not valued because it is high.（否定状语）
山并不因为它高而具有价值。
（不能译为：山没价值，因为它高。）
③ I don't think it easy for you to do that.（否定兼语式第二谓语。）
我认为你做那事不容易。
⒉ 有些英语否定句，虽然是用否定名词的形式，但意义上却是否定其它成分或否定全句。
① Neutrons carry no charge.
中子不带电。（否定全句）
② Nobody can be set in motion without having a force act upon it.
如果不让力作用于物体上，就不能使物体运动。（否定谓语）
二、部分否定的译法
有些英语否定句中含有all，every，both，always等词与否定词not连用，汉语译为“不是所有都”、“不是每个都”、“不是两者都”、“不总是”。
⒈ All minerals do not come from mines.
(= Not all minerals come from mines.)
并非所有矿物都来自矿山。
⒉ Every subject is not treated in the same way.
不是每个题目都以同样方法处理。
⒊ Both of the substances do not dissolve in water.
不是两种物质都溶于水。
⒋ An engine may not always do work at its rated horse power.发动机并非始终以标定马力做功。
三、常用否定意义词的译法
⒈ 副词never，nowhere
never表示时间与at no time同义。
nowhere表示地点，与in （或to ） no place同义。
① Never before have we seen so large a plant like this.
过去人们从未见过这样大的工厂。
② They can go nowhere because of the heavy rain.
因为雨大他们无处可去。
⒉ 连词neither…nor…，既不…，也不…
Energy can neither be created, nor destroyed.
能量既不能创造，也不能消灭。
⒊ 介词without
该介词的基本意义是“没有”，其后常接名词或动名词，构成介词短语，通常用于否定句中，表示条件，可译作“（如果）没有…就…”。
有时也用于肯定句中，表示行为方式或结果。
① Nothing could live without water.
如果没有水什么也活不成。
② The transistors may be put close to each other without overheating.
晶体管可以贴近安装而不过热。
⒋ 介词but for.
经常用在虚拟语气的句子中，表示否定的条件。
But for air and water, anything could not live.
要是没有空气和水，什么也无法生存。
5. 连词unless.
Unless compelled to stay in by bad weather, I go for a walk every day.
除非天气不好被迫待在家里，我每天出去散步。
⒍常用的否定词还有：
too…to…，太…不…
too…for…，太…不…
free from 没有，free of 没有
fail to 不能，没有，instead of 而不是
in the absence of 没有…时
nothing but 只是
......
① The distance from the sun to the earth is too great to imagine.
太阳到地球的距离大得不可想象。
② Please lend me that dictionary instead of this one.
请借给我那本词典，不要这本。
四、双重否定的译法
英语和汉语一样，也有双重否定结构。英语的双重否定是由两个否定词连用，或一个否定词与某些表示否定意义的词连用而构成。双重否定表示否定之否定，即强意肯定，因此译成汉语时，既可译成双重否定，也可译成肯定。
⒈There is no steel not containing carbon.
没有不含碳的钢。
⒉A man is never too old to learn.
活到老，学到老。
Exercises:
Translate the following sentences into Chinese:
1．They do not study in our college.
2．I did not solve this problem with a computer.
3．No natural products can meet the ever-increasing needs of our machine-building industry.
4．You have no reason to waster your time.
5．All the students do not learn English. Some of them learn Japanese.
6．All is not gold that glitters.
7．Every one cannot answer.
8．Both of you are not correct.
9．I don't think he is correct.
10．She doesn't seem to know about it.
11．The motor did not stop because the electricity was off.
12．I'm not always at home on Sundays.
13．Never have I met such a strange person.
14．Neither could theory do without practice, nor could practice do without theory.
15．The old machine will not work any longer without being repaired.
16．But for friction, even walking would be impossible.
17．China is a country free of the exploitation of man by man.
18．He is always thinking of nothing but others.
19．He did very well, but he failed to break the record.
20．There is no law that has not exceptions.
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