第六讲定语和定语从句的译法

第六讲　定语和定语从句的译法 （Translation of Attribute and Attributive Clause）

一、概说

用作定语的词有形容词、代词、数词、名词或名词所有格。一般情况下，这些修饰词都放在被修饰的名词前，译成汉语时，一般也按此顺序，采用顺译法。故在此我不打算多加说明。

但当分词，尤其是分词短语，或介词短语用作定语时，由于短语比较长，一般都放在被修饰的词后面，用作后置定语。译成汉语时，则要根据情况可采用合译法，也可采用分译法。

就定语从句来说，则可分为限制性定语从句和非限制性定语从句两种。一般说来，限制性定语从句与被说明的词关系比较紧密，在翻译时常采用合译法，非限制性定语从句与被说明的词关系比较松散，一般采用分译法。但在翻译的实践中，这两种定语从句常常可灵活处理。在一定条件下，限制性定语从句可采用分译法，非限制性定语从句可以采取合译法，而且有的定语从句，根据其含义，还可以译成状语从句等等。下面介绍几种常用的翻译方法。

二、分词短语和介词短语的译法

（一） 合译法: 一般用于分词短语或介词短语与被修饰的词关系比较紧密的情况下

⒈ Devices that read data magnetically recorded on specially coated plastic tapes or flexible or floppy　 plastic disk are popular.

分析：

其中：① magnetically recorded on … floppy plastic disk是过去分词短语,作定语修饰data。

② specially coated是过去分词短语,作定语修饰plastic tapes or flexible or floppy plastic disk。

译文：能读出记录在涂有特殊磁性材料的塑料带或软盘上数据的装置(或译为设备)是普遍的。

（注：其中flexible和floppy是同义词只译一个)

⒉ electrical pulses pass along these nerves, rather like an electric current passing through insulated wires.

其中：① passing through insulated wires是现在分词短语作后置定语,修饰：current。

② insulated是过去分词作定语,修饰：wires。

译文：电脉冲通过这些神经,非常像通过绝缘导线的电流。（或译为：非常像电流通过绝缘导线。）

⒊ The semiconductor storage chips commonly used in the CPU have the fastest access times.

其中：commonly used in the CPU是过去分词短语作定语，修饰chips。

译文：通常使用在CPU中的半导体存储芯片有最快的存取速度。

⒋ Most of the products on display are new ones.

其中：on display 是介词短语作定语，修饰products。

译文：展出的产品大多数是新产品。

（二）分译法：一般用于补充说明被修饰词的情况下，同时往往要增译被修饰的词

⒈ The second —generation computers were given auxiliary storage, sometimes called external or secondary storage.

其中：sometimes called … storage. 是过去分词短语作后置定语,修饰auxiliary storage。

译文：第二代计算机配有辅助存储器，有时（它）被称作为外存储器或二级存储器。

⒉ Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 is the first scaleable, high-performance data base management system designed to meet the demanding requirements of distributed client / server computing.

其中：designed to meet … computing是过去分词作后置定语，修饰：…management system。

译文：微软的结构查询语言服务系统6.5版本是第一部可缩放、高性能数据库管理系统，其设计是为了满足分布式客户机/服务器计算的需要。

三、定语从句的译法

（一）合译法:一般适用于限制性定语从句和限定意义较强句子较短的非限制性定语从句。

⒈ Most of the signals that flash through the brain are internal message from nerve cell to nerve cell.

译文：闪过大脑的大多数信号是神经细胞与神经细胞之间的内部信息。（限制性定语从句）

⒉ Like the human brain, a computer also has a memory where it can store vast quantities of information.

像人脑一样,计算机也有一个能够存储大量信息的“记忆装置”。(限制性定语从句)

⒊ A computer consists of very small parts, which work like the nerve cells of the human brain.

计算机由功能像人脑的神经细胞那样的非常小的部件组成。(非限制性定语从句)

（二）分译法：一般适用于非限制性定语从句和某些句子较长的限制性定语从句。

⒈ Electronic computers, which make it possible to free man from the labour of complex measurements and computations, have found wide application in engineering.

电子计算机在工程技术上已获得了广泛应用，它使人们可以摆脱复杂的测量和计量劳动。

(非限制性定语从句，把关系代词“which”译成“它”)

⒉ The third-generation computer is marked chiefly by the development of integrated circuits, which replaced transistors with integrated circuits.

第三代计算机是以集成电路研制（或译为开发或development省译）为主要标志，第三代计算机用集成电路来替代晶体管。

（非限制性定语从句，把关系代词“which” ，重复译为主语，第三代计算机。）

⒊ There are also tiny switches which can stop an electrical impulse or let it pass.

还有一些小开关，它们能阻止电脉冲通过,或让其通过。

（限制性定语从句，把关系代词“which”译为它们，代表先行词tiny switches。）

（三）根据上下文的意义，某些定语从句可译为原因、结果、目的、让步、条件等状语从句。

⒈ The computer, which seems to play the role of a human brain, is often called an electronic brain.

由于电子计算机起着类似人脑的作用，所以常被称作电脑。（原因）。

⒉ Copper, which is used so widely for carrying electricity, offers very little resistance.

铜的电阻很小，因此广泛地用来输电。（结果)

⒊ We have to oil the moving parts of the machine, the friction of which may be greatly reduced.

我们必须给机器的可动部件加油，以便使摩擦力大大减小。（目的）

⒋ Electronic computers, which have many advantages, cannot carry out creative work and replace man.

虽然电子计算机有很多优点，但它不能进行创造性的工作，也代替不了人。（让步）

⒌ A body that contains only atoms with same general properties is called an element.

具有同样特性的同种原子组成的物质叫做单质。（条件）

（四）综合整理法：有时用以上三种方法都很难正确表达，则要根据汉语习惯，进行综合整理。

The electronic devices are used in radios and television sets, where they do many complex things.

用在无线电和电视机中的电子器件做着许多复杂的事情。

Exercises:

Translate the following sentences into Chinese, paying attention to the translation of the attribute and the attributive clause:

1．The combination of the microprocessor and other densely packed chips used for storage and input/output operation forms modern microcomputers.(合译)

2．Videotex is a form of electronic publishing that consists of a database connected to terminal or personal computers.(合译)

3．The first fully operational microprocessor, sometimes called a “computer on a chip”，was invented in 1971.（分译）

4．Your answers were compared against answer key form prepared by the instructor or testing service.(分译)

5．It can even type letters you dictate to it, and that in any language you choose.(合译)

6．Substances which allow electricity to flow through them freely are called conductors.(合译)

7．The arithmetic that computers have to do is mostly fairly simple.(合译)

8．The human brain contains several billion nerve calls, which are connected with one another by fine nerves.(分译)

9．Later computer had transistors and at present they use integrated circuits which take up an incredibly small space.(分译)

10．The design of this mobile robot was a complex one, which took us a lot of time to do.(译为结果状语从句)

11．Man can not live on the moon, where there is no air and water.(译为原因状语从句)

12．An electronic computer is a machine which can process data and information.(合译)

13．The basic difference between the digital computer and the analogue computer is the way in which mathematical quantities are represented. (合译)

14．The electronic devices are used in computers as switches that simply turn on and off.(综合整理)

15．The computer has a memory in which the whole program can be stored.(分译)

16．The course of calculation is very much like a railroad for which the track (the program) is laid out in advance. (合译)

17．The term, software, is applied here to a program whose purpose is not to solve a given problem or to operate an accounting system but to facilitate the use of the computer in one of these applications. (分译)