定語從句的理解與翻譯

李也白

在中學(xué)英語的教學(xué)實(shí)踐中，我們發(fā)現(xiàn)有些定語從句，特別是一些非限制性定語從句，雖然具有定語從句的形式，卻兼有狀語從句甚至還有并列句和強(qiáng)調(diào)句的功能。在用法上也不像其他定語從句一樣，只起限定修飾先行詞的作用；在意義上與主句有狀語關(guān)系，說明原因、結(jié)果、目的、讓步、條件、假設(shè)、時(shí)間等關(guān)系?，F(xiàn)結(jié)合教材中的例句，談?wù)剬?duì)某些特殊定語從句的理解和翻譯。

一、譯成表示“原因”的狀語從句

1. A better method is to take the waste far out to sea in ship where wind and waves break it down. 比較好的辦法是把糞便用船運(yùn)到很遠(yuǎn)的海上，因?yàn)槟抢锏娘L(fēng)浪會(huì)把它分解。

2. Mr King，whose legs were badly hurt was quickly taken to hospital. 金先生很快被送往醫(yī)院，因?yàn)樗耐葒?yán)重受傷。

二、譯成表示“結(jié)果”的狀語從句

1. With the pay that he received and saved，he went on with his studies at university，where he received a doctors degree in 1905. 用掙來的工資和積蓄的錢，他繼續(xù)讀大學(xué)。結(jié)果在1905年他獲得了博士學(xué)位。

2. He began the research and studies which led to his new discoveries in physics. 他開始進(jìn)行了研究工作，結(jié)果這項(xiàng)工作使他在物理學(xué)方面獲得了新的發(fā)現(xiàn)。

三、譯成表示“目的”的狀語從句

1. But the Southern states wanted to set up a country of their own， where they would be free to keep black slaves. 但是南部各州卻想建立他們自己獨(dú)立的國家，為的是在那里可以把黑人當(dāng)作奴隸。

2. Finally another material is painted onto the stones which will protect them from water forever. 最后，在石頭上還要涂上一種涂料，以免這些石頭受雨侵蝕。

四、譯成表示“讓步”的狀語從句

1. In Britain，which has a population of only 58 million people，110，000 people die from smoking each year. 盡管英國人口只有5，800萬，每年卻有11萬人因吸煙而死去。

2. Many parts of the world， which once had large populations and produced plenty of crops， have become deserts. 世界上許多地區(qū)如今卻成了沙漠，雖然這些地區(qū)曾經(jīng)人口眾多，五谷豐登。

五、譯成表示“條件”、“假設(shè)”的狀語從句

1. It can be grown in places where it is too cold to grow rice. 如果有些地方氣候太冷，不能種稻谷，我們可以把馬鈴薯種在那里。

2. People who smoke in bed often fall asleep while they are smoking. 假如在床上吸煙，人們常常是吸著煙就睡著了。

六、譯成表示“時(shí)間”的狀語從句

1. At San Francisco the Pacific plate which is moving towards the northwest meets the North American plate. 當(dāng)太平洋板塊朝西北方向移動(dòng)時(shí)，它就會(huì)在舊金山同北美板塊相遇。

2. Second，electricity can now be made from the water which rushes through the base of the dam. 第二，現(xiàn)在，當(dāng)水從水壩底部急速流出時(shí)，可以被用來發(fā)電。

七、譯成并列句

1. Charlie Chaplin， who died in 1977，is considered one of the greatest and funniest actors in the history of the cinema. 查理·卓別林被認(rèn)為是電影史上最偉大、最滑稽的演員之一，他于1977年逝世了。

2. The French，after discovering the ruined temple， did a lot of repair work up till 1970，when the war forced the last of the French workforce to leave. 法國人在發(fā)現(xiàn)這座滿目瘡痍的寺廟后，做了大量的修復(fù)工作，一直到1970年為止，這時(shí)戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)迫使最后一批法國勞務(wù)人員離開。

八、有些定語從句感情色彩較濃，具有強(qiáng)調(diào)意味，我們可以將其轉(zhuǎn)譯成強(qiáng)調(diào)句

1. His mother， who loved him very much，died in 1818. →It was his mother who loved him very much but she died in 1818.

2. Then he went to Defarges wine shop，where he learnt why they were eager to have Charles sentenced to death. →Then he went to Defarges wine shop and it was there that he learnt why they were eager to have Charles sentenced to death.

綜上所述，對(duì)于某些特殊的定語從句，我們不宜機(jī)械地將其譯成定語，而應(yīng)善于從原文的字里行間發(fā)現(xiàn)這些邏輯上的關(guān)系，然后譯成更加恰當(dāng)?shù)?、更加符合邏輯的各種漢語句式。

編輯/梁宇清