一、对于翻译多重嵌套复合句,可以采用拆分句子的方式,首先找准句子主干,滤去修饰性成分,尤其是长的后置定语或者定语从句,然后再用指代词把滤去的成分逐步添加进来。例如,
But the idea that the journalist must understand the law more profoundly than an ordinary citizen rests on an understanding of the established conventions and special responsibilities of the news media.(07年考试真题)
分析:句子主干是the idea…rests on an understanding…, that后面跟的是idea的同位语从句,of后面跟的则是修饰understanding的后置定语。按照中文的习惯,在这句话中,我们选择先翻译从句以避免所指不明晰。
Furthermore, humans have the ability to modify the environment in which they live, thus subjecting all other life forms to their own peculiar ideas and fancies.(03年第61题)
分析:很多同学对这个句子的后半句感到费劲是因为没有看懂后半句话中的核心词组subject… to。考研英语是一个系统连贯的工程,考生平常可以通过对真题的大量研究,找出词频规律,对那些高频的单词和词组应多加注意。例如,本题中的subject… to在04年第28题All theories, however, are tentative and are subject to criticism出现过,在05年完形填空13题的备选干扰项中也出现了。意思为,使臣服,使服从。
三、纵观这两年考研翻译选题,新增语言考点有借鉴选自国外著名领导人演讲稿的趋势。例如06年第49题(But his primary task is not to think about the moral code which governs his activity, any more than a businessman is expected to dedicate his energies to an exploration of rules of conduct in business),核心句式not…any more than…就是出自肯尼迪总统为登月计划发表的演讲中所采用的一个句式:I do not say that we should or will go unprotected against the hostile misuse of space any more than we go unprotected against the hostile use of land and sea. 再比如05年第50题In dealing with a challenge on such a scale, it is no exaggeration to say, “Unity we stand, divided we fall”--…,Unity we stand, divided we fall 也是出自林肯总统著名的Gettysburg Address. 熟悉原文的同学则可以翻译的更“雅”一些,比如,团结则存,分裂则亡或者合即立,分即垮等等。这些雅致的翻译也会在判卷的时候为考生增分。