对英语无灵主语句的理解与翻译,本文主要内容关键词为:主语论文,英语论文,此文献不代表本站观点,内容供学术参考,文章仅供参考阅读下载。
在人教版高中英语新教材(NSEFC)必修一第五单元Reading部分有这样一个句子:
The last thirty years have seen the greatest number of laws stopping our rights and progress,until today we have reached a stage where we have almost no rights at all.最近三十年来(我们)已经亲历了许多法律剥夺了我们的权利、阻止了我们进步,直到今天,我们已经到了毫无任何权利可言的程度。
同样,(NSEFC)必修四第一单元Reading部分也有这样一个句子:
However,the evening makes it all worthwhile.然而,今天晚上(这)使得一切都是值得的。
同样的,在原教材(SEFC)第二册(下)第十四单元A Freedom Fighter中也有这样一个句子:
The city saw a series of fierce fights between blacks and whites in the 1960s and Dr.King was shot and killed in 1968.这个城市(我们)目睹了二十世纪六十年代黑人和白人之间一系列激烈的斗争,金先生在1968年被枪击身亡。
我们通过观察可以看出,上面这些句子的主语要么为时间名词,要么为地点名词,而谓语动词则是see,make,witness等,翻译时往往带有明显的“拟人”修辞色彩。这类句子在现行的人教版高中英语新教材中非常多。语言学家Holliday(1994)把它称为“无灵主语句”,而钱歌川先生(1972)在《英文疑难详解》一书中则称其为“无生物主语句”。从表面上看,句子的主语是时间名词或地点名词,而实际上,真正的主语被隐去了以使句子更简洁、地道。例如:
1976 saw three top leaders of China passed away.1976年,中国的三位伟人相继逝世。
That day made his dream come true.那天他终于梦想成真。
2010 saw some of Taiwan's politicians come to visit the mainland of China one after another.2010年,台湾的多位政治家相继来大陆访问。
This old house has seen better days.这座古屋曾经风光过一段时间。
National Day saw people singing and dancing happily in the streets.国庆节,人们在街上载歌载舞。
This year sees the hundredth anniversary of the great musician's death.今年,那位著名音乐家逝世一百周年。
这类句子在大学英语中很常见,而且很多专家学者也都从英、汉语的不同思维角度对此类句子进行了深入系统的分析和研究。但是在中学英语阶段,很多学生对此却非常陌生,不知如何理解。因此本文中笔者拟从这类句子的表达方式及修辞色彩方面着手进行分析与探讨并进行归纳总结,以期能够对广大师生理解这类语言现象有所帮助。
在英语中,句子主语常用人称和非人称两种形式来表示。用人称主语表达时,其含义是“某人做什么”,和汉语表达的意思差不多,这很好理解。但若用非人称主语表达时,其含义则是“某事发生在某人身上”,译成汉语时,意为“某人怎么样了”,因为英汉语的思维方式不同,所表达的意思自然也就不一样,故较难理解。例如:
A good idea suddenly struck him.他突然想到一个好主意。
A strange peace came over her when she was alone at night.晚上,当她独自一人的时候便有了一丝的安宁。
Work filled his mind.他时刻想的都是工作。
Quick-wit never deserts his brother.他弟弟总是机灵得很。
The new century will see the appearance of a powerful China.新世纪见证了一个强大的中国出现。
The world history has seen more tears than laughter.历史上泪水总比欢笑多。
非人称主语的句型主要有两种:
一种是采用“无灵主语”,即用表抽象概念、情感特征、事物名称、时间、地点等名词作主语,而谓语则用“有灵动词”如see,find,witness,say,fail,give,kill,strike,hit,bring,drive,come,permit,deprive,desert,escape,serve,invite等,以表人(或人的团体)的动作或行为,而且这类句子往往带有拟人(personification)的修辞色彩。例如:
The pressure of other occupations has prevented me from sending an earlier reply to your letter.工作的压力使得我未能及时给你回信。
Paying his son's debts left him almost penniless.给他儿子还账使得他身无分文。
The year 1949 witnessed the founding of the People's Republic of China.1949年,中华人民共和国成立。
The thick carpet killed the sound of my footsteps.走在厚厚的地毯上,一点脚步声也没有。
Our violent attack sent the enemy flying in all directions.我们的暴力袭击使得敌人横尸遍野。
Liberation found my hometown with few hospitals.解放时,我的家乡没有几个医院。
The thought of his mother gave him the strength to get on doing it.一想到他的妈妈,他就有了一直坚持下去的信心和力量。
My watch says five.我的表显示是五点钟。
The year 2008 witnessed an unprecedented disastrous flood in Changjiang River basin.2008年长江流域发生了史无前例的大洪灾。
April finds agreeable weather in Kunming.四月份,昆明气候相当暖和。
The year 2011 saw/found me preparing for the graduation examination for NMET.2011年我准备参加高考。
另一种是用非人称代词“it”作主语。例如:
It never occurred to me that she was so dishonest.我没想到她竟然如此不老实。
It hit me that he had helped me too much.我突然想到他曾经帮过我许多忙。
这两类句子都非常简洁凝练、生动活泼,表现力极为丰富。
本文重点讨论第一种情况。
英语无灵主语句在各种阅读材料中比比皆是。能够在无灵主语句中充当主语的名词常是表时间、地点、情感特征或某些具体事物的名词、动词化名词等。分述如下:
一、时间或地点名词作主语
这类句子的主语常是表时间或地点的名词如China,2008,the year 1949,morning,dusk,autumn,spring,afternoon等,谓语动词常是see,witness,find,tell,bring,look等有灵动词。例如:
Tian Anmen Square witnessed the May 4th Movement.五四运动发生于天安门广场。
A few moments brought them to a cottage door,at which the owner knocked.一会儿之后,他们来到了一座茅屋门口,主人敲了敲门。
The past 30 years saw the steady improvement in people's living standard.过去30年间,人们的生活水平得到了稳步提高。
The fifth day saw them at the summit.第五天,他们爬上了山顶。
Autumn finds a beautiful sunny Beijing.北京的秋天秋高气爽。
That chilly afternoon witnessed him trudging in the snow.那个寒冷的下午,他在雪地里蹒跚前行。
Dusk found the child crying in the street.黄昏时分我发现那个孩子在街上哭。
October 2010 found my studying in Shanghai.2010年10月,我在上海学习。
The fog doesn't favor our landing.大雾使得我们无法安全着陆。
The weather favored the harvesting.这个天气预示着有个好收成。
Time permitting,I'll go to see you.如果时间允许,我会来看你的。
The moon peered out from behind a cloud.月亮从云彩后露出了笑脸。
The morning sun greeted us as we came out of the summit.登上顶峰,便见到一轮红日。
Darkness frightens children.孩子们怕黑。
Time and tide wait for no man.岁月不饶人。
二、表情感特征的抽象名词作主语
这种无灵主语句的主语通常是表情感特征的抽象名词如curiosity,absence,courage,misfortune,care,kindness,depression,remoteness,ignorance,force,sadness,loneliness,anxiety,bitterness,illness,danger,anger,fear,grief,astonishment,excitement,depression,loneliness等,而谓语动词则是有拟人化倾向的有灵动词,如excite,tear,deprive,cause,drive,make,frighten,escape,convince,bear,visit,kill,wait,fail,grow等。例如:
Curiosity drove Wang Peng inside.好奇心驱使王鹏走了进去。(必修3)
Anxiety tore her into pieces.她焦虑不安,身心憔悴。
I don't mind because danger excites me and makes me feel alive.我不介意因为危险使得我兴奋、让我激动。(选修6)
Excitement deprived me of all power of speech.我激动得什么话都说不出来。
His absence of mind during the driving nearly caused an accident.他开车时心不在焉,差点出了车祸。
Absence and distance make the outer seas Chinese increasingly fond of mainland.海外漂泊使得海外华人更加向往大陆。
An absence of sleep left those workers very tired.缺乏睡眠使得工人们非常疲倦。(选修7)
His slowness lost him the chance.反应迟钝使他失去了这次机会。
A touch of frustration and helplessness come over me as I realize how time flies.失望和无助降临到我头上我才意识到时间过得太快了。
Anger chocked his words.他气得说不出话来。
Fear gripped her heart.她心中充满恐惧。
His courage failed him.他失去了勇气。
A new dignity crept into his walk.他走起路来平添了几分尊严。
Grief bears heavily on her.她承受不住悲伤的巨大压力。
His illness left him weak.患这场病使得他身体很虚弱。
The dullness of the lectures almost killed my love for English.这些无聊的讲座几乎使我失去了对英语的兴趣。
A great misfortune crept over the whole city.一种不幸盘旋在城市上空。
Care and kindness surrounded us on every side.关心和友善使得我们得到了支持。
当然,有时这类句子的主语也不一定是抽象名词,具体名词偶尔也能充当。如:
A heavy snowstorm visited Xi'an and caused heavy traffic for days.一场暴雪降临西安使得交通拥挤了好几天。
Her name escaped me for the moment.我一时想不起她的名字。
Past experience has taught us that we should not depend on others for everything.过去的经历教会了我们不要什么事情都靠别人。
三、某些表具体事物的名词作主语
这类句子的主语通常是一些表具体事物的名词如watch,carpet,soil,wind等,谓语常常是一些有灵动词如say,kill,talk,drink,kiss,speak,tell,cry,invite等,这种搭配给原本无生命的东西赋予了生命特征,具有拟人化的修辞效果,使语言表达生动形象,让人易于产生联想。例如:
The guilt chewed me.我有一种犯罪感。
The thirsty soil drank in the rain.干涸的土壤饱吸着雨水。
The monument to the people heroes speaks before the silent lookers-on.人民英雄纪念碑向那些肃穆的来访者诉说着一切。
A soft wind kissed the top of the trees at night.傍晚,微风吹拂着树梢。
The issue asked the worldwide media's immediate attention.这一问题立即引起全世界媒体的关注。
The children's faces spoke their hope.孩子们的脸上充满着希望。
A sudden shower killed the wind.一场突如其来的雷阵雨使得一丝风也没有。
The title of the book invites the readers'interest.这本书的题目激发起读者的兴趣。
These calendar pictures appeals to the public.这些日历图片立即吸引了公众的眼球。
His words sent a quiver through my body.他说的话吓得我全身发抖。
四、某些具有动作意味的动词化名词作主语
这类句子的主语通常是具有动作意味的动词化名词如absence,discovery,arrival,plan,investigation,study,encouragement,comparison,understanding,knowledge,pursuit,return,attack,realization,appreciation等,或者具有动作意味的名词如idea,thought,sight等。这类词常与其他修饰词一起构成无灵主语句的主语,并且与其前后的修饰词之间要么构成逻辑上的主谓关系要么构成动宾关系。例如:
The discovery of new species will lead to new drugs.(我们)发现新物种后就可以研制新药。
Understanding how HIV works itself leads to a vaccine against it.了解HIV如何起作用有助于研究治疗它的疫苗。
Careful comparison of both will show you the difference.仔细对照就可发现它们的区别。
The visitor's arrival made us so happy.客人的到来使得我们非常高兴。
Further experiments gave us some exciting results.进一步实验使得我们得到了让人兴奋的结果。
A warm thought came across me.我突然有一个想法。
The plan promises good result.这个计划预示着有一个好结果。
The pursuit of the truth cost him his life.对真理的追求使他献出了一生。
The sight of the old picture gave me a good memory.一见到那幅旧照片就勾起了我美好的回忆。
Investigation led us to the foregoing conclusion.经过调查,得出上述结论。
Our violent attack sent the enemy flying in all direction.我们的暴力袭击使得敌人横尸遍野。
My admiration for Kunming grew more with time.我对昆明的欣赏与日俱增。
The realization of this objective will bring China into further development.认识这一目标将会使中国进一步发展。
The return of Hong Kong made the Chinese people proud.香港回归使得全体中华民族非常自豪。
Their appreciation of the performance was expressed in loud cheers.用欢呼声以表示对舞蹈的欣赏。
The thought of summer suggests swimming.一想到夏天就想到游泳。
The remembrance of these will add warmth to his life.他想到这些,便会增加生活的热情。
A glance through his office window offers a panoramic view of Tian Anmen Square and the Monument to The People's Heroes.从他的办公室窗口一眼就可以看到天安门广场和人民英雄纪念碑。
The sight and sound of our planes filled me with special longing.看到我们的飞机,听到隆隆的机声,令我特别神往。
此外,在英语中还有一些其他形式的无灵主语句,如“there be”句型,习惯用语等,因其具有非人称倾向,但又不明显,翻译时常用“人们”、“大家”等模糊词作主语,有时甚至干脆不用。如:
To see is to believe.眼见为实。
To err is human; to forgive(is)divine.人孰无过,孰过者神。
Where there is a will,there is a way.有志者,事竟成。
综上所述讨论情况,我们可以归纳得到以下结论:
1.若主语是表时间、地点等的名词时,翻译时常用人作主语,从而把原来的主语翻译成时间状语或地点状语以符合汉语表达习惯。例如:
The 19th century saw many changes.19世纪,(我们)经历了许多变化。
Rome witnessed many great historic events.在罗马,(他们)目睹了许多历史大事的发生。
2.若谓语动词是表情感型动词如:surprise,disappoint,excite,disturb,inspire,puzzle,annoy,trouble,shock等,或得失型动词如:lost,get,gain,take,fail,save,win,leave,cost等时,翻译时常常保留句子主语,而谓语动词则译成“使……”结构。例如:
The beautiful scenery gained the place quite a reputation.美丽的景色使得这个地方声名鹊起。
Carelessness driving cost his life.粗心驾驶使得他丧失了生命。
Words failed me when I saw the scene.看到这个情景使得我无话可说。
3.若谓语动词是感官动词如:see,witness,speak,tell等,翻译时也保留句子主语,但要引申谓语动词含义,此时常用“显示”、“表明”、“产生”、“见证”、“目睹”等翻译谓语动词。例如:
The year 2011 witnessed a big earthquake in Japan.2011年日本发生了一场大地震。
4.若遇到某些特殊句型,翻译时要用模糊表达如“人们”、“大家”等重新确定主语,引申动词词义。例如:
It is widely accepted/recognized that he is successful.大家公认他是成功的。
It is believed that success results from hard work.人们常认为成功来自勤奋。
5.有些无灵主语句的主语是抽象名词,在翻译时也用无主句的办法处理。例如:
Rumors about her had already spread along the street.有关她的谣言早就传遍了大街小巷。
6.若句子谓语动词是say,greet,awake,kiss,feed on等动词,而句子主语又具有无生命特征,常把它翻译成具有“拟人”修辞手法的句子。例如:
The sun was just kissing the horizon.太阳从地平线冉冉升起。
The construction site awoke.整个建筑工地一片热火朝天。
结束语
从上面的例子分析可以知道,英语中无灵主语句在语言表达上常以客体作为论述的出发点,在句式表现上多用无生命的名词作主体,这一特点又常具有拟人的修辞特征,正是这一特征使得英语中无灵主语句具有丰富的表达内涵,使句子结构更加简洁明了,表达更为地道,也更能体现英语语言的独特魅力,我们应该细细揣摩这类句子,认真体会其韵味。
注:1.本文从网络上选取部分句子,但无法找到原作者,在此特表感谢。2.本文中“必修”均指“人教版高中英语教材必修”。