英语翻译技巧第八节 英语被动语态的翻译

第八节英语被动语态的翻译

汉英对比，英语的被动句显然多于汉语，因为英语重视形态（形式），汉语不重视形态，重视语感。如：

（1）海水不可斗量。（2）文章总算写好了。说汉语的

人自古以来有一种主体思维方式，认为“成事者必在

人”，施事者“尽在不言之中”。所以很多被动关系不必

一定用“被”字句。

一、被动语态的语义价值

第一、被动语态有强调受事者，将它置于话题(topic)的主位的语用功能。

1).Peter was robbed to pay Paul.

Peter was robbed by him to pay Paul.

他偷了彼得的钱去还保尔的债。(他剜肉补疮。）

2).The happy man cannot be harried.

吉人自有天相。

第二、被动语态有承接上句的修辞功能。

3）Many advances in computer technology took place

in the twenty years after 1950.They are generally

classified into four stages or generations.

第三、被动语态在特定的语境中表达对主语的尊敬或说话者的谦恭。

4)Where can you be reached?

在什么地方可以找到您？（请问您住在什么地方？）

5)When will I be interviewed?

我什么时候来参加面试呢？

第四、被动语态常用以表示说话者对所提出的话题持有某种客观态度，因而比较委婉。

6)He is said to be the most respected teacher in

our Department.

7)It is suggested that each speaker is alloted

five minutes.

建议每位发言者讲话不要超过五分钟。

二、被动语态的翻译问题

（一）译成汉语主动句

1、原文中的主语在译文中仍作主语

2、原文中的主语在译文中作宾语

3、译成带表语的主动句“…的是…”或“……是……的”

4、常用被动句型的翻译

5、用“在…下”式（主动式动词+介短）

（二）译成汉语被动句

1、“被…”或“给…”“让”“叫”

2、“（遭）受…”

3、“为…所”

4、“加以”“予以”“给以”

（三）译成“把”“使”“由”字句

（一）译成汉语主动句

1、原文中的主语在译文中仍作主语

1）His pride must be pinched.

他这股傲气应该打下去。

2）The whole country was armed in a few days.

几天以内全国武装起来了。

3）The sense of inferiority that he acquired in his youth has never been totally eradicated.

他在青少年时期留下的自卑感，还没有完全消除。

4）On their domestic stations events in the Middle East were dismissed briefly.

在他们国内电台的广播中，中东事件只轻描淡写地报导了一下。

5）A new instant Nespray has been put into the market in HongKong.

新配方雀巢即溶奶粉在港上市。

作业：

1)A new student is kept on probation for one

semester.

2)With the outbreak of the war, flights were

stepped up.

3)Most of the questions have been settled

satisfactorily,only a few questions of secondary

importance remain to be discussed.

4)This liquid became mixed with the salt at room

temperature.

5)It should have been obvious that the plan would

have to be scrapped.

2、原文中的主语在译文中作宾语

1)By the end of the war 800 people had been saved by the

organization,but at a cost of over 200

Belgian and French lives.

大战终了时，这个组织拯救了八百人，但那是以二百多比利时人和法国人的生命为代价的。

2)It would be astonishing if that loss were not keenly

felt.

如果（人们）不强烈地感到损失，那倒是奇怪了。

3)Mr.Billings cannot be deterred from his plan.

（人们）不能阻止比林斯先生实施他的计划。

4）Nearly 400 tons of accumulated rubbish were