1、Translation of Attributive Clause定语从句的翻译Content I.A comparative study of English and Chinese attributive sentencesII.Restrictive attributive clausesIII.Non-restrictive attributive clausesIV.Attributive clauses functioning as adverbialsI.A comparison of English and Chinese attributive clauses 1)numbe
2、r:There are much more attributive clauses in English than in Chinese.2)position:Attributive clauses in English are more flexible.3)length:most of the English attributive clauses are longer.4)An English complex sentence may have an unlimited number of attributive clauses following the word being modi
3、fied,while a Chinese complex sentence allows only a limited amount of words preceding the word being modified.Compare the structure of the following English sentences and their Chinese versions.1.This is the cat.这就是那只猫。2.This is the cat that killed the rat.这就是那只捕杀了老鼠的猫。3.This is the cat that killed
4、the rat that ate the cake.*这就是那只捕杀了偷吃了蛋糕的老鼠的猫。这就是那只捕杀了老鼠的猫，而那只老鼠偷吃了蛋糕。4.This is the cat that killed the rat that ate the cake that lay in the house.*这就是那只捕杀了偷吃了放在屋里的蛋糕的老鼠的猫。这就是那只捕杀了老鼠的猫，而那只老鼠偷吃了放在屋里的蛋糕。5.This is the cat that killed the rat that ate the cake that lay in the house that Jack built for
5、his wife.*这就是那只捕杀了偷吃了放在杰克为妻子修建的房间里的蛋糕的老鼠的猫。这就是那只捕杀了老鼠的猫，老鼠偷吃了放在屋里的蛋糕。屋子是杰克为妻子修建的。6.This is the cat that killed the rat that ate the cake that lay in the house that Jack built for his wife,who was once the prettiest girl in the village.An attributive clause is much more complicated than a nominal cla
6、use,and is usually longer.It has the complete structure of a sentence.There are two kind of attributive clauses:restrictive(限定性)attributive clauses and non-restrictive(非限定性)attributive clauses.Which of the following is correct?Xuzhou,which is located in East China,is a pretty city.Xuzhou which is lo
7、cated in East China is a pretty city.Restrictive attributive clauses have a close relation to the words they modify(or their antecedents 先行词),while the relation between non-restrictive attributive clause and its antecedent is loose.lDiscussion:How do we translate attributive clauses?Attributive clau
8、ses are the most difficult to translate among all kinds of clauses,especially non-restrictive ones.This is the cat that killed the rat.这就是那只捕杀了老鼠的猫。This is the cat that killed the rat that ate the cake.这就是那只捕杀了老鼠的猫，而那只老鼠偷吃了蛋糕。Two basic ways:If the clause is short,we can translate it into an attribut
9、ive phrase and put it before the noun it modifies;and if it is long,we can translate it into another simple sentence.II.Restrictive Attributive Clauses Restrictive attributive clauses are characterized by the absence of a comma between the subordinate clauses and the principal clauses,and are closel
10、y related to the nouns or pronouns(antecedents)that they modify.e.g.Pollution is a pressing problem which we must deal with before the 2008 Olympic Games.There are several specific ways to translate restrictive attributive clauses.(1)Translate the clause into an attributive phrase and place it befor
11、e its antecedent.(前置法)This is the most common practice.It is also called combination,in which the principal clause and the attributive clause are combined into a simple sentence.(将定语从句译成带“的”的定语词组，置于先行词前，从而将复合句译成汉语简单句。)1.Those who sacrifice themselves for the peoples cause are the real heroes of hist
12、ory.那些为人民事业牺牲自己的人是真正的历史英雄。2.The people who worked for him lived in mortal fear of him.在他手下工作的人怕他怕得要死。3.How could a great paper like the Washington Post,full of brilliant editors,get so involved in its own conceit and arrogance as to pursue a story which its own staff was saying fabricated from the b
13、eginning?像华盛顿邮报这样拥有众多出色编辑的大报，为何自以为是和高傲自大到如此地步，竟然追求一篇连自己编辑部的人员从一开始就认为是虚构的报道？4.I want to buy a house which is inexpensive yet comfortable.*Attention:The clause has to be short enough so as not to break the main sentence.(2)Divide the sentence in two by placing the attributive clause after the principa
14、l clause and repeating the antecedent.（后置法）And thus,the original complex sentence is translated into a compound sentence.This is also called division.Division is used if the attributive clause is too long and complicated and may cause ambiguity or logical mistakes.（如果从句结构复杂，译成汉语前置语太长而不符合表达习惯时，往往译成后置
15、的并列分句。）1.At dinner I found myself placed between Mrs.Bradley and a shy drab girl who seemed even younger than the others.A)晚饭时我发现自己坐在布莱德雷太太和一位腼腆而乏味的姑娘中间。这姑娘看上去比其他人要年轻。B)晚饭时我发现自己坐在布莱德雷太太和一位腼腆而乏味的看上去比其他人要年轻的姑娘中间。2.They killed four men and injured the fifth who later died of his wounds.A)他们打死四人，并打伤了后来因
16、伤死去的第五人。B)他们打死四人，打伤了第五个人，伤者后来因伤死去。3.There is somebody waiting for you outside who I think might be one of your friends from your native town 有人在外面等你，我想这个人可能是你家乡的某位朋友。4.Newton invented a paper lantern illuminated by a candle which he carried with him to light his way to school on dark winter mornings
17、.牛顿发明了一只点蜡烛的纸灯笼，在昏暗的冬天早晨上学时带着灯笼/它照亮上学的路）。Sometimes the antecedent doesnt have to be repeated.1.He received a sudden letter yesterday that announced the death of his uncle.他昨天突然收到一封信，说他叔叔去世了。他昨天突然收到一封信，这封信中说他叔叔去世了。2.I have a good idea which may not suit you.我有个好主意，但可能不适合你。我有个好主意，但这个好主意可能不适合你。(3)Combi
18、ne the principal clause and the attributive clause into a single sentence.It is also called mixture.（溶合法）This is usually adopted in the translation of“There be”structures.（把原句中的主语和定语从句溶合在一起，译成一个独立的句子。）1.There are many girls who want to see the movie.许多女孩子要看这部电影。2.He is a wise man who speaks little 智
19、者言少。3.There were men in that crowd who had stood there every day for a month.那群人中有些人每天站在那里，站了一个月。4.There are events taking place at this time which dim our hopes and lessen the prospects.目前发生的事使我们觉得希望渺茫，前途暗淡。5.There are many Westerners who are interested in Chinese classical music.许多西方人对中国古典音乐感兴趣。（译
20、时把主句缩成词组做主语，关系代词不译，将定语从句的谓语译成全句的谓语。）III.Non-restrictive attributive clauses Non-restrictive attributive clauses are characterized by a comma between the principal and the attributive clause.In translation of non-restrictive attributive clause,we usually split it from the main sentence and put it int
21、o an independent sentence.This is because:1)Non-restrictive attributive clauses are usually too long to be put in one single sentence,and they hold a loose relationship with the antecedents.2)Non-restrictive attributive clauses are usually descriptive or explanative rather than restrictive.So if we
22、use them to restrict a noun,ambiguity may arise.His father,who is in Hong Kong,will return to Taipei next week.?他在香港的爸爸下星期要回台北。他爸爸现在在香港，下星期回台北。But of course there are no rules without exceptions.Lets look at the specific ways of translating non-restrictive attributive clauses,which are similar to th
23、ose of translating restrictive ones.(1)Translating them into compound sentences by repeating the antecedents (译成并列句，后置，重复先行词译成并列句，后置，重复先行词)1.I told the story to John,who told it to his brother.我把这件事告诉了约翰，约翰又告诉了他的兄弟。2.The biggest buyer is Japan,where fruit-flavored ice-cream is hugely popular.最大的买主是日
24、本，在那里水果口味的冰淇淋大受欢迎。3.We will put off the outing until next week,when we wont be so busy.我们把郊游推迟到下星期，到时我们不这么忙了。(2)Translating them into compound sentences by omitting the antecedents（译成后置并列句，省略先行词）（译成后置并列句，省略先行词）1.After dinner,the four key negotiators resumed their talks,which continued well into the
25、night.饭后，四个主要谈判人物继续会谈，直到深夜。cf:饭后，四个主要谈判人物继续会谈，会谈持续到深夜。2.The traditional American family is a“nuclear family”,which refers to a husband and wife and their children.传统的美国家庭称作核心家庭，包括先生、太太及孩子。3.When she was lost to his view,he pursued his homeward way,glancing up sometimes at the sky,where the dark clou
26、ds were sailing fast and wildly.直到看不见她了，他才朝家的方向走去，时而抬头看看天空，（只见）乌云飞快地翻滚奔腾。(3)Translating them into compound sentences by placing them in front of the sentence(译成前置的并列句)1.It was an old woman,tall and shapely still,though withered by time,on whom his eyes fell when he stopped and turned.他停下来，转身定睛一看，发现是
27、个年迈的妇人，身量很高，虽然经受了岁月的侵蚀而有些憔悴，但仍然一副好模样（风韵犹存）。2.The men had suddenly awakened to the fact that there were beauty and significance in these flowers,which they had so long trodden carelessly beneath their feet.这些花以前一直被这些人漫不经心地踩在脚下，（现在）他们却突然意识到花儿的美丽和意义了。(4)Translating them into independent sentences 译成独立句
28、译成独立句1.I hope your success,which is an inspiration to me,will continue.你的成功对我是个鼓舞。我希望你不断取得成功。2.Nevertheless the problem was solved successfully,which showed that computations were accurate.不过问题还是圆满地解决了。这说明计算很准确。3.Happiness is a butterfly,which,when pursued,is always just beyond your grasp,but which,
29、if you will sit down quietly,may alight upon you.幸福就像一只蝴蝶。你要去追逐它，它总是在你前面不远的地方让你触手不及；但是如果你悄悄坐下来，它也许会落到你的身上。4.He had talked to Vice President Nixon,who assured him that everything that could be done would be done.他和尼克松副总统谈过话。副总统向他担保，凡是能够做到的都将尽力去做。()Translating them into attributive phrases before the
30、antecedents （一些较短的非限定性定语从句也可（一些较短的非限定性定语从句也可译成带译成带“的的”的的 定语词组，置于先行词前。）定语词组，置于先行词前。）1.The sun,which had hidden all day,now came out in all its splendor.躲了一整天/一大天都没露面的太阳现在又光芒四射地露面了。2.He liked his sister,who was warm and pleasant,but he did not like his brother,who was aloof and arrogant.他喜欢热情欢快的妹妹，而不喜
31、欢冷漠高傲的哥哥。3.My sister-in-laws laugh,which was very infectious,broke the silence.我小姨子那极富感染力的笑声打破了沉寂。IV.Attributive Clauses Functioning as Adverbials Some attributive clauses(both restrictive and non-restrictive)function as the adverbial in the complex sentence,having a very close logic relationship wi
32、th the principal clause and indicating the cause,result,purpose,time,condition,concession,and so on.e.g.He did not remember his father who died when he was three years old.(indicating cause)The old lady hasnt give up her effort to get a passport,which will enable her to visit the States.(indicating
33、purpose)Accordingly,they are translated into adverbial clauses.i.Translating into Chinese adverbial clauses of cause1.The ambassador was giving a dinner for a few people whom he wishes especially to talk to.大使只宴请了几个人，因为他非常想和这些人谈谈。cf:大使只宴请了几个他非常想跟他们谈谈的人。2.We know that a cat,whose eyes can take in man
34、y more rays than our eyes,can see clearly in the night.我们知道，由于猫的眼睛比我们人的眼睛能吸收更多的光线，所以猫在夜里也能看得很清楚。3.Einstein,who worked out the famous Theory of Relativity,won the Nobel Prize in 1921.爱因斯坦因提出了著名的“相对论”，于1921年获得了诺贝尔奖。ii.Translating into Chinese adverbial clause of result1.They tried to stamp out the rev
35、olt,which spread all the more furiously throughout the country.a)他们企图扑灭反抗，结果却使反抗在全国愈演愈烈。b)他们企图扑灭反抗，反抗却在全国愈演愈烈。2.There was something original,independent,and heroic about the plan that pleased all of them.这个方案创意十足，别出心裁，很具魄力，所以他们都很喜欢。3.They quarreled with each other every day,which led to their divorc
36、e.他们夫妻二人天天吵架，最终导致离婚。iii.Translating into Chinese adverbial clauses of concession1.He insisted on buying another fur coat for his girlfriend,which she had no use for.他一再坚持要再为女友买件裘皮大衣，尽管她并不需要。Compare:他一再坚持要再为女友买件她并不需要的裘皮大衣。2.The scientists,who was dog-tired,went on with the experiment.科学家虽已筋疲力尽，但还是继续进
37、行试验。3.Computers,which have many advantages,cannot carry out creative work or replace man.尽管计算机有许多优点，但却不能进行创造性工作，也不能代替人类。4.My uncle,who will be 80 next year,is still a keen sportsman。我伯父尽管明年就80高龄了，可仍然热衷运动。iv.Translating into Chinese adverbial clauses of condition1.Anyone who thinks that rational know
38、ledge need not be derived from perceptual knowledge is an idealist.（任何人）如果认为理性知识可以不从感性知识得来,他就是个唯心主义者。2.He would be a rash man who should venture to defy world public opinion and act arbitrarily.如果有人敢于公然反抗世界公众舆论而一意孤行，他一定是个鲁莽之徒。v.Translating into Chinese adverbial clauses of purpose1.They have built u
39、p a new college here,where students will be trained to be engineers and scientists.他们在这里建立一所学校，以便培养。2.Chinese trade delegations have been sent to African countries,who will negotiate trade agreement with the respective governments.中国派出一些贸易代表团出访非洲各国，以便同各国政府洽谈贸易协议。3.He wishes to write an article that
40、will attract public attention to the air pollution in this city.他想写篇文章，用以引起公众对该市空气污染的关注。Practice makes perfect.1.Americans have a great many customs and habits that at first may seem puzzling to a visitor.2.The late 19th century saw all the universities in the United States adopt the credit system(学
41、分制),which benefited students a great deal.3.Each day we make choices that affect our lives and sometimes the lives of others.4.In fact,many Americans who could afford to hire a cook or driver do not employ them.5.Private schools in the U.S.have a wide range of programs that are offered to meet the n
42、eeds of certain students.6.The cook turned pale,and asked the housemaid to shut the door,who asked Brittles,who asked the tinker(补锅匠),who pretended not to hear.7.There is nothing more disappointing to a hostess who has gone to a lot of trouble or expense than to have her guest so interested in talki
43、ng politics or business with her husband that he fails to notice the flavor of the coffee,the lightness of the cake,or the attractiveness of the house,which may be her chief interest and pride.8.Never say anything behind a persons back that you wouldnt say to his faceExercise1.Americans have a great
44、 many customs and habits that at first may seem puzzling to a visitor.美国人的许多风俗习惯似乎令初来乍到的游客费解。2.The late 19th century saw all the universities in the United States adopt the credit system,which benefited students a great deal.19世纪末，美国所有大学已实行学分制，学生们从中受益匪浅。3.Each day we make choices that affect our liv
45、es and sometimes the lives of others.我们每天都要做出选择，其选择结果会影响自己的生活，有时也影响别人的生活。4.In fact,many Americans who could afford to hire a cook or driver do not employ them.其实，许多美国人都花得起钱请厨师、雇司机，但他们不那么做。5.Private schools in the U.S.have a wide range of programs that are offered to meet the needs of certain student
46、s.美国私立学校开设得课程很多，以满足某些学生的各种需求。6.The cook turned pale,and asked the housemaid to shut the door,who asked Brittles,who asked the tinker,who pretended not to hear.厨子的脸色变得苍白，要女仆把门关上，女仆叫布里托斯关，布里托斯叫补锅匠关，而补锅匠假装没听见。7.There is nothing more disappointing to a hostess who has gone to a lot of trouble or expense
47、 than to have her guest so interested in talking politics or business with her husband that he fails to notice the flavor of the coffee,the lightness of the cake,or the attractiveness of the house,which may be her chief interest and pride.最令女主人失望的是，她花了许多心神和费用来招待客人，可是这位客人只顾津津有味地与她丈夫谈政治，谈生意，而没注意到香喷喷的咖
48、啡，松软的糕点，或房间内讲究的陈设，但这些却可能是她最感兴趣并最引以为荣的地方。8.Never say anything behind a persons back that you wouldnt say to his face 当面不愿说的话，千万不要在背后说。ExercisePut the following sentences into Chinese,paying attention to the idiomatic expressions.1.We cleaned the room against your coming.我们打扫干净等你来住。2.They are preparin
49、g a substantial meal against his return.他们正在准备一顿丰盛的饭餐为他接风。3.When they find who killed that kid and its mother,theyll throw the book,and never mind who it hits.他们要是查出了是谁杀死了这对母子俩，必将提 严厉控告，不管查出来是谁。4.Modern linguists gets its charter from Leonard Bloomfields Language(1933).现代语言学是以布龙菲尔德1933年出版德语言一书为依据的。5
50、.If we want you two cents,well ask for it.如果我们需要你的意见，我们会向你征求的。6.Last night I heard him driving his pigs to market.昨晚我听见他鼾声如雷。7.When John was talking about the affair,we smelled a rat.当约翰谈起那事的时候，我们感到颇为可疑。8.Hoover was proud of his wife.She spoke five languages fluently and set what was considered to b
