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材料学科专业英语长句的翻译方法浅谈

专业英语开设的最初目的是让学生在掌握基础英语的课程之后,保证学生在校期间英语学习不断线,本门课程要求学生掌握专业英文文献的翻译方法和技巧,能将一定难度的材料题材方面的论文准确而完整地翻译成符合本国习惯的科学的、大众的语言,为毕业设计环节和后期从事科学技术研究过程中查阅外语文献打下坚实的基础。长句的拆译方法主要包括顺译法、倒译法、分译法和综合法。

一、顺译法

当英语长句的叙述层次与汉语基本一致时, 可以按照英语原文的先后顺序拆译成若干个短句,依次翻译成汉语。

例1:With the more complex shapes and when less ductile and malleable materials are used, it is necessary to go through a series of stages before the final shape can be produced from the raw material.

本句中介词短语“with the more complex shapes”和连词“when”引导的从句作条件状语,主句是“it is necessary to...”,it是形式主语,“before...”引导状语从句。本句句式结构简单,逻辑层次分明,按照由前到后的顺序翻译。

参考译文:如果形状比较复杂,而所用的材料的延展性和可锻性较差,就需要经过一系列过程,才能将原材料成形。

例2:It is important to remember that the composition of a given grade of steel can be subject to variations within the range of its specification, and such variations in composition, impurity elements and also grain size caused in hot-working process will result in differences in both response to heat treatment and variations in mechanical properties.

本句是由两个并列句组成,第一句中是以it作形式主语,以从句作宾语,句子很长,但句式简单;第二句中主语由分词和介词短语修饰,两个并列宾语“differences”和“variations”,后面分别由介词短语修饰。本句的表达顺序与汉语的表达基本一致,翻译时按照顺译法即可。

参考译文:重要的是要记住,给定牌号钢的化学成分在其规定范围内可能发生一些变化,这样一些在热加工过程中引起的成分、杂质元素、还有晶粒大小上的变化,将使热处理工艺和力学性能产生一些差异。

二、倒译法

有些英语长句在句首要交代事物的主要内容,随后再补充相关细节,这与汉语的表达习惯不同, 甚至完全相反, 这时必须从原文后面开始翻译。

例3: Aluminum remained unknown until the nineteenth century, because nowhere in nature is it found free, owing to its always being combined with other elements, most commonly withoxygen, for which it has a strong affinity.

本句中主句为“Aluminum remained...”“because...”“owing to...”和“for which...”引导的状语从句,从句是依次递进地解释主句的形成原因。

参考译文:由于铝总是跟其他元素结合在一起, 最普遍的是跟氧结合(因为铝跟氧有很强的亲和力), 所以在自然界中找不到游离状态的铝,因而直到19世纪铝才被人发现。

例4:The rusting of iron is only one example of corrosion, which may be described as the destructive chemical attack of a metal by media with which it comes in contact, such as moisture, air and water.

本句中主句为“The rusting of iron...”,“which may be...”为定语从句,修饰corrosion,介词“with” +连词“which”引导的定语从句修饰media。本句翻译时采用倒译法。

参考译文:腐蚀是金属在接触湿气、空气和水等介质时所受到的破坏性化学侵蚀,铁生锈只是其中的一个例子。

三、分译法

有时英语长句中主语或主句与修饰词的关系并不十分密切, 翻译时可以按照汉语多用短句的习惯,把长句拆开,分成几个部分或是不同层次来表达,为了使语意连贯, 有时需要适当增加词语。

例5:Forging processes may be classified as unit production with small quantities being made and mass production with large number of identical castings being produced.

本句中的主谓宾是“Forging processes may be classified as unit production and mass production”,而宾语“unit production”和“mass production”后面是由with引导的分词短语来修饰,修饰语的目的是对宾语进行进一步解释,而和主语的关系比较远,所以在翻译时可以脱离主句,拆分出来进行翻译,这样表达出来层次分明,重点突出。

参考译文:锻造方法可分为单件生产和大批生产两类:单件生产是生产少量的锻件,大批生产则是生产大量相同的锻件。

例6:Air drawn through the mixture burns the fuel at a temperature high enough to frit the small particles together into a cake so that they can be charged into the blast furnace satisfactorily.