E N D
Activity 1 Languages Differ: Adverbial Clauses • In English, adverbial clauses can be used to talk about time, cause, condition, concession and purpose. Depending on the contexts, their positions in a sentence can be quite flexible: they can appear either at the beginning of a sentence, or at the end of a sentence, or even in the middle of a sentence. Their positions in a Chinese sentence also vary according to the contexts.
Task 1 Adverbial Clauses: Time • Translate the following sentences into English. Some of them may have more than one way of translation. See how many different ways you can think of for them. Then decide which one is the best. • 当最后撰写北约历史时,对中国驻南联盟大使馆的轰炸将可能成为违背《联合国宪章》的一个不光彩的实例。 • When the history of NATO is finally written, the chances are that the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia will stand out as a notorious model of violation of the United Nations Charter. • 离开办公室时请关上打印机。 • Please turn off the printer when you leave the office.
我们还没来得及放下行李,火车就开了。 • Hardly had we put down our luggage when the train started off. • 我正准备冲个澡,电话响了。 • I was about to take a shower when the telephone rang. • 她读着信,泪水顺着脸颊流了下来。 • Tears streamed down her face as she read the letter. • 他已经不打算等了, 这时她却突然从背后冒了出来。 • He was just about to give up waiting, when suddenly she popped up from behind.
Task 2 Adverbial Clauses: Cause • In English an adverbial clause for cause is usually introduced by conjunctions like because, as, since and for. In Chinese we have similar words like 因为……所以……,因此,由于. Of course in Chinese an overt conjunction such as these is not always necessary especially when the relationship between the main clause and the adverbial clause is already clear. • Because we are both prepared to proceed on the basis of equality and mutual respect, we meet at a moment when we can make peaceful cooperation a reality. • 因为我们双方都准备在平等互尊的基础上行事,我们此时的会晤就能够使和平合作成为现实。 • She was surprised at his visit, for it was almost ten o'clock. • 她对他的来访很感诧异,因为已经差不多十点了。
They filed out of the hotel sadly, for there was still so much left to say. • 他们一前一后伤感地离开了酒店,还有一肚子话没说。 • Because these were the only photos we'd ever seen of them, we got the impression that they did nothing else but dance to classical music. • 这些是我们仅看过的他们的照片,我们因此得出印象,以为他们除了跟着古典音乐翩翩起舞,什么都不干。 • He was a modest man, because I found later on that he had a war decoration, a fact which he had never mentioned to me. • 他是个谦逊的人,我后来才发现他有一枚军功章,他从未对我提起过这事儿。 • She bought herself an iron, as she felt she couldn't keep borrowing Anne's. • 她自己买了一个熨斗,因为她觉得不能老借安妮的。 • Aircraft noise is a particular problem here since we're close to Heathrow Airport. • 在这儿飞机噪音是个严重的问题,因为我们离希斯罗机场很近。 • He looked round for a chair and, since there wasn't one, he shared Mary's. • 他四下里看了看,想找把椅子,没找着,就跟玛丽坐在一起。
Task3 Adverbial Clauses: Condition • In English adverbial clauses for condition are usually introduced by conjunctions such as if, once, unless, in case, andso long as·. In Chinese we have similarconjunctions like 如果,假如,一旦,除非,只要,etc. Again not all adverbial clausesfor condition in English need to be presented as adverbial clauses in Chinese. • 他们一旦被这一组织接收,就没有任何办法摆脱它的控制。 • Once they had been accepted by the organization, there was no way they could get rid of its control. • 如果失业率还在目前的水平徘徊几年,民主就会变得无法运作了。 • If unemployment remains at present levels for a few more years, democracy could become unworkable.
假使有人要我解释一下录像机的工作原理,我一定会觉得无从开口。 • If I were asked for an explanation 0f a video recorder I would definitely find it difficult. • 我顺着山坡一路跑下去,生怕她会来追我。 • I ran away down the hill (as fast as I could) in case she tried to follow. • 找房子可能有困难,除非你自己能建一栋。 • There might be a problem finding a house, unless you can somehow build your own. • 清洁剂只要按正确方法溶解了,是不会伤害纤维的。 • Detergent cannot harm a fabric, so long as it has been properly dissolved. • 如果北方富国和南方穷国之间的谈判获得进展,就打算在 12 月份安排召开部长级会议。 • If the negotiations between the rich northerly nations and the poor southerly nations make headway(n.进展, 净空高度), it is intended that a ministerial session in December should be arranged.
Task 4 Adverbial Clauses: Concession • In English adverbial clauses for concession are usually introduced by conjunctions like although, while, no matter, whatever, etc. They can be put either before or after the main clauses. In Chinese they are usually introduced by 虽然……但是,不管,不论, etc. Their positions can also be quite flexible. • Although he was late he stopped to buy a sandwich. • 虽然他迟到了,他停下来买三明治。 • 他已经迟到了,可还是停下来买三明治。 • Although you don't grease it for quite the same reasons, you should care for your car as you do your face. • 虽然你并不为相同的理由对其加以润滑,你应该像爱惜自己的脸一样爱惜你的车。 • 你应该像爱惜自己的脸一样爱惜你的车,虽然你并不是为相同的理由对其加以润滑。
Although I'm not so tall as he was, I have a lot of my grandfather's features. • 虽然我不像他那么高,我有很多我祖父的特征。 • 我有很多我祖父的特征,虽然我不像他那么高。 • So while I have sympathy for these fellows who reacted against the formality of their predecessors, I think they went too far. • 因此尽管我对这些反抗祖先的条条框框的家伙怀有同情,我认为他们做得太过了。 • 因此尽管我对这些反抗祖先的条条框框的家伙怀有同情,我还是认为他们做得太过了。 • I told him to report to me after the job was completed, no matter how late it was. • 我告诉他工作完成之后向我汇报,不管有多晚了。 • 我告诉他工作完成之后,不管有多晚,都要向我汇报。 • Brown shirts are never smart, no matter who is wearing them. • 棕色的裙子从来都不好看,不管谁穿。 • 棕色的裙子不管谁穿,从来都不好看。
Task 5 Adverbial Clauses: Purpose • In English, this group of adverbial clauses are usually introduced by conjunctions like in order that, so that, for fear that, lest, etc. They can occur both at the beginning of a sentence or at the end of a sentence. In Chinese, we have similar conjunctions like 为了,省得,以免,生怕,etc. 为了tends to precede a main clause while the other conjunctions tend to follow a main clause. • All the following sentences are translated from English to Chinese. Can you now translate them back into English?
我们中没几个人愿意承认过得很开心,生怕别人当我们是傻子。 • Few of us are prepared to admit to being happy for fear that we will be thought stupid. • 所有的洞口、开口都应用篱笆围上,以免人们跌落下去。 • Any holes and openings should be fenced so that people can’t fall down them. • 他得挣好多钱,这样才能给孩子们买好吃的和好穿的。 • He has to earn lots of money so that he can buy his children nice food and clothes. • 我们读历史不单纯是为了娱乐,而是为了可以从中发现政治发展和演变的规律。 • We do not read history simply for pleasure, but in order that we may discover the laws of political growth and change. • 他对上级格外殷勤,生怕档案里记上对他不利的东西。 • He was extra polite to his superiors lest something adverse might be written into his records.
Activity 3 Translation Skill: Cohesion • Up till now, the translation skills we have been practising all center around sentences. That is to say, we have been mainly concerned with how to translate individual sentences smoothly and loyally. Of course we have also practised translating some short paragraphs where we've already sensed that some extra techniques are needed for translating a whole piece of work rather than isolated sentences. In this last unit, we shall concentrate on this point. • In reality, we are more often required to translate a whole piece of work rather than isolated sentences. Therefore, during the translation process, we should not only pay attention to each individual sentence, but also to the transition and linkage between different sentences and even paragraphs. As a result of their different discourse structures, Chinese and English show a lot of dissimilarities in this respect. Hence extra attention is needed in translation so that the various logical relationships between sentences and paragraphs in the source language can be clearly presented in the target language. Of course there are a lot of ways in achieving this, but they can all be summarized under the heading" cohesion".
Task 1 Jumbled Sentences (1) • Following are six jumbled sentences taken from a paragraph about British newspapers. Can you put them back in order so that they make a coherent and cohesive passage?
1. They intrude unnecessarily into people's privacy; and they publish inaccurate, sometimes made-up stories. • 2. Most cannot afford to do so, and even the rich cannot prevent an invasion of their privacy. • 3. British newspapers-all of them some of the time, and some of them almost all the time-behave badly in two ways. • 4. The victims have little redress. • 5. Fierce competition between newspapers, particularly between tabloid newspapers, leads to more feet in more doors. • 6. If they are rich and the article is defamatory, they can sue for libel • 3-1--4--6-- 2-- 5
Task 2 Translating the Passage (1) • Now translate the above passage into Chinese. Your attention is called to "behave badly in two ways" in the first sentence. In Chinese, if we begin by saying that 某人在某方面有两点做得不像话 , that's usually followed by 一、如何如何, 二、如何如何. Can you incorporate this in your translation?
British newspapers-all of them some of the time, and some of them almost all the time-behave badly in two ways. They intrude unnecessarily into people's privacy; and they publish inaccurate, sometimes made-up stories. The victims have little redress. If they are rich and the article is defamatory, they can sue for libel. Most cannot afford to do so, and even the rich cannot prevent an invasion of their privacy. Fierce competition between newspapers, particularly between tabloidnewspapers, leads to more feet in more doors. • 英国的报纸有两种恶行:- 是无端侵犯别人的私生活; 二是刊登失实的有时甚至是无中生有的报道。所有的报纸都无一例外,有的偶尔为之,有的则几乎天天如此。受害人很少能得到赔偿。若是有钱人家,而报纸刊登的文章又确是恶意中伤,那么他可以诽谤罪向法院起诉。但大多数受害人是打不起这种官司的。即使是有钱人也不能使自己的隐私免受侵犯。各种报纸之间,特别是各种图片小报之间的激烈竞争,导致这种侵犯隐私的行为日见增多。
Activity 5 Homework • Revision • Textbook (P140-149) • (P170—P183)