（3）从句换位的操作还可用于翻译一些定语从句或作定语的分词短语。只要将这样的定语成分提前，就可译出通顺的汉译文。

The United Nations is attempting to settle conflicts around the world that have taken a terrible toll and misused the earth''s resources.

*联合国正试图要消除世界各地发生的各种冲突。这些冲突有的造成可怕的后果，有的滥用地球的资源．

世界上各种冲突时有发生，有的造成可怕的后果，有的滥用地球的资源。联合国正试图要消除这些冲突。

This province intends to cash in on the ambitious economic renaissance being planned for the neighboring city. [=that is being planned…]

邻近的城市正在酝酿振兴经济的宏图大计，这个省份打算乘此机会也有一番作为。

动词词组cash in on意为“利用时机获利；乘机利用”。

*The very reason why the representation of nature can now be considered something commonplace should be of the greatest interest to art historians.

结构分析：句子的框架是The very reason why the representationshould be of the greatest interest to art historians.本句是个简单句，主语reason后跟why引导的定语从句。The representation of nature译为“再现自然”，of表动宾关系；something commonplace在此译为成语“老生常谈”较好。

参考译文：为什么现在再现自然被视为是老生常谈的事情呢？其真正的原因，对美术史学家来说，应该是饶有兴趣的事情。

（4）从句换位的操作可用于翻译一些状语从句。

Quayle has been the object of jokes and criticism ever since Bush chose him， seemingly from out of nowhere， as his running mate at the 1988 Publican Convention.

一九八八年，在共和党全国代表大会上，似乎名不见经传的奎尔被布什挑中，成了其竞选伙伴。从那以后，奎尔便一直是被人们取笑和批评的对象。

注意：连词（since， when等）需要个词微调，译成“从那以后；此后”。

Many American firms have taken fright // at the prospect of being locked out of China // while companies from Japan and Europe crowd in.

日本和欧洲的公司大批涌入中国，而美国的公司却将被拒之门外。许多美国公司对这种前景深感惊恐。

*We might be inclined to attribute to the act of thinking complete independence from language if the individual formed or were able to form his concepts without the verbal guidance of his environment.

结构分析：句子的框架是We might be inclined to.if the individual formed or were able to form his concepts without…if引导条件状语从句。介词短语without the verbal guidance of his environment作状语。be inclined to意为“易于，倾向于”。attribute…to在此句中意为“把…归因于”，“把…认为是…的结果”。to the act of thinking是动词的状语，complete independence from language是动词的宾语。

参考译文：如果有人不用语言作为周围世界的向导，便已经形成或能够形成他的概念，我们就可能把完全独立于语言之外的概念归因于思维活动。

长句之间往往被插入一个词组或小句，有时甚至还会是一段文字，这可以说是英语典型的行文结构之一。英译汉时，将主句作为一句整句翻译出来，插入成分则另行处理。这种“主句先行或主句后行”的操作方法能够把主要和次要信息安置的流畅，表达上的矛盾也迎刃而解了。何时先行，何时后行？选择的依据是要看，哪一个具体操作能使译成的汉语更通顺、地道、紧凑。

试比较下例：

Airlines around the world,spurred by growing passenger volume and the need to replace hundreds of aging 1960s-era jets,have embarked on an unprecedented shopping rush.

主句先行：世界各个航空公司掀起了一股空前未有的购机热潮。购机是迫于乘客流量不断增加，又加上各航空公司有必要对已日显陈旧的60年代喷气客机进行更换。

主句后行：迫于乘客流量不断增加，又加上各航空公司有必要对已日显陈旧的60年代喷气客机进行更换，世界各个航空公司掀起了一股空前未有的购机热潮。[此译文读起来更连贯、紧凑和地道，可接受程度较高。]

*It would have puzzled the brightest minds of the 18th century Enlightenment to be told by any of us how little we know and how bewildering the way ahead seems.

结构分析：句子的框架是it would have puzzled the brightest minds.to be told.…how……and how。it为形式主语，真正的主语为后面的不定式结构to be told。此不定式的被动结构译成主动态。两个how引导的感叹句做told的宾语。minds此处泽成“有才智的人”；Enlightenment此处指“启蒙运动”。

参考译文：如果我们当中任何一个人要告诉18世纪启蒙运动中最聪明的人，我们的知识有多么少，以及前途似乎又多么令人感到迷茫，这些都会使他们吃惊不已。

*What I see behind many of these exciting stories is the widespread and even revolutionary use of distributed Intelligence that is made possible by the wiringof the scientific community.

结构分析：句子框架是What l see。is the widespread and even revolutionary use…。what引导名词性从句做主语。句尾的关系代词that引导定语从句修饰distributed intelligence.被动结构be made possible by译成主动态“……有可能实现靠的足……”。scientific community译成“科学界”。

参考译文：通过很多这样激动人心的报道，我看到的是对分布式智能技术广泛地，甚至是革新地加以利用；这一技术有可能实现靠的是科学界的“网络化”。

*We wouldn''t have networks capable of handling massive amounts of data if physicists and astronomers hadn''t continuously forged tools to look more deeply into subatomic structures and the cosmos.

结构分析：句子框架是We wouldn''t have networks。if…。if引导条件状语从句。主句中capable of handling massive amounts of data为形容词短语做后置定语修饰networks，相当于。networks that are capable of handling massive amounts of data.forge原意为“打（铁等）；锻造”，此处转译为“研制”。

参考译文：如果物理学家和天文学家不曾连续研制各种工具，以便更深入地探讨微原子结构和宇宙的话，我们就不会有能够处理大量信息的网络系统。

*Given that the priorities of Congress will almost certainly differ from those of the president,it will take an unprecedented level of input and commitment from the research community to ensure the investments in science and engineering.

结构分析：句子框架是it will take an unprecedented level of input and commitment from。to ensure…the investments…，it为形式主语，真正的主语为不定式结构to ensure the investments。句首的given that引导状语从句，译为“考虑到；假如…”。指示代词those代指前面提到的the priorities，以避免重复。priorities此处不要译成“优先考虑”，而是美国国会的“优先权”。an unprecedented level of转译为“一笔可观的”；commitment此处引申译为“赞助”。

参考译文：考虑到国会的优先权几乎肯定与总统的不同，那么要想保证科学和工程学的投资，就要从科研机构那里接收一笔可观的投入和赞助。

“顺势”主要是指译者要把握好全句的语义宏观结构，理顺全句各部分之间的关系。“断句”要符合逻辑语义关系，比如因果关系、对比关系、递进关系、条件关系等。这个操作的关键，在于断要断得恰到好处。实际上，顺势断句是通过两个断句成分相互换位、个词微调、加字减字等手段将原文的各个成分有机地串起来。

例如：

Premier pledged to reform a political system // that sometimes looks as if it were geared more to raising money // than solving problems.

首相决心改革一种政治制度。这个制度有时看来似乎只适合搞搞筹款那一套，而不解决实际问题。

Today's teachers know // they have to make lessons fast-moving and entertaining // for children raised on television and computer games.

今天的教师懂得，他们给孩子们上课节奏要快，而且还要有情趣，因为这些孩子是在看电视和玩电脑游戏的环境中长大的。

注释：①孩子重复使用；②children raised on television…译成主谓结构的小句；过去分词的被动意义译成主动句。

Despite this backwardness in the communications // — or perhaps because of it — // China hopes to leapfrog into the digital era // by bypassing many of the costly transitional technologies // that industrial nations are now seeking to replace with more advanced digital systems.

尽管中国的通讯落后，或者说正是由于这种落后，中国希望跳跃式地进入通讯数字显示时代，一下子越过耗资巨大的过渡技术阶段。这个过渡技术，工业化国家正在寻找用更先进的数字显示系统取而代之。

*The super-national character of scientific concepts and scientific language is due to the fact that they have been set up by the best brains of all countries and all times.

结构分析：句子的框架是The super-national character of scientific.is due to the fact that they have been.that引导同位语从句，作fact的同位语。brain有多种解释，在此句中意为“人才”。

参考译文：科学概念和科学语言的超国界特性是由于它们是由各国最优秀的人才经历了不同时期而被确立的。

*.You either have science or you don' t， and if you have it you are obliged to accept the surprising and disturbing pieces of information,along with the neat and promptly useful bits.

结构分析：句子框架是You either have science or you don't，and.you are obliged to accept the.pieces of information.and连接两个并列句。前面分句补充完整为you either have science or you don't have science；其中either.or.结构译成“要么……，要么……”。后面分句中有if引导的条件状语从句，此从句中的此代指前面提到的science.bit原意为“（二进制）位；比特”，此处引申为“数据传辅”。

*That both houses of the Swiss parliament have come down against the genetics is comforting,but there may be a gap between the views and knowledge of politicians and that of the general public－only the public poll will tell.

结构分析：句子框架是That.is comforting，but there may be gap.but连接两个并列分句。前一个并列分句中有that引导的主语从句；后一个并列分句为there be句型，其中指示代词that代指前面提到的the views and knowledge，以避免重复。house这里译为“议院”；come down against…意为“做出决定不做（某事）”，还可以转译为“否定”。

参考译文：瑞士国会两院一致否认遗传学研究，这一点令人安慰。但是政治家的观点和认识与公众的观点和认识之间会存在隔阂——只有全民投票可以明断了（说清楚）。

另起炉灶指的不是个别的，或局部的调整，而是对英语句子作“伤筋动骨”的结构手术，即大幅度地打乱英语原句的词序或句序和各种成分的排列，几乎拆散原句，再对其重新组装。

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