试论科技英语中的否定转移现象及其翻译.docVIP

在表示否定概念时, HYPERLINK 英语论文英语和汉语存在着很大差异。汉语的否定只要将否定词直接放在要否定的成分前面就行,而英语不一 如此,在很多情况下可以使用not之外的否定词,从而发生否定转移。这一现象频繁出现于科技英语中。 一、否定前移 1. 当just because引导主语从句,而谓语动时采用否定时,“just because...not...”通常译成“并非因为……而……”。如: Just because someone doesn’t have coeliac disease, doesn’t mean they don’t have a problem with gluten.不要因为有人没患乳糜泻就意味着他们不存在谷蛋白问题。 Just because your students are computer-literate doesn’t mean they are research-literate.不要因为你的学生懂电脑就意味着他们会搞研究。 HYPERLINK /doctor_degree.html这种现象虽然未引起语法书重视,但十分常见,如2009年8月24日VOA Special English Agriculture Report连续出现了两例: Just because a plant looks nice does not mean you should eat it. 不要因为某种植物样子好看就意味着可以吃。 Yet just because something is dangerous does not always mean it is all bad.然而,不要因为某物有危险就一定意味着它很坏。有人认为because不能引导主语从句,有些严谨的作者可能会将这一结构改成“Just because..., it doesn’t mean...”。如:Just because you can donate a kidney, however, it doesn’t mean you should.然而,不要因为你能捐出一个肾脏就意味着你应该捐。 2. all, both和every充当或修饰主语时,not往往前移至all,both和every之前,译为“并非所有(两个、每一个)……都……”。如: At 212°F, all the germs are not destroyed, as the spores are more resistant.在华氏212度时,并非所有的细菌都被杀灭,因为孢子具有耐热性。 Routing is necessary because every computer is not connected directly to every other.指定路由是必要的,因为并非每台计算机都是相互连接的。 但是否转移须根据语境确定。如: All these various losses,great as they are,do not in any way contradict the law of conservation of energy.所有这些各种各样的损耗,尽管它们的数量很大,都没有违反能量守恒定律。 3. 当句中宾语为nothing,none,neither等否定词或被no,neither等修饰时,其形式虽是否定宾语,但汉译时通常转到谓语。如:This man knows nothing about things such as Dark Matter, Energy, M-String Theory.此人对暗物质、能量、M弦理论等知识一窍不通。 二、否定后移 1.本该否定谓语的否定词转为否定状语,被否定的状语可表示时间、地点、比较、原因、目的、方式、程度、伴随等。如:However, his idea of using cloning to combat infertility is not as mad as it sounds.然而,他利用克隆技术来战胜不育症的想法并不像听起来那么疯狂。 We simply cannot let people continue to die because we don’t feel comfortable talking about AIDS.我们绝不能因为谈论艾滋病会使我们感到难受,而听任人们继续被艾滋病夺去生命。在“not...because...”结构中,not也可不转移。如: People think cancer cannot be cured because it is normally detected late.人们以为癌症无法治癒,因为癌症通常发现得较晚。 2. 当谓语是think, bel