汉译英的简洁、精炼（三）

四、为了保持语法结构的凝炼，一般说来，能用词组、动词非谓语形式（如不定式、现在分词短语、过去分词短语）、垂悬结构的地方就倾向于不用从句，能用明了、简洁的结构的时候就倾向于不用复杂、臃长的结构，除非是为了达到特别的文体效果。如：

　1.薰鱼：smoked fish （请比较：fish that has been smoked，后者啰唆）

　2.浆过的衣服starched clothes （请比较：clothes that have been starched）

　3.我在报纸上读到一篇文章，了解到盐是高血压的诱发因素。

　I knew through a newspaper article that much intake of salt was an occasion of high blood pressure. （请比较：I read an article published on a newspaper and knew that…）

　4.在学校里，哪个支系的学生多就使用哪种语言，但同一支系的学生相互交谈又使用本支系的语言。

　In schools, the language of the branch with the majority of students dominates the conversation, yet students from the same branch prefer their own language.

　（请比较：In schools, the prevalent language is the filiation that has the largest number of student speakers, yet students from otherwise same branch still talk in their own language.我们发现，前一句体现出英语物称主语（impersonal subject）的特点，而students from the same branch prefer their own language寥寥数语，却将“但同一支系的学生相互交谈又使用本支系的语言”的意义交代得清清楚楚。）

　5.这时迎亲队伍中的“长统”走出来，郑重其事地倒出竹筒里的水酒给小姑娘喝，并送上一些喜糖和喜钱。

　The Changtong will come forward and please them with wine and tip them with candies and money.

　（请比较：The “Changtong” will come out of the troop and solemnly pour out wine for them to drink, and give them some wedding candies and money.）

　6.有的地方，新娘将要进入新郎家时，新郎家大门口要载上香蕉树，意味子孙后代昌盛。同时还要载上甘蕉，意味着新生活节节甜。

　In some places, the bridegroom plants some banana trees and sugar canes in front of his house, the banana trees a wish for the prosperity of later generations, and the sugar canes a sweet sign of a happy life.

　（请比较：In some places, as the bride is to enter the bridegroom’s home, banana trees are planted in front of the house praying for offspring’s prosperity. Meanwhile, sugar canes are also planted with the hope that the new life is sweet in every section as the sugar cane.）

　7.（新娘）羞羞答答，不言不语，来到了一道路障前。

　Shy and quiet, she finds herself in front of a road barrier.

　请再看其它的一些例子。

　8.人捕捉它，将它制成标本，作为一种商品去出售，价钱越来越高。

　Man captures it, makes a specimen of it and sells it in the market at an increasingly high price.

　9.我不指望你出名，只愿你身体好，没病没灾的。

　I don’t expect you to be famous. All I want is for you to stay healthy, and safe from misfortune.

　10.即使想起她，也是想起那个抱着刚满月的孩子，双膝跪在母亲面前，脸色苍白、两眼盈泪的小姨。

　The thought of her brought back her image as she knelt in front of Mother, her face pale and tearstained, her month-old infant in her arms.

　11.他不多说话，但常常微笑。

　He was a man of few words, but of all smiles.

　12. ……是私人房产。房东并不因为它完全不像个样子就将房租压得便宜些。

　The house was privately owned, and the landlord would not reduce the rent however ramshackle condition of the structure.

　

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                                                                大耳朵编辑：Jasminebo

本文相关标签： （ 三 ） 精炼 、 英 简洁 汉译