2006春──翻譯與習作

何春蕤(週三上午9-12A-105教室)


中英文語法對比(2)

愛說否定的英文

就辭彙而言,英語中表示否定的詞比中文多;否定句也是英語中最常見的句型;翻譯的時候一定要讀懂人家的意思,不可只看字面翻譯。 

•      She is not a dancer. 她不是舞蹈家。(事實)

•      She is no dancer. 她算不上舞蹈家。(貶抑)

•      It』s not an easy task. 這不是件容易的事。(客觀評估)

•      It』s no easy task. 這可不是輕而易舉的事。(主觀強調)

•      It』s not a joke. 這不是玩笑。

•      It』s no joke. 這決不是開玩笑的事情。

 

通常有all, both, each, every, everybody, everyone, everything在否定句中做主詞時,意義都是部份否定,不是全都否定。 

•      All that glitters is not gold. 閃亮的不都是金子。

•      None that glitters is gold. 凡是閃亮的都不是金子。

•      Each side of the street is not clean. 並非接到兩邊都乾淨。

•      Neither side of the street is clean. 街道兩邊都不乾淨。

•      I don』t want everything. 我並非什麼都要。

•      I don』t want anything. 我什麼都不想要。

 

否定句中如果有always, wholly, entirely, completely, totally, altogether, everywhere, often, quite, enough,通常表示只有部份否定。

不過凡事都有例外,這也只是一種可能意義。 

•      He is not always at home on Sundays. 他星期天不一定會在家。

•      I do not wholly agree with you. 我不完全同意你的意見。

•      This kind of trees cannot be seen everywhere. 這種樹並不多見。

•      We do not often do morning exercise now. 現在我們很少做早操了。

•      The water is not hot enough. 水還不夠熱。

•      You have not entirely forgotten me. 你還沒完全忘記我。

 

句子如果出現hardly/scarcely, rarely/seldom, few/little都表示幾乎完全否定。

 •      I could hardly recognize you. 我差點不認識你了。

•      He scarcely knew the accident. 他對這次事故幾乎一無所知。

•      Meetings are seldom held recently. 最近很少開會。

•      Few of the films are interesting. 那些電影沒幾部有趣的。

•      There is little ink in my pen. 我的鋼筆幾乎沒水了。

 

英語有些句子裡面否定詞和其他詞連成固定的搭配,表面上看似否定,但實際上卻是肯定,也有表面肯定,但是卻又是否定。切忌望文生義,而是翻譯成一般肯定或甚至強勢肯定句。 

•      We cannot estimate the value of modern science enough. 現代科學實在是太寶貴了。

•      We cannot be too careful in doing experiments. 我們做實驗要越小心越好。

•      I cannot praise him enough. 我對他的讚賞說都說不完。

•      It is a wise man that never makes mistakes. 再聰明的人也會犯錯誤。 

•      Well, if it isn』t beautiful. 哇,太漂亮了。

•      I』ll teach you how to behave, see if I don』t. 我來教你規矩,我說話算話。

•      What has Tom not suffered? 什麼樣的苦湯姆沒受過?(什麼樣的苦湯姆都受過)

•      They did not praise him slightly. 他們對他大加讚賞。

•      He was not a little surprised. 他大吃一驚。

 

英文中還有許多含蓄的否定(就是字面上沒有否定的字眼,如no or not,但是事實上骨子裡卻是否定的,要讀清楚唷。 

•      The patient is too weak to be operated on. 病人太虛弱了,不能動手術。

•      He was too tired to go any further. 他累得再也走不動了。

•      Over my dead body! 我決不容許。

•      As if I care! 我才不在乎。

•      That is more than I can do. 那是我辦不到的。 

•      He is the last man to accept a bribe. 他是決不會接受賄賂的。

•      You are the last person I』d expect to see here. 我絕對想不到會在這裡遇見你。

•      Mercy! If ever I heard the like from a lady. 天哪,一位小姐說出這種話來,真是不可思議。

•      He would have killed himself before surrendering. 他寧可自殺也不會投降。 

•      If you had come to my place, I would have told you about it. 那天你要是來我這兒,我就會告訴你這件事。(看起來假設句,但是故做慷慨)

•      If you had worked with great care! 你更仔細一些多好!(看起來假設句,但是其實是在怪你)

•      If only you had told me before. 早告訴我就好了。(看起來假設句,但是其實是在遺憾)

•      If only he did not drive so fast. 他要是沒開快車就沒事了。(看起來假設句,但是其實是在表達遺憾)

•      Am I your slave? 我才不是你的奴隸!(不是問問題,而是否定)

 

•      Who knows? 誰知道!沒人知道!

•      Am I a child? 別把我當小孩!

•      What』s the good of asking a favor of her? 求她是沒用的!

•      When have you ever seen him here? 他幾時來過這兒!(從來沒有)

別讀錯了--

•      I suspect she will do it. 我覺得她應該會做

•      I doubt she will do it. 我不認為她會肯做