英语中的插入结构表示说话人的态度和怎么看,讲解或者说明整个句子而不是某个词。有的语法学家觉得插入结构是状语。其实,两者的主要不同在于,插入结构一般与句中其他成分的语法上并无十分密切的联系,常用来对全句加以说明,表示作者或说话者对句子表达内容的怎么看,或者用以对其内容作出补充说明等。插入结构一般用逗号与句子其他部分隔开,一般坐落于句首、句中或者句尾。翻译成汉语时,有的插入语,特别是坐落于句首的插入语,可维持原文中的词序。然而,在很多状况下,需要对英语原文句子的顺序作必要的调整,使译文符合汉语习惯。插入结构的成分可以是副词、形容词短语、介词短语、不定式短语、分词短语或者主谓结构,目前分别论述这类插入结构的翻译。
1、副词插入语
英语中,副词用作插入语的地方一般可以在句首、句中或者句尾。翻译的时候,可以把这个插入结构放在其修饰的句子的前面翻译。
Apparently, it is going to rain.
非常明显,要下雨了。
Fortunately, I passed the examination.
幸运的是,我通过了考试。
Incidentally, your proposal has been put to the discussion at the meeting.
顺便说一句,你的建议已经提交会议进行讨论了。
He was luckier, however, because he was only slightly wounded.
然而,他比较幸运,由于他只不过受了点轻伤。
He is young. He has much experience in teaching English, though.
他非常年轻,但他有丰富的英语教学经验。
2、形容词短语作插入语
形容词词组作插入结构,一般翻译为的是,如此的结构,放在其修饰的句子前面翻译。
Most important of all, computers create wide communication around the world.
非常重要的是,计算机在世界范围内打造了广泛的交流。
I slept late yesterday morning; worse still, my bike was out of order.
昨天早上我起得晚。更糟糕的是,我的自行车坏了。
Strange enough, he doesnt know that famous writer.
奇怪的是,他居然不了解那位著名的作家。
3、介词短语作插入语
英语中,介词词组作插入语的结构有:all in all(总而言之),as a matter of fact(事实上),as a result(结果),at worst(在最坏的状况下),by the way(顺便说一句),first of all(第一),for example(比如),in conclusion(总之,最后),in fact(事实上),in effect(事实上),in my opinion(依我我看来,我觉得),in other words(换句话说,换言之),in short(简言之),to my delight(让我开心的是),to ones amazement(使某人惊讶的是),to ones deep regret(使某人深感遗憾的是),to ones relief(使某人感到欣慰的是),to ones surprise(使某人感到吃惊的是)等。一般放到句子的最前面去翻译。 #p#分页标题#e#
China, in fact, has caught up with and surpassed the world advanced levels in many respects.
事实上,中国已经在很多方面赶上和超越了世界先进水平。
What happen to him, by the way?
顺便问一句,他后来如何了?
All in all, her condition is greatly improved.
总之,他的健康情况已经大大的改变了。
4、不定式短语作插入结构
不定式短语作插入结构时,对整个句子进行讲解,容易见到的作插入结构的不定式短语有:so to speak(可以如此说),to tell you the truth(老实告诉你),to be frank(说句实话),to begin with(第一),to start with(第一),to be more exact(更确切地说),to sum up(总之,概括地说),to put it briefly(简单说来),to put it in another way(换句话说),to make a long story short(长话短说),to say the least of it(至少可以如此说),needless to say(不需要说),strange to say(说来奇怪),to conclude(总之,最后),to be sure(可以一定的说),to be specific(具体说来),to be precise(准确地说),to speak frankly(坦白地说)等等。翻译的时候,无论其在英语原文中的顺序如何,一般放到句子的最前面翻译。
To tell you the truth, I havent bought anything for a year.
老实告诉你,我一年来什么东西都没买过。
It wasnt a very good dinner, to say the least of it.
至少可以如此说,这次宴会并不成功。
The movie, to be frank, moved me to tears.
坦白地说,这部电影把我感动得流下了眼泪。
She wrote, to be exact, ten novels in her lifetime.
确切地说,她一生写了十部小说。
5、分词短语作插入结构
分词短语作插入语一般在其所修饰的句子最前面翻译。在英语中,分词短语作插入结构的常常有:considering(考虑到),all things considered(从整体来看),allowing for(考虑到),generally speaking(一般说来),judging from(从...来判断),putting it another way(换句话说),roughly speaking(大体说来),taking account of(考虑到),taking all things into consideration(全方位看来),taking as an example(以为例),talking of(说道),speaking of(说道),strictly speaking(严格地说)等等。
Judging from the handwriting, it should be written by our teacher.
从字迹上判断,这应该是大家老师写的。
Generally speaking, shes not quite fit for this kind of work.
总的来讲,他不太合适做这种工作。
You managed the project very well, considering your inexperience.
考虑到你缺少经验,你对这个项目的处置得已经非常不错了。 #p#分页标题#e#
6、主谓结构作插入结构
在英语中,主谓结构作插入结构一般放在句子中间或者结尾;假如放在句首,就不应该是插入结构,而是一个主谓句后面跟宾语的英语句型了。翻译成汉语译文的时候,这种插入结构却应该放在句子最前面翻译。这种作插入结构的主谓结构一般是:I think(我觉得),I hope(我期望),I guess(我想),Im afraid(恐怕),I believe(我觉得,我相信),I suppose(我想,我觉得),I wonder(我想了解),you see(你应该了解),you know(你了解),dont you think(难道你不觉得),dont you know(难道你不了解),I tell you(我对你说),it seems(好像),it seems to me(在我看来,这好像),it is said(据了解),it is suggested(有人觉得)等等。
The man, I think, does not deserve the prize.
我觉得,那个人不应该得奖。
The air is rather refreshing, I suppose.
我想,那里的空气应该非常宜人。
Honesty, I believe, is her virtue.
我觉得,诚实是她的美德。
7、what we call句型作插入结构
在英语的议论文中,常常有what we call如此的句型,一般可以看作插入结构,由于把如此的结构去掉之后句子仍然完整。类似的句型还有:what we used to call, what is called, what they described as, what can be called, what they regarded as, as we call it, as we know it等。一般翻译为所谓的,可以根据英语原文顺序直接翻译。
He is what we call a walking dictionary.
他就是所谓的活字典。
Most of what they regarded as geniuses are successful only because they have made extraordinary effort.
大多数所谓的天才是因为付出了非凡的努力才获得成功的。
A compound, as we know it, results from the chemical union of two or more elements.
所谓的化合物是由两个或两个以上元素化合而成的。