长句子的翻译

在阅读与翻译科技文献时，如何分析和翻译长句，有时是很棘手的。下面结合一个实例，谈点粗浅体会。

 

The specification of Patent No. 1,012,052 describes and claims a body of polycrystalline dielectric ceramic material having a lead zirconate -- lead titanate -- lead stannate composition falling within the area A B C E F of the triaxial diagram 1d of the drawings accompanying this specification and containing at least one substitutional additive ingredient selected from the group consisting of elements having respective ionic radii sufficiently close to the ionic radius of one of the elements lead, tin, titanium, zirconium and oxygen to permit of substitution, and a valence state differing from that of said one element by less than three units, the aggregate quantity of additive ingredient amounting amounting to from 0.1 to 5 percent of the replaced ion on an atom basis, each additive ingredient present in said material being in ionic form and substituting for a finite percentage of the ions of a particular one of the elements lead, tin, titanium, zirconium and oxygen with respect to which it conforms with regard to ionic radius and valence state, said additive ingredient replacing a quantity of said elements having in the aggregate an equal number of valence units.

 

     面对这样一种长句，首先应弄清楚句子的语法结构，搞清楚各层意思之间的逻辑关系。要按先易后难的原则，把易于识别，判断的部分（主语、谓语）先予以解决。最后解决一时拿不准的部分。这些部分如同数学中的未知数X, Y, Z，通过已知条件和逻辑判断也不难解决。

 

    在长句中，修饰成分很多，常出现大量的从句、分词短语、不定式短语以及同等成分等。而and连接的同等成分，尤其是远距离的同等成分，更需特别注意。

 

    本句由两个简单句构成，一个主句，另一个是定语从句。定语从句由 with respect to开始至全句结束。句中有介词33个，现在分词12个，过去分词6个，动词不定式1个，形容词短语2个，连接词and 7个。下面分析一下句中的某些较难的语法结构。

 

1. ceramic material有一个现在分词短语定语

2. having respective ionic radii中的having 有两个并列宾语，一个是这里的radii，另一个是距离较远的and a valence state.

 3. 此句有三个分词独立结构。它们是：a) the aggregate quantity... amounting to from ...; b) each additive ingredient... being in ionic form and substituting for...; c) said additive ingredient... having in the aggregate...

 

     经过认真分析，对句子有了透彻理解之后，便可着手翻译。在翻译中，可调动各种翻译技巧，如增减、变换、拆句等。要做到既忠于原文，又不拘泥于原文的形式，使表达尽可能合乎汉语习惯，下面具体作些介绍。

 

    主句中的describes and claims用减词法译为一个词“介绍”即可概括其意义。a body of polycrystalline dielectric ceramic material可通过减词和变换法译为“多晶陶瓷介质材料”。英语惯用长句，而汉语则少用长句，因此在翻译中要善于拆句。拆句的方法之一是将长的定语译为汉语的谓语，同被修饰语一起构成一个主谓结构的句子，如下面的两个分词短语falling within the area...和containing at least one substitutional...原来都是作定语修饰composition的，经过拆句处理可将其译成汉语的谓语，与composition构成主谓结构的句子，而分别译成“其组成在说明书上附图ld三元相图中处于A B C E F区域”和“该组成至少还含有一种置换添加物”。