Inversion（倒置法） 学生材料

Inversion（倒置法）

Inversion of Word Order in Translating Word-Groups or Phrases（词组或短语的词序倒置） Examples & Drills 8.1

Give Chinese equivalents for the following, paying attention to the word order:

card-playing, letter-writing, white-washing, absent-minded, open-door policy, time-sharing system, error correcting code

you, he and I; Lisa, Linda and I; my wife (husband) and I

men and women, young and old; sisters and brothers (cf. boys and girls); dear mother and father

1. Four cardinal points: north, south, east, and west.

2. northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest; North and South Poles 4. contradictions between ourselves and the enemy 6. the iron and steel industry

7. sooner or later; quick of eye and deft of hand

8. heal the wounded and rescue the dying; life or death; now sink, now emerge 9. the soil and water mixture 11. rich and poor

12. food, clothing and housing 13. negative and positive

14. hot and cold (water); hard and soft; old and new 15. back and forth; to and fro 16. by twos and threes 17. right and left 18. loss and gain

19. land and water; fire and water; as well blended as milk and water 20. track and field (events) 21. model worker

1.（罗盘上的）四个基本方位：东、南、西、北（《现代汉语词典》2002: 545） 2. 东北，西北，东南，西南；南北极

3. 玩（扑克）牌，写信，刷白（刷石灰水），心不在焉，门户开放政策，分时系统，纠错码 4. 敌我矛盾

5. 男女老少；兄弟姐妹（cf. 男女孩）；亲爱的父母亲 6. 钢铁工业

7. 迟早；手疾眼快/眼疾手快（《现代汉语词典》2002: 1768） 8. 救死扶伤；死活/生死；浮沉/沉浮（《现代汉语词典》2002: 598/236） 9. 水土混合物

10. 我、你和他；我、莉萨和琳达/莉萨、琳达和我；我和我妻子（丈夫）/我妻子（丈夫）和我 11. 贫富

12. 衣、食、住

13. 正反/正负；阴阳 14. 冷热（水）；软硬；新老/新旧 15. 来回；往返/来回/往复/来来往往 16. 三三两两

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17. 左右 18. 得失

19. 水陆；水火；水乳交融 20. 田径运动 21. 劳动模范

The coordinating words of an English word-group or phrase are usually arranged according to their shades of meaning: “each is more impressive than the preceding” (Fowler 1965:92). Chinese word order is often the opposite. Thus a common rule for translation is:

English Chinese narrower range → wider wider range → narrower range range less important → more more important → less important important weaker → stronger stronger → weaker Examples:

1. 无地和少地的农民

peasants who had little or no land

2. 丰收年多积累一点，灾荒年或半灾荒年就不积累或少积累一点。

Accumulate more in good years and less or none in years when the crops half fail or totally fail. 3. 受打击、排斥或轻视

be slighted, pushed aside or attacked 4. 知识分子和青年学生

students and intellectuals 5. 中小国家

small and medium-sized countries

6. 我们并不认为，他们必须或者应当采取我们的做法。 We do not maintain that they should or must adopt our way. Inversion of Word Order in Translating Attributes（定语的词序倒置）

Invert the word order of the attributive and the noun (倒置定语与名词的词序)

Examples:

1. consul general总领事 来 2. letters patent 特许状，专利证 5. God Almighty万能的神（上帝） 3. court-martial军事法庭 6. the bride elect待嫁的新娘 4. from time immemorial自远古以Drills 8.2.1

7. a minister designate 17. the rent due 8. ambassador plenipotentiary 18. a battle royal 9. professor emeritus 19. fibre glass 10. knight errant 20. Central Texas 11. the heir male (apparent) 21. sum total 12. the body politic 22. third person singular 13. corps diplomatique 7. 已被任命而尚未上任的部长 14. poet laureate 8. 全权大使 15. malice prepense (aforethought) 9. 荣誉退休教授 16. proof positive 10.（中世纪的）游侠骑士

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11. 男系（当然）继承人 12. 政治团体 13.（法）外交团 14. 桂冠诗人 15. 恶意预谋 16. 确凿的证据

17. 该付的房租/到期的房租 18. 混战/殊死战/长时间的恶斗 19. 玻璃纤维

20. 得克萨斯州中部 21. 总数/要旨 22. 单数第三人称

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Invert the word order in translating a series of attributive modifiers before a noun (倒置前置序

列定语)

(1) Generally speaking, especially in colloquial speech or literary works, a series of attributive modifiers in Chinese is seldom completely placed before a noun: with some before the noun, and the rest after. Examples:

1. Keith: A little, yellow, ragged, lame, unshaven beggar. (John Galsworthy)

基思：一个讨饭的，身材矮小，面色苍黄，衣衫褴褛，瘸腿，满脸胡子。

2. She had such a kindly, smiling, tender, gentle, generous heart of her own. (Vanity Fair) 她心地厚道，为人乐观，性情温柔，待人和蔼，器量又大。

3. She was an intelligent, attractive and somewhat temperamental daughter of a well-to-do doctor in Haddington. (The New Encyclopaedia Britannica)

她是哈丁顿一位富裕医生的女儿，有才华，又迷人，但有点脾气。 Drills 8.2.2a

4. Then one can see the oval face of a handsome young woman with deep dark eyes and long heavy clinging tresses. (Tess of the D’urbervilles)

5. Somebody tapped me on the shoulder; I looked up from the exercise books of my young pupils, which I was just correcting, into the lined, kindly face of a little lay sister.

6. The door opened with a sucking hiss and out of the dark a large, gaily-dressed, sullen-looking colored woman got on with a little boy. (F. O’Connor: Everything that Rises Must Converge) 4. 那时可以看出，她是一个眉清目秀的少女，鹅蛋型脸，两眼又深又黑，披着又长又密的头发。

5. 有人轻轻拍了拍我的肩膀，我放下正在批改的小学生作业簿，抬头一看，原来是那个做勤杂的修女；她个子矮小，满脸皱纹，和蔼可亲。

6. 车门随着一阵抽气声打开。黑暗中走出一个女黑人，身躯硕大，衣着艳丽，面有愠色，带着一个小男孩上车。

(2) The order in multiple attribution

English: General principle for placing several attributive modifiers before a noun Determi- native 限制性 冠词、指主观判示代词、断 不定代Epithet 词、所有性质、特格、数量征 词 a very a some her this

Descriptive 描述性 客观描述 Age Color 新颜色 旧 old red green pink purple 4

Classifying 分类性 Head- Gerund, word Noun, 中心词 Substance etc. 物质 （动）名词 gold brick silk eating watch wall apples face dress Size 大小 high Shape 形状 Origin 来源 valuable sour pretty small round quite an a three the my three attractive famous brisk triangular large green Cape-colony German Chinese California wooden medical night stamp college carpets air tables green small round (Source: A Reference Grammar for Students of English by R. A. Close, 1979:159, Longman) 1. 一个很值钱的（贵重的）旧金表 2. 一堵高的红砖墙

3. 一些适宜生吃的绿色酸苹果 4. 她那张粉红色的小圆脸 5. 这件漂亮的紫色丝质连衣裙

6. 一张十分吸引人的绿色三角形好望角殖民地邮票 7. 德国的一所著名的医学院 8. 三条绿色的中国大地毯

9. 加州清新的夜晚空气/加州的夜晚，空气清新 10. 我那三张木头小圆桌

Drills 8.2.2b

Translate the above and the following into Chinese: 1. advanced world levels

2. all competent university scientists 3. a big forest fire in Oregon 4. 23 New York City hospitals 5. the three Baltic states

6. the perennial American problems 7. the large West End shops

8. the Second United Nations Development Decade 9. other influential American critics 10. nineteen-century American history 11. remarkable political stability 12. automatic thermal regulator 13. high-speed metal cutting 14. crystalline pig insulin

15. two tall gate-posts of rough-hewn stone (Nathaniel Hawthorne) 16. many of our most important new projects in other fields 17. the most thriving new agricultural areas in the world

18. the recently released official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) figures

19. the first African to be awarded the Nobel Prize (1960) in recognition of his long non-violent

struggle against racial discrimination (The New Encyclopedia Britannica ) 20. The Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English 21. Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Literature 1. 世界先进水平

2. 大学里所有合格的科学家

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3. 俄勒冈的一场森林大火 4. 纽约市23家医院 5. 波罗的海三国

6. 美国常年存在的问题 7. 伦敦西区的大商店 8. 联合国第二个发展十年

9. 美国其他有影响的评论家/其他有影响的美国评论家 10. 十九世纪美国历史/美国十九世纪历史 11. 政局非常稳定 12. 热变自动调节器 13. 金属高速切割 14. 猪胰岛素结晶

15. 两座用石头粗糙劈成的高门柱

16. 我们在其它方面的许多最重要的新工程 17. 世界上农业最兴旺的新地区

18. 美国劳工统计局最近透露的官方数字

19. 因长期同种族歧视作非暴力斗争而被授予1960年诺贝尔奖的第一位非洲人 20.《高级学生现代英语词典》 21.《牛津简明英国文学词典》

Chinese: General principle for placing several attributive modifiers before a noun 限制性 判断性 物主、国别 时间、地点 数量、指代 中国的 一位 现代优秀 的 有二十年左右社会 主义建设经验的 专为大学最新实用 生编写的 重要的 新 美丽的红 小麦的 新 描述性 名词、单音节词 青年 作家 本质性 中心词 我们 几十个 领导 干部 他 我们 这几篇 语法 英汉成语 平均 水利 讲稿 词典 玫瑰 产量 工程 昨天带来放在书架一本 上的 差不多同几千朵 时开放的 去年皖北 在其他地许多 区的 Drills 8.2.2c

Translate the above and the following into English: 1. 国际经济新秩序

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2. 公寓大院

3. 厦门经济特区

4. 社会主义的现代化强国 5. 强大的社会主义工业国 6. 世界历史上的新创造

7. 我国的安定团结、生动活泼的政治局面

8. 一系列长期贸易协定和文化科学技术合作协定

9. 门类齐全、结构合理、能够满足社会消费和整个国民经济发展需要的先进的工业体系 1. an outstanding contemporary young Chinese writer

2. tens of our leaders with some 20 years’ experience in socialist construction 3. his practical and newest lectures on grammar intended for college students

4. a new English-Chinese dictionary of idioms brought here yesterday and placed on the shelf 5. thousands of beautiful red roses that blossom almost at the same time 6. the average output of wheat in North Anhui last year

7. many of our important new water conservancy projects in other areas

1. a new international economic order 2. a compound of apartment buildings 3. Xiamen Special Economic Zone

4. a modern and strong socialist country 5. a strong industrial socialist country 6. a new creation in world history

7. China’s lively political situation of stability and unity

8. a number of agreements on long-term trade and on cultural, scientific and technological cooperation

9. an advanced industrial system which is complete in range and rational in structure and which meets the needs of consumers and the expansion of the national economy

1．汉语无形态变化，只有靠语序来表示各种语法关系。因此其修饰语不论占位空间长短、结构

成分繁简、复杂程度大小，一般都置于名词中心语前面，表现为逻辑思维的自然顺序。 (3)他是一个（平常得不能再平常的）普通人。

(4) 一个（满脸皱纹，头发花白，腰背微驼的瘦小）老太在一条小巷中行走。

而英语修饰语除单个形容词，一般都置于各词中心语后面。这一点主要是通过英语中独特的定语从句、分词短语、介词短语、不定式结构等来做到的。 1．He was a full of wisdom man.（他是一个充满智慧的人）

2．…also consider their bearable pressure.（?同样要考虑他们可忍受的压力）

Right Branching Direction (RBD) 但汉语的形容成分（定语从句），都是放在所修饰词的左边，称为Left Branching Direction(LBD) 首先英语RBD的特点有利于英语用定语从句表达思想，因为反正是在右面，写作者可从容不迫地写下去：

John read the letter that Mary wrote to the boy that Jane was in love with． 约翰读了玛丽写给珍正爱着的男孩的那封信。

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在音乐会上演奏的那位音乐家是从中国来的

The musician who played at the concert is from China．

Position of Adjective Clauses（定语从句的位置）

(1) Restrictive adjective clauses which confine the meanings of nouns usually precede the nouns they modify to make the expressions closely connected in structure if they are not very long.

Examples & Drills 8.3a

1. At once the sky grew dark, and the ground opened up near the spot where they were standing. (Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp)

顿时天昏地黑，他们所站的地方附近的地皮裂开了。 2. Objects that do not transfer light cause shadows. 不透光的物体会造成阴影。

3. Atoms are the units out of which molecules are built.

4. Here we shall discuss only such factors as may cause distortions of the signal. 5. Multiply the force by the distance matter is moved to measure work.

6. We could not really feel satisfied, calm or in agreement with the situation with which we are faced at the beginning of this session of the General Assembly. (from the UN document) 3. 原子是构成分子的基本单位。

4. 这里我们将只讨论那些可能引起信号失真的因素。 5. 力乘以物体运动的距离可测定功。

6. 我们对本届联合国大会开始时所面临的局势难以感到满意，也难以感到心安理得。

(2) Adjective clauses which only have descriptive or supplementary function for the nouns preceded,

or very long adjective clauses, often follow, yet sometimes precede, the nouns they modify. These are translated in various ways, being separated from the main clauses. Examples & Drills 8.3b Guided Translation

(1) Translate the English adjective clauses into Chinese coordinate clauses:

1. Bernard Shaw was a well-known English playwright, who wrote many plays. 肖伯纳写过许多剧本，是英国的一位著名的剧作家。

2. You, whose ancestors pioneered the paths of modern civilization, have taken the road to higher forms of social organization and culture.

你们的祖先开辟了走向现代文明的道路，而你们现在又已踏上了走向更高级的社会组织和文化形式的道路。

3. World War II was, however, more complex than the preceding world war, which was a collision among the imperialist powers over the spoils of markets, resources, and territories. (W. Foster) 4. The time has long passed when they sought comfort in the thought that our economic plans were unrealistic and unworkable.

5. Air is a mixture of gases, of which oxygen forms 21 percent by volume.

3. 第一次世界大战只是帝国主义列强之间争夺市场、资源和领土的冲突，而第二次世界大战却比较复杂。

4. 以前他们认为我们的经济计划是不现实的、行不通的，并以此聊以自慰。这样的岁月，早已一去不复返了。

5. 空气是多种气体的混合物，其中氧气占其体积的21%。

(2) Translate the English adjective clauses into Chinese subordinate (adverbial) clauses denoting purpose, result, reason, condition, concession, etc.:

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1. John, who was sick yesterday, did not come to class. (reason) 约翰昨天病了，（所以）没有来上课。

2. They tried to stamp out the revolt, which spread all the more furiously throughout the country. (result)

他们企图镇压反抗，但是（结果）反抗却越来越激烈，并已遍及全国了。

3. So my chances of getting to revolutionary China are pretty slim although I have not given up my efforts to get a passport, which will enable me to visit the countries of Socialism. (W. Foster) (purpose)

因此，我到革命的中国来的希望相当小了，虽然我并没有放弃努力，来争取获得护照，以便访问社会主义国家。

4. In a dispute between two states with which one is friendly, try not to get involved. (condition) 当两国发生争端时，如与两国皆友好，则应尽量避免卷入。

5. Peter, who had carefully read through the instructions before doing his experiments, could not obtain satisfactory results, because he followed them mechanically. (concession)

虽然彼得在做实验之前从头到尾仔细阅读过操作指南，但是由于他生搬硬套，所以得不到满意的结果。

6. He did not remember his father who died when he was three years old. (reason)

7. In this regard, I am pleased to point out that the declaration made by the Chinese Government in the United Nations to the effect that the People’s Republic of China will never practise a policy of big-nation chauvinism was no surprise to us, who have had more than a decade of friendly cooperation with that country. (from the UN document) (reason)

8. Their only concern is to produce an anti-China lie which might, at least for a time, sidetrack attention from their mischief-making activities. (purpose)

9. We maintain that no peace situation is permanent which does not take into account the legitimate wishes of the majority of the people of any country. (condition)

10. Through great efforts we have finished the task under conditions, which are very unfavorable to us. (concession)

6. 他三岁就死了爹，所以记不起他爹了。

7. 在这方面，我高兴地指出，中国政府在联合国宣布中华人民共和国永不推行大国沙文主义政策，我们对此绝不感到意外，因为我们同该国已友好合作十多年了。

8. 他们唯一关心的是制造反华谰言，以便至少暂时转移人们对他们的挑拨离间活动的注意。 9. 我们认为，如果不体谅一个国家大多数人民的正当愿望，任何和平局面都是不会持久的。 10. 尽管种种条件对我们都很不利，但通过巨大努力，我们还是完成了任务。

The above examples show that though some English clauses may look “adjective-like”, they in fact imply adverbial meanings, such as reason, purpose, condition, and concession. Chinese does not use such long adjective clauses, so translate them into Chinese adverbials, which can be placed either before or after the nouns they modify. In these cases, Chinese connectives such as因为，所以，虽然，如果，但是，以便may be used to replace English relative pronouns (who, that, which, etc.). More about translating adjective clauses are explained in sections 10.3.1, 13.3.2 and 13.3.3.

Even more important to a successful translator, however, is to note the focus of information (信息焦点) in translating complex sentences with adjective clauses.。

1. Give me the book you bought me, not the one I bought you. (把你买给我的书给我，不是我买给你的那本。)

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2. How can I introduce into a casual conversation those lengthy lines of academic paper that inject the adrenaline into a given idea.

我怎样才能将那些冗长的学术文章的内容，在与普通人的交谈中表达出来?这些文字常为人的思想注入生机活力。)

3. AIDS patients and others infected with HIV, the AIDS virus, face discrimination of various sorts the world over, and the high cost and long-term nature of treatment aggravate quandaries that occur to a lesser degree in other serious diseases. 如果硬要还定语为定语，就会译成：

艾滋病人和其他受艾滋病毒侵染的人面对世界上各种各样的歧视，而且治疗费用高昂与需要长期治疗这种特点加重了在其他严重疾病中发生的程度较轻的窘境。 但是如果根据句意，将其转换成原因状语，我们就可以读到更为顺畅的中文：

艾滋病人和其他受艾滋病毒侵染的人面对世界上各种各样的歧视；此外，由于治疗费用高昂，再加上需要长期进行，与其他重病病人相比，他们所要面对的境况要严峻得多。 类似的连接词还有：“因为”、“为了”等。

4. Individuals who are infected with HIV but remain healthy and keep viral replication in check may offer some hope for guiding the design of an effective HIV vaccine

(有些人虽然感染了HIV病毒，但身体仍然健康，并能遏制病毒的复制，他们为研制有效的HIV疫苗带来了一线希望。)

5. Nobody could be said to understand the heath who had not been there at such a time. 凡是没有在这种时节到近那里的人，就不能说他领会这片荒原。

6. Washington who could have been king insisted that ultimate sovereignty lay with the people. (华盛顿虽然原本可以成为国王，但却坚持至高无上的权力应归人民所有。)

7. The software engineer bought the half million house, but the professor of sociology, whose salary is much lower, only bought a small apartment.

(那位软件设计工程师买了那幢五十万美元的房子，但那位社会学教授却因为工资远远低于工程师，只买了二套公寓。)

8. He decided to take this difficult course, which has made him extremely busy during the summer. (他决定修这门很难的课，结果他整个夏天忙得不亦乐乎。)

Inversion of Adverbials（状语的词序倒置）

. Those adverbials placed after the verb are called “补语” instead of “状语” in Chinese, e.g. She sings very well. 她唱得很好。

English: General principle for placing several adverbial modifiers S + V (+O) We study He has been He walked Manner Place or Direction hard in the classroom to London round the park Frequency Time everyday. before supper. last week. several times this year. I saw that film

at the Regal Cinema twice 10

Translate the above into Chinese.

Chinese: General principle for placing several adverbial modifiers S 我 她 他 Time 去年 Place or Direction Manner V (+ O) Frequency 在北京 在学校里 愉快地 遇见他 两次。 大声 慢 朗读。 看电影 一次。 跑 两周。 每天早晨 在室外 每天清早 环校 我们 每周 Translate the above into English. Position of Adverbial Clauses（状语从句的位置）

Chinese subordinate clauses（从属分句）denoting result or comparison follow the main clause; other subordinate clauses denoting time, place, cause, condition, concession or purpose generally precede the main clauses.

Examples & Drills 8.5

(1) Translate the following, paying attention to the position of adverbial clauses: 1. Stormy applause broke forth the moment she appeared on the stage. 2. He impressed me that way the first time I met him. 3. The machine will start as soon as you press the button. 4. Directly he uttered these words there was a dead silence. 5. I am proud that our country is forging ahead at such a speed. 6. They said they would do it come what might.

7. She was so worried that she could hardly eat her supper. 8. She would have fallen but that I caught her.

9. Much as I admire his courage, I don’t think he acted wisely.

10. Now that I think of it, we were wrong in turning down her proposal. 1. 她一出现在台上，就爆发出暴风雨般的掌声。 2. 我首次见到他就有那种印象。 3. 你一按电钮，机器就会开动。

4. 他一说出这些话，大家就立刻沉默下来。 5. 我国如此突飞猛进，我感到很骄傲。

6. 他们说过，不管发生什么情况也要做此事。 7. 她担心得简直吃不下晚饭了。 8. 要不是我抓住她，她早就摔倒了。

9. 我虽然非常钦佩他的勇气，但还是觉得他的行为并不明智。 10. 细想一下，我们拒绝她的建议是错误的。

(2) How to translate before and until (till) in the following? Before

1. Many centuries had passed before man learned to make fire. 过了好几个世纪，人类才学会取火。 2. It seemed a long time before my turn came. 似乎过了好久才轮到我。 3. I’ll do it now before I forget it.

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我现在就做，以免忘了。

4. We had scarcely left our school before it began to rain. 我们刚离开学校就下起雨来了。

5. The boy fell down from the ladder before he knew it. 那男孩不知怎么就从梯子上摔了下来。

6. Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched. 鸡蛋未孵，勿先数雏。

7. It may be some generations before the average mind grasps the identity of time and space, and so on. (Albert Einstein)

可能要等到几代人以后，一般人才能认识到时间、空间等等的同一性。 8. Before I enter on the main subject I have something to say. 9. It was not long before he knew it. 10. Evening came before we realized it. 11. Work hard before it is too late.

12. I will finish this task before two months have passed. 13. We had barely sat down before we heard bicycles outside. 14. The day began to break before we got to the hilltop. 15. Before I could say a single word, he ran away. 16. She arrived before I expected.

17. One must sow before one can reap. 18. Look before you leap. 19. He will die before he lies.

8. 在讨论这一主题之前，我有些话要说。 9. 他不久就知道这件事了。

10. 夜晚不知不觉地（悄悄地）来临了。 11. 趁早努力工作吧（干吧）。

12. 我要在两个月内完成这项任务。

13. 我们刚坐下就听到外面有自行车的声音。 14. 我们还没有到达山顶，天就开始亮了。 15. 我还没说一句话，他就跑了。 16. 我没料到她来得这么早。 17. 先播种，后收获。 18. 三思而后行。

19. 他宁死也不撒谎。 SUMMARY

Some ways to translate before in adverbial clauses: a)（在）??（以、之）前：e.g. 8 b)（后）??才：e.g. 1, 2 c) 刚??就：e.g. 4, 13 d) 就，便，快：e.g. 9

e) 未??就，还没有（来得及）??就：e.g. 5, 10, 14, 15, 16 f ) 趁（着），不然会、要不就、以免：e.g. 3, 7

g) 先??（然）后，先??再，而后，未??先：e.g. 6, 17, 18 h) 宁（可）??（也）不（肯），宁愿??决不：e.g. 19

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Sentences thus translated often become contracted in Chinese（汉语“紧缩句”），and inversion of word order is sometimes unavoidable.

Until (Till)

1. Until he comes, nothing can be done. 他没来，什么也不能干。

2. Don’t fire until you have taken a good aim. 瞄准了再开枪。

3. Don’t wait until problems pile up and cause a lot of trouble before trying to solve them. 不要等到问题成了堆，闹出了许多乱子，然后才去解决。

4. When water is cooled, its volume contracts steadily until its temperature reaches 4℃. 水冷却时，水温若未降到摄氏4度，其体积就一直稳定地收缩。 5. Don’t open the door until the train stops.

6. The path is not complete until the wires are joined.

7. We cannot really learn anything until we rid ourselves of complacency.

8. A body at rest will never move till a force compels it and a body once in motion will never stop till a force compels it.

9. Never reach for the next step until you feel sure of the preceding one. 10. You never know till you have tried. 5. 火车未停，不要开门。

6. 导线未连接，电路就不完整。

7. 不克服自满情绪，就无法真正学到任何东西。/要认真学习一点东西，必须从不自满开始。 8. 没有外力，静止的物体决不会运动，已经运动的物体也决不会停止。 9. 第一步若无把握，决不要走第二步。/事无把握，决不先行。 10. 试了才会明白。 SUMMARY

Until (till) is often translated in the following ways: a) 在??之前：e.g. 4, 9

b)（等）??再，等??才：e.g. 2, 3, 10

c) The adverbial clause led by “until” or “till”, or the main clause, is translated into conditional

subordinate clause or the whole complex sentence becomes a contracted sentence in Chinese, e.g. 1, 5, 6, 7, 8.

Until (till) is a word implying negation. It may make an affirmative principal clause or adverbial clause negative in meaning and in translation, even though it does not appear to contain any negative words. Conversely a negative principal or adverbial clause may become affirmative. A careful comparison of the above English and Chinese sentences will demonstrate this principle. Details of words implying negation will be discussed in the chapter “Negation”. Inversion of Sentence Structure（句子结构的倒置）

More ways of inversion can be found in English than in Chinese. According to H. W. Fowler (1965:297), there are nine types of inversion in the English language (see the examples in section 2.3.1.2):

(1) Interrogative inversion (疑问倒装); (2) Imperative inversion (命令倒装);

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(3) Exclamatory inversion (惊叹倒装); (4) Hypothetical inversion (假设倒装); (5) Balance inversion (平衡倒装); (6) Link inversion (衔接倒装); (7) Signpost inversion (点题倒装); (8) Negative inversion (否定倒装); (9) Metrical inversion (韵律倒装).

Logically speaking, the two languages also find their differences in the arrangement of sentence structure. A common rule for what to be the first and what to be the next in arranging a sentence is often like the following:

English Chinese Effect → Cause Cause → Effect Conclusion → Analysis → Analysis Conclusion Premise →

Hypothesis → Premise Hypothesis

Comparison of Translated Sentences 译句比较 (1) Effect & Cause（结果与原因）

1. We are delighted with the two superpowers’ treaty limiting the number of anti-ballistic missile systems that they may retain and their agreement on limitations on strategic offensive weapons. ①两个超级大国签订了限制它们可保留的反弹道导弹系统的数目的条约并达成了限制进攻性战略武器的协议，对此我们感到高兴。 ②我们感到高兴的是，两个超级大国……。

2. At some dramatic moment in the story, the terrible secret becomes known and reputation is ruined. The reader’s hair stands on end when he reads in the final pages of the novel that the heroine, a dear old lady who had always been so kind to everybody, had, in her youth, poisoned every one of her five husbands. (A Skeleton in Cupboard)

①在故事中某个富于戏剧性的时刻，骇人听闻的秘密终于泄漏，于是有人名声扫地。读者在小说的最后几页读到书中的女主角，一位和蔼的老太太，待人一向那么慈祥，年轻时却曾接二连三毒死了她的五位丈夫，这时不禁毛骨悚然。

②……书中的女主角，一位和蔼的老太太，待人一向那么慈祥，年轻时却曾接二连三毒死了她的五位丈夫；读者在小说的最后几页读到这里，不禁毛骨悚然。

③……读者读到小说的最后几页，不禁毛骨悚然：原来书中的女主角，一位和蔼可亲的老太太，待人一向那么慈祥，年轻时竟曾接二连三毒死了她的五位丈夫。 3. 生活中既有悲剧，文学作品就可以写悲剧。

Tragedies can be written in literature since there is tragedy in life. 4. 伪军士气低落，纷纷哗变、倒戈，傀儡政权内部分崩离析。

①Desertions and defections are rife among the puppet troops as a result of low morale, and the puppet regime is torn by internal strife.

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②The puppet troops are low in morale and desertions and defections are rife…. (2) Conclusion & Analysis（结论与分析）

1. The solution to the problem of Southern Africa cannot remain forever hostage to the political maneuvers and tactical delays by South Africa, nor to its transparent proposals aimed at procrastination and the postponement of the solution.

①不管是南非耍政治花招和策略上的拖延手段，还是提出显然旨在拖延问题解决的建议，都不能永远阻挡南部非洲问题的解决。

②南部非洲问题的解决不能永远成为南非耍政治花招和策略上的拖延手段的抵押品，也不能永远成为提出显然旨在拖延问题解决的抵押品。

2. 揭穿这种老八股、老教条的丑态给人民看，号召人民起来反对老八股、老教条，这就是五

四运动的一个极大的功绩。

①A tremendous achievement of the May 4th Movement was the public exposure of the ugliness of old stereotypes and dogma, and its call to the people to rise up against them.

②Its public exposure of the ugliness of old stereotypes and old dogma, and its call to the people to rise up against them, were tremendous achievements of the May 4th Movement. (3) Hypothesis & Premise（假设与前提）

1. Our country could be effective in both the tasks outlined by the President — that is, of ending hostilities as well as of making a contribution to a permanent peace in the Middle East — if we conducted ourselves so that we could remain in permanent contact with all of these elements in the equation.

如果我们采取行动，以便能够继续与中东问题各方始终保持接触，那么我国就能有效地担当起总统所提出的两项任务，那就是在中东结束敌对行动以及对该地区的永久和平做出贡献。

2. 小国人民敢于起来斗争，敢于拿起武器，掌握自己国家的命运，就一定能够战胜大国的侵

略。

The people of a small country can certainly defeat aggression by a big country, if only they dare to rise in struggle, dare to take up arms and grasp in their own hands the destiny of their own country.

(4) The Latest & the Earliest（时间的先后）

1. I was, and remain, grateful for the part he played in the recovery of my lost document. 我丢失的文件得以找回，他出了不少力。对此我过去感激，现在仍然很感激。

2. He flew back just yesterday from Georgia where he had spent his vacation after the completion of the construction job he had been engaged in the south.

他本来在南方从事一项建筑工程，任务完成后，他就去佐治亚度假，昨天才坐飞机回来。

英语往往把最需要表达的东西放在一个句子的最前边，而汉语却往往把最需要说的东西放在句子的最后边①。

印欧语 由内向外 由小到大 由近到远 由微观到宏观 由个别到整体

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由具体到抽象

汉语

由外向内 由大到小 由远到近 由宏观到微观 由整体到个别 由抽象到具体

Examples & Drills 8.6a

Compare the sentence structures of the original and the translation, and describe the differences between English and Chinese:

1. The tragedies of the Aswan High Dam are but one example of the consequences of human attempts to “improve” on nature before understanding the ecological implications of these acts.（微观与宏观）

人类还没有理解自己的行动在生态上将意味着什么，就贸然去“改造”自然，其后果是不堪设想的。阿斯旺高坝的悲剧仅仅是其中的一个例子而已。

2. Overgrazing in the Near East and North Africa has resulted in the formation of the present deserts along the once fertile Mediterranean shores.（时间先后）

在近东和北非，地中海沿岸曾经是沃野千里，由于放牧过度，如今已成了一片沙漠。

3. The statement that oil originated in the sea is confirmed by a glance at a map showing the chief oilfields of the world. (G. C. Thornley)

石油是在海里形成的，这种说法，只要看一下世界主要油田分布图，就可以得到证实。 4. All these devices, small as they may be to the eye when hundreds of circuits can be packed on to one square inch, are still much larger than they need be to do the jobs they have to do.

数百条线路装在一平方英寸的面积上，这样的装置虽然看上去很小，然而与它们必需做的工作相比，其面积仍然比所要求的面积大得多。

5. Everybody was quite amazed that a man connected with these political people would be so frank about the man who had just been elected. (Kissinger) （原因与结果）（重尾）

一个同这些政界人物有来往的人，对刚当选的总统竟敢如此直言不讳，实在令人惊讶。 6. So that when the day of departure came, between her two customs of laughing and crying, Miss Sedley was greatly puzzled how to act. (Vanity Fair) （原因与结果） 赛特笠小姐既爱哭又爱笑，到了动身那天，真不知怎么办才好。

7. Grand as Jim’s watch was, he sometimes looked at it with shame on account of the old leather strap that he used instead of a chain. (O. Henry: The Gifts)

那只表虽然华贵，可是因为没有表链，只用了一根旧皮带，吉姆有时候只是羞愧地看它一眼。（原因与结果）

8. He was able to outsmart the political analysts by suddenly unveiling a major adviser who was not a Nixon regular, and, for the first time in his political career, he was able to attract a widely respected intellectual to his service. (Kissinger)

他能出奇制胜，突然任命一个与尼克松素无瓜葛的人出任重要顾问，这一招是政治分析家

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所意料不到的。 他能把一个佼佼盛名的知识分子罗致到自己手下，这在他的政治生涯中还是头一遭。

From the examples given above, one can see that the inversion of sentence structure often goes hand in hand with the division of a sentence (拆译), which will be discussed in the chapter “Division”.

Examples & Drills 8.6b Guided Translation

Translate the following, rearranging the sentence structure wherever necessary:

1. We had been dismayed at home while reading of the natural calamities that followed one after another for three years after we left China in 1959. (Hewlett and Nowell Johnson: To China at Ninety) （时间先后）

自从我们在1959年离开中国以后，中国连续三年遭到自然灾害。当我们在国内读到这方面的消息时，心情颇为焦虑。

2. Are we disposed to be of the number of those who having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? (Patrick Henry: Speech in the Virginia Convention of Delegates)

对于自己的救世活动密切相关的事情视而不见、充耳不闻的人，难道我们心甘情愿与之为伍吗？（原因与结果）

3. It must be a great satisfaction to all ranks and races engaged in our common effort that the Japanese have been challenged and beaten in jungle warfare in Burma, and that their boastfulness should have received a salutary exposure.

在缅甸丛林战中，日军受到挑战并被击败；他们的自吹自擂，这回可得到了有益的揭露——这对于从事于我们共同事业的各阶层人士、各民族人民来说，必然是一件大快人心的事。 4. To make a selection of great battles of the Second World War, the most enormous universal conflagration of all times, and to present them in a single book was obviously a formidable task. 第二次世界大战是有史以来规模最大的一场全球性冲突，要从中选取一些重大的战役，并用一册书就把它们反映出来，显然是一项十分艰巨的任务。（原因与结果）

5. The manned space program was already under way when President Kennedy captured the national imagination in 1961 by setting the goal of a moon landing by the end of the decade. (The Memoirs of Richard Nixon)

6. The two leaders found it beneficial to have this opportunity, after so many years without contact, to present candidly to one another their views on a variety of issues. (The Sino-U.S. Joint Communiqué, Feb. 28, 1972)

7. No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the house. (Patrick Henry: Speech in the Virginia Convention of Delegates)

8. The graver and more important the matter, the more damage to the United Nations is a resolution which remains a dead letter. (from the United Nations documents)

9. From the Middle East have radiated the sparks of the world civilizations which have been blessings to humanity.

5. 1961年，肯尼迪总统把登月定为六十年代末期的目标，引起了全国人民的想象，而那时载人空间计划已着手进行了。

6. 这么多年没有接触，两位领导人现在有此机会就各种问题坦率地互相介绍彼此的观点，对此，双方认为是有益的。

7. 刚才几位可尊敬的先生向议院发言了。对诸位先生的爱国精神及才干，我个人比其他任何

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人都更为钦佩。

8. 一项形同虚设的决议（一纸空文的决议案），涉及的问题越严重、越重要，对联合国的危害就越大。

9. 至今仍造福于人类的世界文明，正是从中东放射出它的光芒来的。

a) For a month or two every summer vacation, I went to my hometown, Shandong, to live with my parents.

b) At eight o’clock on the morning of July 4, the train started back to Shanghai.

I went to live with my parents for a month or two every summer vacation in my hometown, Shandong.

行为的主体（主语）——行为的各种标志（状语）——主体的行为（谓语）——行为的客体（宾语）。可见行为的标志如时间状语、地点状语、方式状语是处于主语和谓语之间的。或处于行动的主体主语之前，形成头重脚轻的语言习惯。

而英语民族思维模式的线性序列则为：行为的主体（主语）——主体的行为（谓语）——行为的客体（宾语）——行为的各种标志。也就是说，时间状语、地点状语、方式状语等一般都处于句尾，显示头轻脚重的语言习惯。

根据( Flynn，1984)的伸展原则(Principle Branching Direction)，汉语是向左伸展的语言(left-branching)，即状语成分，包括状语分句都是放在主句前表达；定语成分包括定语从句都是放在所修饰的中心词前面，可以按：其数量无限地(?)向前（左）伸展的。而英语是向右伸展的语言( right-branching)，主句在前，各种状语、定语、补语成分可以向后（右）无限伸展的。从另一个角度分析，汉语是自然语序，它按照动作发生的先后顺序和逻辑的因果关系排列。先有因后有果、先有条件后有结果、先有假设后有可能。因此，在主从句中，从句都是在前面的，主句都在后面，显示明显的偏前正后的倾向，也就是汉语中的典型的偏正结构：

(3)为了保护好得之不易的学校，他抛开家人，独自住进学校看守。黄绍全《师魂》 (2) (3)

也就是说，只要有可能，汉语句子可以向前无限制扩展 4) 一个人被车压死了。 昨晚一个人被车压死了。

昨晚南京路上一个人被车压死了。

昨晚南京路上一个30多岁男人被车压死了。

昨晚南京路上一个骑着自行车的30多岁男人被车压死了。

昨晚南京路上一个骑着自行车上街买东西的30多岁男人被车压死了。

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汉语作为一种主要通过词序安排和助动词来组织句子的语言，缺乏必要的手段，如英语中的形式主语等，使过分笨重的头移一点到句尾。这也可解释汉语中的倒装句比较少。

而英语却不同，它是一种形态性的语言，它可以通过非谓语形式、丰富的关系代词、连词、代词等来造成英语中的倒装句、分隔句、被动句、先行词it句、there存在句等，从而有效地把较长的主语、宾语等置后，实现英语组句中的一条基本原则：末端重量(end-weight)。即把句子中最笨重的部分或语法结构最复杂的成分放在句尾。形成头小尾大的正三角。

另一方面，金积令（1998/1）通过对汉语的系统考察，“证明在汉语句法结构中存在一种重量趋前的强趋势（前端重量）”，也就是说在汉语中允许出现短结尾。

The announcement of the President of the United States declaring a state of emergency for suspected enemy missile approaching comes unexpectedly over the radio in the midst of it (the party) .

In the midst of it the party comes unexpectedly over the radio the announcement of the President of

the United States declaring a state of emergency for suspected enemy missile approaching. Rod Serling The Shelter

Those who receive marvelous news after a long silence are happy indeed. Happy indeed are those who receive marvelous news after a long silence .

（昔日在全国显赫一时、辽宁引为自豪的丹东手表、金笔、营口幸福牌钢琴、友谊牌洗衣机、沈阳的机床等）如今都坠入市场萎缩的困境。 刘欣欣 《金牌不是名牌》

a) He has proved the forecasts made by the country’s leading economic experts wrong. b) He has proved wrong the forecasts made by the country’s leading economic experts .

（从1900年八国联军占领北京，中华民族蒙受巨大屈辱，国家濒临灭亡边缘，到2000年中国在

社会主义基础上进入小康，大踏步走向繁荣富强）是中国发生翻天覆地变化的一百年。 江泽民 《十五大政治报告》

a) Whether they will send any delegation to attend the conference which is to be held next month in Hawaii is not yet known.

b) It is not yet known whether they will send any delegation to attend the conference which is to be held next month in Hawaii .

英汉语言上这种差别要求我们在英语写作中注意运用英语中的各种手段，避免汉语当中头重脚轻的句式。下面我们来看看如何修改学生写作中一些实例。 (13)普通人在家里使用电子计算机的时代已来到。

a) The time when ordinary people can use electronic computers at home has come. b) The time has come when ordinary people can use electronic computers at home,

(14)面对挑战、迎接挑战的时候到来了。

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a) The time for us to face and accept the challenge has come now. b) The time has now come for us to face and accept the challenge.

(15)我们中国人在世界上被人看不起的日子已一去不复返了。

a) The days when we Chinese people had been looked down upon in the world are gone forever. b) Gone forever are the days when we Chinese people had been looked down upon in the world.

(16)政府应对所有的经济问题要负责是大多数人的看法。

a) The belief that the government should be responsible for all the economic trouble is commonly held. b) The belief is commonly held that the government should be responsible for all the economic trouble.

(22)大城市行路难、乘车难已成为突出的社会问题。

a) The difficulty for people to get to their destinations on foot or by bus in big cities has become a general complaint.

b) The problem has become a source of complaint of getting the destinations either on foot or by bus for people in big cities.

(23)现在大学生找工作越来越难是人们共同的看法。

a) That college graduates are more and more difficult to find a good job is people’s common belief.

b) It is commonly believed that it becomes increasingly difficult for college graduate to find a rewarding job.

例l，温总理、中央及有关部委领导同志、在华外籍专家出席了宴会。

Present at the banquet were Premier Wen, leading figures of the central government and the relevant ministries and commissions, and foreign experts working in China. 评析：在汉语中，“出席了宴会”较短，可置于句末，但在英语新闻报道中，常把短结构Present at the banquet/ meeting移到句首，然后在句末可给出一长列出席人员的名单。

例2．什么时候突出地提出和解决这个问题，在什么基础上提出和解决这个问题，要研究。（《邓选》）

译文 1: When and on what basis we raise and settle this issue requires deliberation,（《北京周报》） 译文 2: We should study when to raise this question and how to settle it．（外文出版社） 评析：在原汉语中，以“要研究”这短短的三个字来收尾，完全符合汉语习惯。《北京周报》译文照搬这一结构，以requires deliberation 结尾，略显太短。外文出版社译文将We should study移到句首，让when引导的长结构压轴，更合英语行文习惯。

例4．创造出具有东方智慧、中国特色和北京特征的奥，运会形象与景观，展示中国悠久的历史、灿烂的文化和北京2008年奥运会的巨大魅力，体现绿色奥运、科技奥运、人文奥运的理念，为奥林匹克运动留下独特遗产，这是国际奥委会和国际社会对我们的共同期待。（《笔译实务》）

It is the IOC and international community’s expectation that we create an Olympic image that reflects oriental wisdom and characteristics of both Beijing and China, as well as China’s long history, splendid culture and the fascination of the Beijing Games. The image is also expected to be a manifestation of the concepts of Green Olympics, High-tech Olympics and People’s Olympics-thus leaving a unique legacy

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