第三章 英译汉基本技巧

第四章 Negative and Affirmative

Negation is an important composition成分 of any language, but different languages have various ways to express negation, which are reflected not only in the use of negative words but also in different structures of negation. For example, negative words are always put before the part to be negated in Chinese. However, in English, negative words can be put before the predicate (usually by negating the auxiliary 辅助的, and “do” is added in case there is no auxiliary), the subject or the object, but semantically these are not necessarily the negated parts. This phenomenon is referred to as the “shift of negation”.

Look at the following two sentences:

1) The planets do not go around the sun at a uniform speed.

各个行星并不以一致的速度绕太阳旋转。

（ “Go” is negated in structure, but “at a uniform speed” is the part actually negated in meaning.）

2) So far we know of no effective way to store solar energy.

到目前为止，我们还不知道储存太阳能的有效方法。

（ Structurally, “no” negates “effective way”, but semantically “know of” is actually negated.）

As a matter of fact, negation is more often just a view of point or a certain perspective about something or some idea. Something seemingly affirmative may look negative viewed from the opposite aspect. As a result, a word, phrase or sentence can often be translated as either the negative or the affirmative. This may be caused by different focus of people speaking different languages.

Look at the following sentences. 1) He is little more than a child.

2) Anyone wants to get out? Over my dead body!

3) Mother said Father would come soon, but Mary knew better. 4) Stir and you are dead.

5) The old man lay awake almost the whole night. 6) Students are still coming.

1) He is little more than a child.

他比孩子大不了多少。 他完全还是个孩子。

2) Anyone wants to get out? Over my dead body!

只要我活着，谁也别想出去。

3) Mother said Father would come soon, but Mary knew better.

玛丽知道（爸爸）不会（很快回来）。 4) Stir and you are dead.

（不许动！）敢动，我就要你的命！

5) The old man lay awake almost the whole night.

这个晚上老人几乎都醒着躺着。 老人躺着，几乎一夜没合眼。 6) Students are still coming.

学生还没有到齐。

So we can see the use of negation or affirmation often reflects the perspectives or emphasis how people think.

Look at the following list of two possible ways of translation: disregard 忽视

不顾；不理

careless 粗心的；疏忽的

不注意的；不细心的

miss 失误；遗漏

不见；没找到

hate 讨厌

很不愿意

deny 拒绝（相信）

不（相信）、不（接受）等

dying 奄奄一息

还没咽气的

equally good 同样好

不相上下

free from mistake 正确

无误

The match is going on. 比赛还在继续。

比赛还没完。

He does not find himself. 他甚感茫然。

他很不得志。

There’s no problem now. 现在稳拿了。

现在没问题了。

It’s no less than cheating. 这简直是诈骗。

这无异于诈骗。

由于英汉思维方式的不同，英汉语言的表达习惯也不尽相同，英语和汉语均有从正面或反面来表达一种概念的现象。翻译时，英语或汉语从正面表达的词或句子，译文可以从反面来表达。英语和汉语从反面表达的词或句子，译文又可以从正面表达。采用这种表达法不仅使语言更生动流畅，且效果更佳。那么什么是正说和反说呢？英语词句中含有 “never”, “no”, “not”, “non-”, “un-”, “in-”, “im-”, “ir-”, “-less”等成分以及汉语词句中含有“不”，“无”，“未”，“甭”，“别”，“休”，“莫”，“勿”，“非”，“毋”等成分的为“反说”，不含这些成分的为“正说”。

In actual translation, very often we can and sometimes have to consider the situation from the opposite perspective and translate an affirmative sentence into the negative or vice versa.

1．正话反说

正反译是用变换语气的方法把原文的肯定式译成汉语的否定式。翻译时运用这一方法可使译文合乎规范，更恰当地表达原文的意思。如：correct, wonder, difficult, exactly, anything but 分别译成：没有毛病，不知道，不容易，一点不错。

First, let’s look at the implied negative in some apparently affirmative English sentences,

which are better turned into the negative when translated into Chinese.

l. Excuse me. 2. Wet paint!

3. Keep off the lawn!

4. Appearances are deceptive. 5. The weather is keeping dry. 6. My guess is as good as yours. 7. I’ll do it now before I forget it. 8. I love you more than I could say.

9. Be sure to lock the door when you leave.

10. His explanation is far from being satisfactory.

1. 对不起。 2. 油漆未干。 3. 请勿践踏草坪。 4. 外表是靠不住的。 5. 天老不下雨。

6. 我的猜测并不比你的高明。

7. 趁还没有忘记，我现在来做这件事。 8. 我说不出有多爱你。 9. 离开时不要忘记锁好门。

10. 他的解释根本不能令人满意。

2．反话正说

反正译是用变换语气的方法把原文的否定式译成译文的肯定式。翻译时恰当地运用这一方法可使译文自然流畅。英语中含有否定词语的结构和双重否定的结构常用这种方法来翻译。英语中表达否定意思的词或词组指带有 “dis-”, “de-”, “im-”, “in-”, “un-”, “-less”等词缀的词和 “no”, “not”, “not…until”, “no less than”, “no more than”, “nothing but”, “cannot…too”等表示否定的词或词组。 1. Never too old to learn.

2. I couldn’t agree more about it. 3. His story was nothing but lies. 4. Our advice was not lost in him. 5. There is no rule but exceptions.

6. Don’t lose time in posting this letter. 7. She is no less diligent than her sister. 8. Such things couldn’t long escape notice. 9. We did not notice this matter until yesterday. 10. We cannot be too careful in doing experiments.

1. 活到老，学到老。 2. 我对此非常赞同。

3. 他的那番话纯粹是谎言。

4. 我们的劝告对他起了作用。 5. 凡规则总有例外。 6. 赶快把这封信寄出去。 7. 她和她的姐姐一样用功。 8. 这类事情迟早会被人发觉的。 9. 直到昨天我们才注意到这件事。 10. 我们做实验越仔细越好。

Exercises:

Affirmation to negation:

1. The name slipped from my memory. 2. He failed to appreciate our kindness. 3. They excluded children from getting in. 4. The news media were barred from the party.

5. Shortage of workers kept the progress of the project slow. 6. Mary lay awake almost the whole night. 7. He thought he’d got a mortal illness. 8. The road is now clear of snow. 9. He is strange to compliment. 10. Life is far from a bed of roses.

11. He will die of hunger before he will steal. 12. The truth is quite other than what you think. 13. He accused them of bad faith. 14. Like hell I will agree.

15. He dived into the water fully clothed and rescued the child. 16. Opportunity knocks but once.

Negation to affirmation: 1. I won’t be long.

2. It’s no laughing matter.

3. Don’t lose time in asking him. 4. No man is wise at all time.

5. His speech leaves nothing to be desired. 6. This couldn’t long escape notice.

7. He thought not very vividly of his father and mother.

Some idioms:

1. Let bygones be bygones. 2. now or never

3. to call a spade a spade

4. Time and tide wait for no man. 5. as weak as water 6. play a double game

7. answer beside the point 8. turn a deaf ear to

9. Pleasant hours fly fast.

Key to Exercises:

Affirmation to negation:

1. The name slipped from my memory. 我记不起这个名字了。

2. He failed to appreciate our kindness. 他不识抬举。

3. They excluded children from getting in. 他们不许儿童入内。

4. The news media were barred from the party. 没有允许媒体采访这次聚会。

5. Shortage of workers kept the progress of the project slow. 由于工人不够，该项目进展缓慢。

6. Mary lay awake almost the whole night. 玛丽躺在那儿，几乎一个网上都没有睡着。 7. He thought he’d got a mortal illness. 他以为自己得了不治之症。 8. The road is now clear of snow. 路上已经没有积雪了。

9. He is strange to compliment. 他不爱听恭维话。

10. Life is far from a bed of roses. 生活远不是一切尽如人意的。

11. He will die of hunger before he will steal. 他宁可饿死，也不会去偷窃。

12. The truth is quite other than what you think. 事实真相跟你想的很不一样。 13. He accused them of bad faith. 他指责他们不守信用。 14. Like hell I will agree.

见你的鬼！我才不会同意呢。

15. He dived into the water fully clothed and rescued the child. 他一件衣服也没有脱就跳入水中去救那孩子。 16. Opportunity knocks but once. 机不可失，时不再来。

Negation to affirmation: 1. I won’t be long. 我一会就回来。

2. It’s no laughing matter. 这可是件严肃的事。

3. Don’t lose time in asking him. 赶紧问问他。

4. No man is wise at all time. 智者千虑，必有一失。

5. His speech leaves nothing to be desired. 他的讲话精彩极了。

6. This couldn’t long escape notice. 这一点迟早会被发现的。

7. He thought not very vividly of his father and mother. 他模模糊糊地想起了父母亲。

Some idioms:

1. Let bygones be bygones. 2. now or never

3. to call a spade a spade

4. Time and tide wait for no man. 5. as weak as water 6. play a double game 7. answer beside the point 8. turn a deaf ear to

9. Pleasant hours fly fast.

1. 既往不咎

2. 机不可失，时不再来 3. 直言不讳 4. 时不我待 5. 弱不禁风 6. 口是心非 7. 答非所问 8. 充耳不闻 9. 好景不长

How to Prepare for an Interview

如何为面试做准备

You may be the best candidate for a job, but that is no guarantee that you will be offered it. Experience and qualifications are important, but you may also have to sell yourself as the best person for the post. This requires you to know as much about the position as possible. Here are

some procedures to go through.

你可能是某一工作的最佳候选人，但这并不能保证你会得到这份工作。经验和资历是非常重要的，但你或许还得把自己推销为这个职位的最佳人选。这就要求你尽可能多地了解应聘职位。这里有条可遵循的步骤。

First of all, think about how you can make your best impression on the interviewers. You should not present yourself as being different from what you are, but you can present yourself in a very positive way. Consider what the interviewers’ likely prejudices and dislikes may be, and take these into account when answering questions and unveiling your personality. And reflect on the personal qualities that might be necessary for the work you will be doing. These qualities will surely be expected and perhaps even tested in the interview. If the company wants an aggressive go-getter, for instance, you had better not project a timid and overcautious self-image in the interview room.

首先，想想如何才能给主考官留下最佳印象。并不是你得放弃真正的自我换个面孔展示自己，而是你可以以一种积极的建设性的方式介绍自己。想想主考官可能的偏见会是什么，他不喜欢的事情会是什么。当你在回答问题和展示你的个性时，要把这些因素考虑进去，并想想你将从事的工作所需要的个人素质。在面试中主考官肯定希望你具有这些素质，甚至就这些素质进行测试。比如，如果这个公司需要一个积极进取、自强不息的人，那么你在面试室里，就不要显得胆怯和过于谨慎。

Research the company. The more you know about your potential employers, the better. Investigate their products, try them if appropriate, and keep a lookout for their advertisements. Visit a library, read trade magazines, newspapers, company brochures, and reports that will bring you up to date with the latest developments in the company.

深入了解这家公司。对你未来的雇主了解得越多越好。调查他们的产品，如果适当的话试用一下，密切注意他们的广告；去图书馆看看商业杂志、报纸、公司小册子和一些能让你了解公司最新发展动态的报道。

Find out what the company’s priorities are. Suppose they place great emphasis on turnover and quick profit, you will then need to stress the revenue you generated in your last job, rather than the research project you supervised for five years. But if your prospective employers are deeply committed to a program of research and development, you should play up your academic or supervisory skills.

查明这家公司的优势。假设他们重点强调营业额和快速盈利，你就要强调你在这一份工作中创造了多少收益，而不是强调你主持了五年的研究项目。但如果你未来的雇主全心全意地致力于一项研究开发工作，你就应在你的学术和管理技能上多下功夫。

Know about your own strengths. Sit down with a pen and paper, and match your skills and experience to the job description in the advertisement. Think how the employer would benefit by choosing you, rather than another candidate.

知道自己的实力。坐下来，拿出笔和纸，核实你与广告描述的工作相关的技能和经验。想想雇主若选择你而不是选择其他应聘者会得到什么益处。

Apart from the practical skills required, consider the less tangible qualities the employer might be searching for. Do you have potential in certain areas which could be realized if given the chance? How do you rate yourself in terms of creative thinking, leadership qualities, the ability to work under pressure? Jot down incidents which you have displayed these characteristics.

除了所要求的实用技能外，仔细考虑雇主可能寻求的不那么明显的素质。在某些领域，

如果给你机会，你是否有潜力可挖？在创造性思维、领导素质以及在压力下工作的能力方面，你如何评价自己？记下你表现了这些特点的种种事件。

Know about your weakness. Good interviewers are practiced in finding the weakness in a candidate, so don’t imagine that you are certain to get away with anything. But what you cannot hide you can always explain provided you are well prepared. And if you think positively about yourself, you can turn those explanations to your advantages.

了解自己的弱点。良好的主考官能熟练地找出应试者的弱点，所以不要妄想你一定能逃避弱点。但是，要是你准备得充分的话，对于你无法隐藏的弱点你总可以加以解释。如果你对自己抱肯定态度，你可以将这些解释转到你的优势上去。

一些“形”同“意”合的谚语口译 Pride goes before a fall 骄者必败 Fish in troubled waters 浑水摸鱼 Business is business 公事公办 The style is the man 文如其人 More haste, less speed 欲速则不达 Great minds think alike 英雄所见略同 Misfortunes never come alone 祸不单行

Hedges have eyes, walls have ears 隔篱有眼，隔墙有耳 Man proposes, God disposes. 谋事在人，成事在天 Beauty is in the eye of beholder 情人眼里出西施 Time and tide wait for no man 时不待我/岁月无情 A young idler, an old beggar 少壮不努力，老大徒伤悲

A man should not bite the hand that feeds him 不要恩将仇报 Health is better than wealth 家有万贯财，不如一身健 Out of office, out of danger 无官一身轻 In time of peace prepare for war 居安当思危 The tongue cuts the throat 祸从口出/言多必失

Out of sight, out of mind /far from eye, far from heart 眼不见为净 All shall be well, Jack shall have Jill 有情人终成眷属 Friends must part 聚散离合总有时/天下无不散之宴席

The remembrance of the past is the teacher of the future 前事不忘，后事之师/前车之覆，后车之鉴

Translate the following idioms into Chinese. 1. Trojan horse 2. Achilles’ heel 3. Pandora’s box 4. Noah’s Ark 5. Babel Tower

6. God helps those who help themselves. 7. Man proposes, God disposes.

8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46.

Uncle Tomism Shangarila Catch-22 Watergate Dunkirk

Meet one’s Waterloo You outHitlers Hitler. benchwarmer

to be saved by the bell cross the finish line Harm set, harm get. Might is right.

Pride shall have a fall. Show one’s true colors.

One swallow doesn’t make a summer. to fight to the last man a gentleman’s agreement the open-door policy

the most-favored-nation clause A cat has nine lives.

Barking dogs do not bite.

A rolling stone gathers no moss. to praise to the skies to fish in troubled waters to add fuel to the fire Walls have ears.

Strike while the iron is hot. a drop in the ocean laugh off one’s head

to spend money like water

six of one and half a dozen of the other

One boy is a boy, two boys half a boy, three boys no boy.

She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth; she thinks she can do what she likes. But the die was cast, he could not go back. Two heads are better than one. to carry coals to Newcastle

It’s no use crying over spilt milk.

It is clear that he was one of the outstanding pilots in the whole program. I was nervous before crowds.

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