英语普通名词有可数与不可数之分,其中有些普通名词既可作可数名词,又可作不可数名词,但意义不尽相同。例如,paper用作不可数名词时作“纸”解,而用作可数名词时则做“报纸”解,如,an evening paper(一张晚报)。另外,汉语词汇比较灵活,很多词汇可以是可数名词,也可以是不可数名词,但是英语中有些名词只能当抽象名词使用,必须与其他其体名词连用才能变得可数。这在汉译英时要尤为小心。例如:
1、在他的干预下,进行了不少盲目的重复建设。
[误译]Under his intervention there have been a lot of indiscriminate and duplicated constructions.
[正译]Under his intervention there have been a lot of indiscriminate and duplicated constructions projects.
[评析]英语中有些名词只能当抽象名词使用,必须与其他其体名词连用才能变得可数。所以,duplicated constructions 应改为duplicated constructions projects。
2、我想今后不会有太多的金融机构破产,也许就没有了。
[误译]I don’t expect to see too many bankruptcies of financial firms in the future, and maybe there will be none.
[正译]I don’t expect to see too many bankruptcies cases of financial firms in the future, and maybe there will be none.
[评析]汉语词汇比较灵活,“破产”可以是可数名词,也可以是不可数名词。但bankruptcy是不可数名词,为表示复数概念可以增词翻译为bankruptcy cases。
3、对失败一方来说,讲和条件通常是苛刻的。
[误译]The term of the peace was usually hard for the defeated side.
[正译]The terms of the peace was usually hard for the defeated side.
[评析]term表示条件(conditions)或人际关系(personal relations)的意思时,要用复数形式。例如:One should be on good terms with one’s neighbors.‘人们应与邻居和睦相处’。
4、多年的教学经验,帮助我改变了主意。
[误译]Years of teaching experiences has helped me to change my mind.
[正译]Years of teaching experience has helped me to change my mind.
[评析]experience作单数是经验的意思,用作复数就是经历、阅历的意思。不少译者容易混淆experience单复数的意思。
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