外位语结构在汉中的应用 由于汉语习惯上一般不使用长句,因此在汉时,往往要把较长的句子成分或不易安排的句子成分拆开来,译成汉语的分句或从句,以使译文通顺流畅,条理分明。外位结构是一种独特的分译技巧。 在汉语中,独立于句外,同时又和句中的某个成分指同一事物或同一概念的成分叫做外位语。使用外位语的目的在于突出某一事物或某一概念,以引起别人的注意,或为了简化复杂的长句,使之结构严谨,条理清楚,意思明了。例如: “实现四个现代化,这是我们今后相当长时间的中心工作。”这句话中,“实现四个现代化”用于句外,跟句中的主语“这”指同一概念,“实现四个现代化”就是外位语。有时也称作“外位成分”或“提示成分”。英语里有许多定语是以 of 引起的词组,或是以 who, which, that 引起的从句放在一个名词后面。译成汉语的时候,人们往往把这些定语放在名词前头,这就需要用许多 “的”字连起来。即使“的”字用得不多,也会因为定语太长,句子显得十分累赘读起来十分拗口。所以,要解决这一连串“的”字的问题,实质上就是如何把定语或其他修饰成分译好的问题。汉语中的外位语就为解决这个问题提供了有利条件。使用了外位语,就可以把英语的定语或其他难于处理的成分放在句首,或者留在句末,把一个较长的句子译成两部分。例如: The importance of the case he has put is undeniable. 这个句子的主要部分是 The importance is undeniable. 主语 importance 后面有个 of 引起的词组做定语,词组里面还包含有一个定语从句。如果照原文的结构,这句话可译作 “他所提出的看法的重要性是无可否认的”。这个句子中用了两个“的”,显得有点别扭。如果把定语“他所提出的看法”分出来做外位语,后半句里用“其”字来代替这个定语,译作“他所提出的看法,其重要性是无可否认的”。译文就显得流畅、紧凑。这种用代词来指称外位语的结构,有些语法学家称之为称位语,或称作称提示成分。 请参考上文,翻译下列句子: 1. Hitler, not surprisingly, launched a sudden attack upon U.S.S.R. 2. He made many discoveries in nuclear physics but, characteristically, he did not publish them. 3. She was pardonably proud of her excellent sewing. 4. The inside of each house depended on the personality of its occupants. 5. Wires of different materials, although of the same diameter and length, differ in their conductivity. 6. With each of these three points we should express our different opinions. 7. The melting point is different for different kinds of metals. 8. It is a very important law in physics that energy can be neither created nor destroyed. 9. Any influence that causes a motion of matter we call a force. 10. His popularity is attested by the fact that more than a score of his books remain in print, and translations are still read around the world. 10. His popularity is attested by the fact that more than a score of his books remain in print, and translations are still read around the world.