科技文章多使用被动语态
2014-02-11 14:41阅读:
何以科技文章多被动语态?
科技文章的被动语态使用极为广泛,这是因为科技文章中往往论及的是存在的现象及客观过程,而很少涉及人们的动作,思想感情等。为了看重叙述科学道理,使读者注意力和兴趣,集中在其上,科学工作者的文章,不使用或很少使用第一、二人称。于是被动句频频出现。
避免过度使用被动语态
科技写作,若过度使用被动语态,会使文章变得笨拙而生硬,而且还常常产生不自然或难以阅读的句子。若被动语态占了全篇文句的百分之二十五以上,便可能犯了过度使用被动语态的毛病。
不及物动词不可以使用被动语态
许多英文动词本来就没有被动的形式。不及物动词后面不跟着直接受词,所以根本没有被动形式。例如
这个动词就无法使用被动语态,所以下面的句子就有文法上的错误:
误:The experiment was proceeded by the
researchers.
正:The experiment was performed by
the researchers.
正:The experiment was carried out by the
researchers.
下面一批动词,在科技文章,常可见到的,它们都是没有被动形式:
appear correspond occur tend
arise depend on proceed work
be exist remain yield
become happen result in
come have rise
consist of let seem
怎样翻译科技文章中的被动语态句子?
照汉语的习惯,被动句所叙述的行为,对于主语大都是不愉快的或不希望受到的。例如「被迫害」、「被腐蚀」、「被磨损」、「被革职」等都是不于受动者或对象。就科技翻译来说,除了借助科技理论知识,还要找出英汉两种语言的表达规律,这样才可胜任工作。
我们最容易犯的毛病,是见到被动句子在译成汉语时就加上一个「被」字,使译文生硬,不符合汉语习惯,甚或造成文理不通。一般翻译的方法,可以采用直译
和意译交替使用,因为英汉两种语言在词汇上无法有绝对的偶合和绝对的一对一的对应现象。所以,我们较多以意译主动式为之。以下我们举出一些例子,供各位参
考:
A barometer is used for measuring atmospheric
pressure.
误:气压计被用来测量大气压力。
正:气压计用来测量大气压力。
Sugar can be dissolved in water.
误:糖可被水所溶。
正:糖可溶于水。
His research will not be completed this
year.
误:他的研究不会在这年被完成。
正:他的研究工作,今年不会完成。
Radium was discovered in 1898.
误:镭元素是于1898 年被发现。
正:镭是1898 年发现的。
The hypothesis has been proved up to the hilt
by the results of experiments.
误:这假设彻底地被实验结果证明是对的。
正:这一假说已为实验结果所充分证明。
If one or more electrons be removed, the atom
is said to be positively charged.
误:倘若一个或多个电子被移除,原子将会变成正原子。
误:如果原子的电子被取去,原子就被称为带正电了。
正:如果原子失去了一个或多个电子,我们就说原子带正电荷。
Matter is known to occupy space.
误:物体被认为占有空间的。
正:我们都知道物质占有空间。
10, 000 feet was read from the
altimeter.
误:高度表的读数被读成是10, 000 英尺。
正:高度表的读数是10, 000 英尺。
动语态I…that…的汉译
科技文章中,以It…that 这类用被动语态动词作谓语,以It
作主语为前导的结构,几乎俯拾皆是。以下将一些常见的及其汉译罗列于下,以供参考:
It is generally (universally) accepted
that…
一般(普遍) 认为,大家公认;
It should be added that…
还得指出;
It is admitted that…
人们(大家) 承认;
It is [ generally ] agreed that…
人们[一般] 认为;
It is (has been) announced that…
据(已) 宣布;
It is alleged that…
人们断言;
It can (could) be argued that…
有人(人们) 可以这样辩解[说];
It is arranged that…
已经商定;已经作出安排;
It is [ sometimes ] asked that…
人们[有时] 会问;
It is asserted that…
有人主张(断定);
It is assumed that…
假设(定),设想;
It is believed that…
据信,人们(大家) 相信;
It has been calculated that…
据计算(考虑);已经认为;
It is claimed that…
有人(人们) 主张;人们要求;
It is [usually] considered that…
人们[通常] 认为,据估计(假设、研究);
It is decided that…
已经决定;
It is declared that…
据宣称,人们宣称;
It is demonstrated that…
据证实,业经查(证) 明;
It is described that…
据(经、经人) 介绍[说];
It cannot be denied that…
无可否认,不可否认的是;
It is enumerated that…
据统计(清查);
It is estimated that…
据估计(推算);
It is (can be) expected that…
据(可以) 预测(预期、指望);
It is (was) felt that…
人们(有人) 认为(感到);
It is found that…
据发现,人们发现;
It has been found that…
已经发现,实践证明;
It is hoped that…
我们希望,有希望的是;
It is hypothesized that…
假设;
It has been illustrated that…
据说明,据图标;
It was first intended that…
最初就有这样的想法;
It must be kept in mind that…
必须记住;
It is known (well known) that…
众所周知,大家知道;
It is learned that…
据悉(闻);
It is mentioned that…
据说,有人说;
It is (was、should be) noted [above]
that…
人们注意到,有人指出,已经发现,[前面] 已经指出,应当(予)
指出;
It is noticed that…
人们注意到,有人指出;
It has been objected that…
有人反驳[说];
It has been observed that…
已[经] 观察到;
It is outlined that…
概括了,概括地讲;
It must be pointed out that…
必须指出;
It is postulated that…
[我们] 假定,先决条件是;
It is predicted that…
据估(预) 计,预计的情况是;
It is preferred that…
最好[是];
It is proposed that…
有人(人们) 提出(建议),一般认为;
It has been proved that…
已经证明;
It is generally recognized that…
一般(普遍) 认为(认识到);
It is recommended that…
最好[是],可取的是,有人推荐(建议);
It is regarded that…
人们认为;
It is reported that…
据报告(道) [说];
It is refuted that…
人们驳斥说;
It must be realized that…
必须了解(认识、明白);
It has been reviewed that…
讨论了;检查了;已回顾到;
It is said that…
据说(称),一般认为;
It need not be said that…
不用说;
It may safely be said that…
可以有把握地说;
It will be said that…
有人会说;
It can be seen that…
可见,可以看出;
It will be seen from this that…
由此可见,可以看出,人们会看出;
It has been shown that…
有人指出,业已证明;
It is stated that…
据称(说),有人说;
It is stressed that…
人们强调说;
It is suggested that…
有人建议;
It is supposed that…
人们认为(相信),据推测;
It is taken that…
人们(有人) 认为;
It is thought that…
人们(有人) 认为;
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