词性转换法

英语单词的词类与其语法功能有着密切的关系。因此记住单词的词类对于掌握英语语法和分析句子结构有很大的帮助。然而在翻译过程中，过分强调词性会限制表达时对整个句子的组织。汉语和英语属于两种不同的语系，在词汇、语法和表达方式上存在着很大差异。如果在翻译过程中过于拘泥于原文的词性，完全按照原文词性来进行翻译，往往会造成译文生硬别扭，不够通顺。例如“Mastery of a language is not easy.”这句话如果直接译为“一门语言的掌握是不容易的”，汉语就会显得非常别扭。但如果把“mastery”由名词转译为动词，翻译为“学好一门语言是不容易的”，就自然得多。因此考虑到英汉两种语言的差异，为了使译文更加符合译入语的习惯，流畅自然，有时需要进行词性转换。在英译汉过程中常用的词性转换通常有以下几种情况：
1． 转换成汉语的动词
英汉两种语言在句法上的一个重大差异就是汉语当中动词的使用占优势，同一个句子中可以同时出现多个动词，而英语一个句子中只能出现一个谓语动词（或复合谓语）。因此英语中动词的使用比汉语要少得多。如：
例1：The isolation of the rural world, because of distance and lack of transport facilities, is compounded by the paucity of media.
译文：由于距离远，又缺乏交通设施，造成了农村与外界隔绝的情况，而这种情况又由于缺乏信息媒介而变得更加严重了。
该英文例句中只出现一个动词，但汉语译文中却用了四个动词。如果翻译的过程中不进行词性转换而直接译为“由于距离和交通设施的缺乏而造成的农村的隔绝被信息媒介的缺乏加剧了”，整个句子就会非常拗口，变成了英语式的汉语。因此在翻译过程中，为了使符合汉语的表达习惯，可以把英语其他词性的词转换为汉语中的动词。
1） 名词转译成动词
一些由动词词根派生的名词以及含有动作意味的名词常可转译为汉语的动词，如：
例2：Rockets have found application in the exploration of the universe.
译文：火箭已经被用来探索宇宙。
例3：Two days after his disappearance his wife got the news of his death.
译文：他失踪两天后，妻子得到了他的死讯。
例4：At the thought of his failure in this test, Brian felt greatly ashamed.
译文：一想到自己未能通过这次测试，布莱恩就感到非常羞愧。
例5：This accident was resulted from his neglect of duties.
译文：这次事故是由于他玩忽职守而造成的。
英语中一些带有词缀“er”或“or”的名词有时不一定表示职业或者身份，却可以表示某种动作的执行者，带有较强的动作意味，因此可以转译成动词。试比较

以下两句例句中的“singer”一词：
例6：Elvis Presley is a world famous singer.
译文；猫王是世界著名的歌手。
例7：Some of my classmates are very good singers.
译文：我的一些同学歌唱得很好。
在这两个例句中，例6的“singer”一词是表示身份，职业的，而例7当中的singer”一词则侧重表示动作意义，很难找到一个意思对等的名词来翻译，因此转译为动词“唱”。类似的例子还有：
例8：I'm afraid I can't teach you swimming. My wife is a better teacher than I.
译文：恐怕我不能教你游泳，我妻子比我教得好。
例9：We are exporters of the above goods, having a background of 30 years.
译文：我们出口上述产品，已经经营了30年。
例10：He has been a ruler of that district for 20 years.
译文：他统治那个地区已经20年了。
另外，有些英语中名词尽管本身并不具有很强的动作意味，但为了汉语表达的通顺自然，也可以将其转译为汉语中的动词：
例11：All informed predictions of future performance are based upon some knowledge of past performance.
译文：所有对未来表现有根据的预测都建立在了解过去相关表现的基础之上的。
例12：He taught us the value of every chance to practice.
译文：他教导我们珍惜每一次练习的机会。
例13：Special attention should be paid to those expensive machines.
译文：要特别注意这些昂贵的机器。
2） 介词转换为动词
英语中介词的使用频率相对于汉语来说要高得多。实际上英语中很多介词在语境中可带有明显的动作意味，例如“across, against, past, toward, through, with”等。因此在翻译的过程中为了汉语表达的通顺流畅，可以根据具体情况将一些介词转译为动词。例如：
例14：Away she skipped over the lawn, up the path, up the steps, across the veranda and into the porch.
译文：她转身蹦蹦跳跳地跑了，越过草地，踏上小径，跨上台阶，穿过凉台，进入门廊。
例15：…this nation under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth..
译文：这个国家在上帝的保佑下，要获得自由的新生，而这个民有、民治、民享的政府将永远不会从地球上消失。
例16：Later all kinds of her legends were celebrated in pint and on film, in poetry and song.
译文：随后，关于她的种种传说成为各种书籍、电影、诗歌和歌曲的内容广为流传。
例17：There are mountain ranges here with extensive forests and rich mineral resources.
译文：这里有许多山脉，生长着大片的森林，贮藏着丰富的矿产。
例18：This proposal was against the spirit of group.
译文：这个提议违背了集体主义精神。

例19：He came to my house for help.
译文：他到我家里来请求帮助。
例20：Yesterday when I visited him at 10 o'clock, he was already between the sheets.
译文：昨天我十点去他家的时候，他已经睡在被窝里了。
3） 形容词转换为动词
由动词派生的形容词在作表语时常常带有动作的意味，因此在译成汉语时往往转译为汉语的动词，例如：
例21：The substances is not soluble in water.
译文：这种物质不溶于水。
例22：They were suspicious and resentful of him.
译文：他们不信任他，讨厌他。
例23：This solution is not acceptable.
译文：这个解决办法无法让人接受。
例24：For a girl aged 12, such temptation is irresistible.
译文：对于十二岁的小姑娘来说，很难抵制这样的诱惑。
英语中许多用来表示知觉、感受、欲望或信念的形容词往往也可以转译为动词，如“afraid, angry, aware, sorry, sure, certain”等。
例25：The child was afraid that his bad deeds in school would be known by his mother.
译文：这个孩子很担心他妈妈会知道他在学校里干的那些坏事。
例26：A good leader is not content with merely taking care of what's already there.
译文：一个好的领导不满足于仅仅守住已有的成就。
例27：Doctor said they were not sure they could save his life.
译文：医生说他们不能确定是否能够挽救他的生命。
例28：He felt sorry for being rude to his mother.
译文：他后悔对母亲无礼。
例29：Are you certain that she was not in the city at the time when death took place?
译文：你敢肯定命案发生时她不在这个城市吗？
例30：He was fully aware of the defects of this machine.
译文：他清楚地知道这台机器的缺点。
在翻译过程中为了确切地表达其隐含的动作的意味，使译文更加自然通顺，也可以把某些形容词转译为汉语中的动词，例如：
例31：Movies about Mickey Mouse have been popular with audience everywhere.
译文：世界各地的观众都喜欢米老鼠的电影。
例32：It is a deplorable fact that the air is thick with dust.
译文：空气中充满灰尘，这是个可悲的事实。
例33：They were news-hungry.
译文：他们迫切地想获得消息。
4） 副词转换为动词
英语当中的副词在做表语或宾语补足语时也经常可以转译为汉语中的动词，例如：
例34：This textbook will be out pretty soon.
译文：这本教材很快就要出版了。
例35：She opened the window to let fresh air in.
译文：她打开窗子让新鲜空气进来。
例36：In a gas the molecules are relatively far apart.
译文：相对来说，气体分子相互离得很远。
总而言之，汉语中动词的使用非常灵活，大量使用动词是汉

语表达的一个显著特点。在进行英汉翻译的实践中应当注意将一些名词，介词以及其他词性的词转译为汉语的动词，以符合汉语的表达习惯，使译文更加流畅自然。

Exercises:
I. 将下列句子译成汉语，把划线的词语翻译为动词：
1. The government calls for the establishment of more technical schools.
2. Appreciation of these modern pictures depends on your capability of imagination.
3. A glance through his office window offers a panoramic view of Washington Monument.
4. The old hunter is a good skier.
5. She has gained her mater's degree and is finally off welfare.
6. A force is needed to move an object against inertia.
7. A solar cell is reproductive by itself under any circumstances.
8. That fellow is very talkative.
9. He was away before dawn.
10. He forgot to put his overcoat on when he ran out.
II. 将下列短文译成汉语：
The British queue up and the Americans wait in line, except for New Yorkers, who wait on line. No one seems to know the reason for this social idiom. It is something to ponder while waiting in/on line.
Queues are a grim reality of city life. While there seems to be no consensus on the city's worst line, the ones mentioned most often in talks here and there were lunch time lines at banks and post offices and, among younger people, movie lines and college-registration lines.
In any line the fundamental rule is first come, first served, or what social scientists call 'distributive justice'. Exceptions may be made, say, in fancy restaurants where the headwaiters have their favorites, but, in general the rule prevails.
In theory, then, everyone should have an equal interest in keeping an orderly line. In practice, the interest varies depending on one's position in line. In most cases the strongest protest came from the immediate victims or the people directly behind the line jumpers. People farther down the line complained less or not at all, even though they had been equally penalized by losing a place.