定语从句可以采取顺势断句译法
如:
Before I went ,all the partcipants in the scheme were given a short list of words that are in commom use in the UK which Americans would either be confused by or would even offend them。
可以将这个定语从句,拆成两个单独的句子,中间通过重复英语中的先行词,将断开的句子连接起来。译文:在我动身之前,我们这个项目所有的参与者都得到一小份单词表,上面列出某些在英国通用,而在美国则可能引起他们误解,甚至冒犯他们的词汇。
再如:Working for President Ronald Reagan,Mr。 Bush was a silent and subservient vice president,∥a former rival ∥who gave himself the task of proving his loyalty∥ by staying in the background and never ∥speaking out when his beliefs differed from those of his boss。
这本来是一个很长的句子,有定语从句,又有插入语,信息量也较多。如果不进行合理断句,很难在短时间内把所有信息,完全通顺的翻译出来。经过断句后,这个定语从句可以采用顺序驱动的方法。译文:布什先生为里根总统效力时,是一份缄默顺从的副总统,他以前曾是里根的竞争对手,当了副总统以后,他要证实自己对里根的忠诚:他尽量不抛头露面突出自己,在即的观点与上司相左时,他总是把话放到肚子里。
另外~“gave himself the task of proving his loyalty”如果直译为“给了自己在后台工作的任务以示他的忠诚”小编觉得有点生硬呢。
n. 对手,同伴,竞争者
adj. 竞争的