1993年 翻译延伸
5、Probably there is not one here who has not in the course of the day had occasion to set in motion a complex train of reasoning, of the very same kind, though differing in degree, as that which a scientific man goes through in tracing the causes of natural phenomena.?
【分析】
句子主干为there is not one,who引导定语从句修饰限制one。定语从句的主干为who has not…had occasion to…;in the course of the day 为时间状语;to set in motion…为occasion的后置定语。介词短语of the very same kind修饰前面的动名词reasoning,固定搭配the same…as 中间插入了让步状语成分though differing in degree。句末 that 指代 a complex train of reasoning,后跟which引导的定语从句,修饰that。翻译时,who引导的定语从句可译为独立的句子。同时注 意,as that…中的as可译为汉语的“同,与”,that需明确化,后面which引导的定语从句可译作前置定语;of the very same kind 和 though differing in degree 可译作汉语的谓语部分。
【点拨】
1、set in motion“开始发生,发动”。2、reasoning原意为“推理,推论,论据,理由”,本句结合语境译作 “思考活动”。
【译文】
大概这里不会有人一整天都没有机会进行一连串的思考活动,这些思考活动与科学家在探索自然现象的原因时所经历的思考活动在复杂程度上虽然不同,但性质上却是完全相同的。
n. 推论,推理,论证