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无灵主语句的翻译王宪生“无灵主语” (inanimate subject) 是指没有生命的物体作主语，尤其是抽象名词。
英语和汉语里都有无灵主语，但英语用的多，汉语用的少。
这一用法差异应该和中西文化的差异有关。
中国文化强调主客同构，西方文化强调主客对立。
汉语即便说到事物，也总要和人拉上关系，从人的立场上来说它。
英语即便说到人，甚至是说到自己，也往往会把他推到客体的位置，自己好像置身事外似的冷眼旁观。
所以，英语能用无灵主语就不用有灵主语，汉语正相反，能用有灵主语就不用无灵主语。
英语的无灵主语句可分为两类。
一类是纯粹描写事物，一点“人气”也没有。
另一类描写的是人，但偏不用人作主语，甚至把人“排挤”到很不重要的位置。
这里不说第一类，只说说第二类。
这一类的句子一般有两种翻译方法。
较常用的是将其转换为汉语的有灵主语句，另一种是仍然保留无灵主语。
用哪一种方法，只能视情况而定。
如果两种方法都能用，那就尽量转换成有灵主语句。
英语的无灵主语句看似简单，实际上想译得地道却不太容易。
另外顺便一提，我发现英语无灵主语句的掌握是中国学生的一个薄弱环节，多数人都用不好，主要是缺乏意识。
有的学生写记叙文只会用“I”、“He”、“They”等人称代词作主语，无灵主语句基本不会用，这样写出来的只能是披着英语外衣的汉语，离地道的英语差得远。
可以这么说，能否熟练使用英语的无灵主语句，是英语是否成熟的一个重要标志。
要译好无灵主语句，自己要首先掌握好无灵主语句。
自己都掌握不好，想译好是很困难的。
今天先出几个简单的句子。
例一：The boxer’s experience told in his favor.例二：The sight of the clock reminded me that I was late.例三：Jane’s kindly and gentle nature could not but revolt at her sister’s callous behavior.例四：His reading inspired him.例五：Fortune smiled on him.例六：Aimlessness and failure marked Hitler’s early life.例七：Childhood dearly loves a tale; for its simple heart finds the way out of a reality it does not understand by contriving a world of make-believe.A Research on the International Competitive Power of Transportation Service Exports from Guangdong ProvinceAbstract: Guangdong, as the largest import and export trading power in China, has seen further expansion in international trade in the 21st century, especially after China became a member country of WTO. Since the 90's of the last century, with the rapid development of information technology, transportation service exports has been flourishing globally. Guangdong, being one of the forerunners in Chinese economic reform, shows the state of affairs in the field of international transportation exports.Based on the analysis of development status of transportation service exports from Guangdong, of the necessity of tapping into transportation service exports, of the international competitive power and competitive edge of Guangdong in the field of transportation service exports, I putforward the strategy of improving the international competitive power of Guangdong in transportation service exports.Keywords: Guangdong Province, transportation service, service exports, international competitive power。
英语无生命主语句的语言特征和翻译研究
江沈巨
【期刊名称】《苏州科技学院学报（社会科学版）》
【年(卷),期】2013(030)005
【摘要】在语言学理论框架下,对英语无生命主语句展开全面的论述.以对无生命主语句的误解为基点,阐述了定义、功效以及能做其主语和谓语的词语,进而论及汉译时遇到的种种情况和翻译技巧;通过英译汉时的句型对比讨论了无生命主语句的修辞功能;最后指出了“无生命句的语言特征和翻译研究”具有一定的现实意义.【总页数】7页(P93-99)
【作者】江沈巨
【作者单位】苏州科技学院外国语学院,江苏苏州215009
【正文语种】中文
【中图分类】H043
【相关文献】
1.英语无生命主语句的理解与翻译 [J], 张忻
2.从英汉语言形态上的差异看汉语句子译为英语被动句的翻译 [J], 刘慧芳
3.浅谈法律英语的语言特征和翻译 [J], 李雪
4.就语言文化的异质性谈汉英语句翻译之艺术 [J], 阎惠峰
5.英语无生命主语句子的理解与翻译 [J], 刘树阁
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Translation Exercises：（无生命主语句的翻译)1. One reliable source said that major tax changes were being considered by the Treasury.据可靠消息，财政部正在考虑对税收办法作重大改革。
2. The minutes slipped by quickly.时间一分一分地溜走了。
3. The eighteenth century produced many volumes of the “life and adventures”of varous heroesand heroines.在18世纪，有关描写各种人物的生活与经历的书籍纷纷问世。
4. A profound melancholy seized him.他突然产生了一种忧郁情绪。
5. Monday morning found T om miserable.星期一早晨，汤姆显得很难过。
6. The explosion of births has made this country poorer and poorer.由于出生率激增，这个国家越来越贫穷。
7. The sight of the orphan always reminds me of her parents.一见到那个孤儿，我就想到了她的父母。
8. The shortest cut would take us five hours to get there.抄近路也要5 小时才能到那里。
9. The fresh sunlit January morning filled the young teacher with happy thought.一月的早晨清新晴朗，令年轻教师心中充满了愉快的感想。
10. It is generally felt that his appointment was a serious mistake.现在大家都觉得当时对他的任命是个严重的失误。
浅谈英语中无生命名词作主语的用法作者：才宏艳来源：《中国校外教育·综合(上旬)》2014年第08期中西方文化的不同、思维方式的不同导致了英汉两种语言表达形式的不同。
它们在词法和句法上都存在许多差异，正是这些差异给我们的学生造成了外语学习和翻译的困难。
为了帮助学生对英语中无生命名词作主语的更好理解和翻译，本文就这类句子做初步归纳。
无生命名词主语类型翻译手法无生命名词作主语是英语中常用的一种表达方式，与中文句法不同。
中国人喜欢以有生命的东西作主语，直接说明自己的观点或感受。
而英语则常用无生命名词作主语，运用拟人的写作手法，使无生命事物赋予具有人物的情感、行为、品质、态度等特征。
形象生动地将客观事物对人产生的客观效果表达出来，使抽象的事物更加生动具体，使高深的事理浅显易懂，使繁杂的事物清晰明了，体现了英语的独特魅力。
同时也使语言更加含蓄婉转，结构更加紧凑严谨，使文章具有很强的感染力和表现力。
下面笔者对无生命名词作主语句的类型和翻译做一简单介绍。
一、无生命名词作主语的种类（一）表示时间、地点、自然现象等名词作主语1.The past decade has witnessed an almost explosive of medical biology.过去的十年已经看到医学生物的迅猛发展。
2. The 1930’s saw the development of sulfa drugs and penicillin.20世纪30年代是磺胺剂和盘尼西林研制开发的阶段.3.The hospital smelled of formaldehyde and ether.医院里充满了甲醛和乙醚的味道。
（二）表示心理、生理、情感或情景的名词作主语1.Neither sorrow nor regret followed my passionate outburst.痛定之后我既不难过，也不后悔。
2. Sickness had robbed her of her confidence that she could carry the load.她疾病缠身，丧失了挑起这付重担的信心。
Translation Practice 2：（无生命主语句的翻译)1. The thought of spending another year makes me physically sick.想到花多一年的时间，我就反感。
2. Right now it strikes me that it is a mission by no means easy to complete.此时此刻我突然间想到这是个绝非容易完成的任务。
3. A clear conscience laughs at false accusations.只要问心无愧，别人的指责可以一笑置之。
4. Winter finds out what summer lays by.到了冬天才知道夏天储存东西的重要。
5. His youth got him off.他已青春不再。
6. The courage escaped from me at the moment.我当时没有勇气。
7. A lot of troubles visited the poor family.贫贱夫妻百事哀。
8. The shortest cut would take us five hours to get there.我们最快也要五个小时才能到那里。
9. Down met him well along the way.他一路挫败连连。
10. Shanghai first saw the rise of the movement．运动首先在上海爆发。
11. Something inside me seemed to stop momentarily.我脑子突然短路了。
12. Perhaps, this scene will come back to you years later when you sit alone at sunset like this.或许若干年后当你像这样独自坐在黄昏中你会回想起这种场景。
13. No wonder that the sight of it should send the memories of quite a number of the old generation back 50 year ago.难怪许多老一辈的人就会回忆起50年前的事。
14. His weariness and the increasing heat determined him to sit down in the first convenient shade. 由于疲倦和发烧，他决定找最近的阴凉处坐下休息。
15. The sight of the orphan always reminds me of her parents．一见到这个孤儿，我总是想起她的父母。
16. The idea that he will go abroad for further study made him excited．他因为能够到国外深造儿感到兴奋。
17. Losing his fortune drove him mad.他因失去财产而发疯。
18. The want of his family had kept him from school, and he had to work as a casual labourer.他因家庭贫困而无法上学，只好去打零工。
19.The publisher’s rejection of his manuscript depressed him.出版商拒绝了他的手稿，他很沮丧。
20. The 1960s witnessed the growth of a very restive younger generation in the US．20世纪60年代见证了美国年轻一代的成长。
21. His saying that her was sorry altered the case.她说她对改变这个方案很抱歉。
22. Only the thought of his mother gave him the strength to go on doing it.一想到他妈妈，他就有力量继续做下去。
23. The path led us to a tiny village perched on the steep sides of a mountain.顺着小路，我们来到坐落在陡峭山坡上的小村庄。
24. The cave leads us down to a treasure.我们沿着这个洞爬下去，就会发现宝藏。
25. Nightfall found the boy still a long way off home.黄昏的时候，小男孩还离家很远。
26. The past few years witnessed / saw the great influx of foreigners to China, for traveling, studies or business.过去的几年，有很多外国人来中国旅游，学习或从商。
27. The following year saw the death of his mother.他妈妈在一年后去世了。
28. Dawn met him well along the way.他一路挫败连连。
29. The world history has seen more tears than laughter.世界历史悲剧多于喜剧。
30. Now pessimism has given way to confidence．现在自信战胜了悲观。
31. Taking care of the sick child has already chipped a few kilos off her．她因照顾生病的孩子而瘦了好多。
32. Careful reading of the two books will show the one written for kids is more interesd细读这两本书你会发现写给孩子的这本更有趣。
33. Time limit admits of no delay．时间有限不容许耽搁。
34. Her good work and obedience have pleased her teacher.她好的工作表现和服从的态度让她的老师很高兴。
35. His absent-mindedness during the experiments nearly caus ed an explosion of the chemical . 他在实验中心不在焉差点引起化学爆炸。
36. His passion carried him astray.他的狂怒让他误入歧途。
37. The 5th century saw the end of the Roman Empire in the west.西方罗马帝国在5世纪灭亡了.38. When he had to speak to her his courage suddenly deserted him.当他不得不跟她说话时,他没勇气了.39. His illness prevented him from joining the expedition.他因病不能参加探险.40. Just as Mrs. Richards was entering the dinning room, there was a knock on the front door.当理查夫人进饭厅的时候,前门响起了一阵敲门声.Translation Practice 3：（无生命主语句的翻译)1. In ordinary living, there can be some tolerance of unpunctuality.在日常生活中,我们要容忍一些不守时的情况.2. My watch says five.我的表显示5点.3. The one look had told Mary what sort of man she had to deal with.玛丽从那个人的表情中看出要面对的是什么样的人.4. The city saw a series of fierce fights between blacks and whites in the 1960s and Dr King was shot to death in 1968.这个城市在20世纪60年代爆发了一系列黑人和白人之间激烈的斗争;1968年, 马丁·路德·金在这里被枪杀身亡.5. The year 1959 saw the first appearance of a real flying ship in the world.1959年,真正的飞船在世界上首次亮相.6. Nightfall found him many miles short of his appointed place．夜幕降临,他离目的地还很远.7. This old building has seen better days.这座古老的建筑见证了崭新的时代.8. This stadium has seen many thrilling football matches.这座体育馆举行过许多激动人心的足球比赛.9. Nothing justifies cheating on an exam.在考试中作弊是没有理由可以辩解的。
10. In some cases, the end justifies the means.在一些情况中，只要目的正当，可以不择手段。
11. Your state of anxiety does not justify your being so rude to me .你不能因为焦虑对我如此无礼。
12. Your wife’s illness does not justify your long absence.你妻子的病不能构成你长期缺席的原因。
13. The sn apshots didn’t do you justice at all.这个快照完全没有把你拍好。
14. The growing awareness by millions of people of their intolerable condition of life had promoted them to revolt.数百万人不断增长的对生活状况的不满情绪促使他们爆发。
