被动语态汉译

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2024年2月8日发(作者：)

英语被动语态的汉译

梁成功

（洛阳师范学院外国语学院 河南 洛阳 471022）

英汉两种语言都有被动语态，但由于表达习惯上的差异，英语句式中被动语态的使用要广泛得多。凡是不必说出施动者、不愿说出施动者或者是为了上下文的衔接顺畅等场合，往往使用被动语态。相比之下，汉语被动语态使用的范围要小得多。同一个意思，英语习惯用被动语态表示，汉语却往往用主动语态、无主句或判断句。语态的使用不同，语气和情调也随之而异。因此，英译汉时，必须注意被动语态的译法，不要过分拘泥于原文的被动结构，而要根据汉语的习惯，做灵活多样的处理，以保证译文通顺流畅地表达原意。英语被动语态的汉译一般有以下几种方法。

I. 译成汉语主动句，转换原句主语

英语被动语态汉译时，常将原句中的某个成分，如状语、谓语等转译为汉语的主语，译成汉语的主动句。

1.1将原句中的状语成分译为主语

1.1.1把表示行为者的介词短语译为主语

The poor boy was looked down upon by them. 他们看不起那可怜的孩子。

And it is imagined by many that the operations of the common mind can be by no means compared with these

processes,and that they have to be acquired by a sort of special training.

许多人认为，普通人的思维活动根本无法与科学家的思维过程相比，而且认为这些思维过程必须经过某种专门的训练才能掌握。

1,200 people had been saved by soldiers in the earthquake.

在地震中，战士们已救出1200人。

1.1.2把句中地点状语译为主语

某些被动句中并没有出现“by”引导的短语，但在翻译的过程中仍可使用原句主语作宾语的方法。在这种情况下，可采用原句中作状语的介词短语中的名词做译文的主语，如：

The compass was invented in China four thousand years ago.

中国在四千年前发明了指南针。

Many skilled workers have been trained in this factory.

这个工厂培养了许多熟练工人。

Communications satillites are used for international living transmission throughout the world.

全世界都将通讯卫星用于国际间的实况转播。

This advanced technology is widely used in the coastal area of our country.

我国沿海地区已经普遍使用这种先进技术。

The numerical data concerned are provided in the next chapter.

下一章提供了有关的数据资料。

1.1.3将句中的目的状语译为汉语主语

Three-phase current should be used for large motors.

大型电动机应当使用三相交流电。

A right kind of fuel is needed for an atomic reactor.

原子反应堆需要一种合适的燃料。

1.2将原句中的谓语译为主语

把被动语态的动词译成汉语的名词，并作主语。将原句主语译为宾语，改为主动语态。

Energy is defined as the ability to do work.

能的定义为做功的能力。

220v was read from the voltmeter.

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电压表的读数为220伏。

Momentum is defined as the process of the velocity and a quantitycalledthemassofthe body.

动量的定义是速度与物体质量的关系。

1.3译成汉语把字句

Jimmy felt uneasy for the whole day as he was aroused from deep sleep by the ringing of the door bell early in

themorning

一大清早，门铃声把吉米从沉睡中吵醒后, 他整天都无精打采。

He was regarded as a Republican by everybody, even though he had always thought of himself as an

“Independent”.

尽管他一直认为自己是“无党派人士”，大家都把他看作共和党人。

II. 译成汉语主动句，保留原文主语

2.1 译成汉语受事主语句

汉语表达的一个显著特征就是广泛使用受事者做主语。因此在翻译被动句时，如果无须指出施事者，则可以保留原句的顺序，仍用原句主语作主语翻译为汉语的主动句，在采用此方法时，我们往往在译文中使用“加以”、“经过”、“用„„来”等词来体现原文中的被动含义。例如:

This question has already been mentioned above.

这个问题前面已经提到过。

Most of the questions have been settled satisfactorily.

大部分问题已经圆满地解决了。

Other questions will be discussed briefly.

其它问题将简单地加以讨论。

The flight was cancelled due to the fog.

班机因故停航。

2.2译成汉语的判断句

“凡是着重描述事物的过程、性质和状态的英语被动句，实际上与系表结构很相近，往往可以译成‘是„„的’结构。”（韩其顺，1990）例如：

The song in praise of teachers was composed by a student.

这首歌颂教师的歌曲是一个学生谱写的。

The book is designed and compiled as a textbook for Chinese students who make a speciality of English language.

本书是为英语专业的中国学生编写的，可用作教材。

Researchers have found that emotions are accompanied by biochemical changes in the brain.

研究者发现，感情是伴随着大脑中的生物化学变化同时发生的。

III. 译为汉语主动句，增译适当的主语

有时，原句无行为主体，可以增译适当的主语，含主语从句的被动句型译为主动句。将英语原文中的主语译为汉语的宾语，同时增补泛指性的词语(人们、大家等)做主语。例如:

It could be argued that the radio performs this service as well, but on television everything is much more

living, much more real.

可能有人会指出，无线电广播同样也能做到这一点，但还是电视屏幕上的节目要生动、真实得多。

Television, it is often said, keeps one informed about current events, allows one to follow the latest

developments in science and politics, and offers an endless series of programs which are both instructive and

entertaining.

人们常说，电视使人了解时事，熟悉政治领域的最新发展变化，并能源源不断 地为观众提供各种既有教育意义又有趣的节目。

It is generally accepted that the experiences of the child in his first years largely determine his character and

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later personality.

人们普遍认为，孩子们的早年经历在很大程度上决定了他们的性格及其未来的人品。

IV. 译成汉语的无主句

4.1译成汉语存现句

一般说来，描述什么地方发生、存在或消失了什么事物的英语被动句，可译成汉语的存现句。

A picture by Picasso is hung on the wall.

墙上挂着一幅毕加索的画。

The village is populated by about 13,000 farmers.

这个村子里住着大约13,000农民。

The road is lined with trees on both sides.

道路的两旁种着许多树。

The auditorium was packed with spectators.

礼堂挤满了观众。

The ground was covered with pieces of paper, cigarette-ends and empty bottles.

地上扔满了纸屑、烟头和空瓶子。

4.2 表示观点、态度、告诫、要求、号召等的被动句，汉译时往往采用无主句

Great efforts should be made to inform young people especially the dreadful consequences of taking up the

habit.

 应该尽最大努力告知年轻人吸烟的危害，特别是吸上烟瘾后的可怕后果。

Measures have been taken to prevent the epidemic from spreading quickly.

已经采取了措施来防止这种流行病迅速蔓延。

New sources of energymustbe found to avoid causing energy shortages in theworld.

必须找到新的能源以避免造成世界上能源的短缺。

Methods are found to take these materials out of the rubbish and use them again.

现在已经找到了从垃圾中提取这些材料并加以利用的方法。

The response of the premature to certain drugs should be thoroughly understood.

应该全面了解早产儿对某些药物的反应。

V. 译成汉语被动句

并非所有的英语被动句在译成汉语时都要转换。英语被动句如果表示不幸或不愉快的事情，大部分可译成汉语被动句，用“被”, “给”, “遭”, “挨”, “为„„所”, “使”, “由„”, “受到”等表示。

He had been fired for refusing to obey orders from the head office.

他因拒绝接受总公司的命令而被解雇了。

The schoolboy was knocked down by a minibus when crossing the street.

那名男生在穿过街道时让一辆小公共汽车撞倒了。

The English language is being destroyed by a "deadly virus of management speak" which has infected the mouths

and minds of politicians like Tony Blair and George W. Bush, a leading UK journalist said recently.

最近，一位英国资深记者说，英语正在遭到一种“官腔语言的致命病毒”的侵害，这种病毒已经感染了许多政治家的谈吐和思想，其中包括托尼•布莱尔和乔治•布什。

North China was hit by an unexpected heavy rain，which caused severe flooding． 华北地区遭受了一场意外的大雨袭击，引起了严 重的水灾。

VI. 其他情况灵活处理

有些英语中的被动句在译成汉语时，主语仍作汉语句子的主语，而通过谓语的语义引申，译成符合汉语表达习惯的句子结构。例如：

I was born in 1973.

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我出生在1973年。

That man cannot be relied on.

那个人不可靠。

The guest was flattered and impressed.

这位客人受宠若惊，深为感动。

He was suddenly struck with an idea.

他突然想出个主意。

I was filled with was not mad at me.

我快乐的不得了。她居然没有生我的气。

I was taught that two sides of a triangle were greater than the third.

我学过，三角形的两个边大于第三个边。

After six years of married childlessness, the father was suddenly presented by his wife with a pair of twins.

(他们)结婚六年没有子女，然而妻子却出人意料地给丈夫生了一对双胞胎。

VII. 双重被动句的翻译

7.1 译成含有泛指主语的主动句，加上“有人、人们、大家”等词语，句中的主语与第二个被动式扩展为一个分句

The manuscript is believed to have been writen in the 15th century.

人们相信这部手稿写于十五世纪。

She was proposed to be praised for her fine work.

大家建议她的优异工作应该受到表扬。

He was seen hoisted on someone’s shoulder.

有人看见他被举到别人的肩膀上。

7.2 译成汉语省略了主语的主动句，句中的主语与第二个被动式扩展为一个分句

John was arranged to be met at the station.

安排在车站接见约翰。

The date is expected to be announced soon.

估计日期不久就宣布。

The criminal was reported to have been caught yesterday.

据报道昨天已抓到了罪犯。

The murderer was caught yesterday, and it is believed that he will be sentenced to death.

昨天抓到了凶手，相信他一定会被判处死刑。

参考文献:

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[7] 思果著. 译道探微[M]，北京:中国对外翻译出版公司,2002.

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