How to Translate English Attributive Clauses
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摘要:According to many grammar books, English attributive clauses are mostly classified into two categories: restrictive attributive clause and non- restrictive clause. This classification is mainly based on the closeness and logico-semantic relationship between the attributive clause and its antecedent.
关键词: Attributive dependenttranslate
中图分类号:G642文献标识码:A文章编号:1003-2851(2010)10-0190-01
The restrictive attributive clause has restrictive function to the antecedent that it modifies, that is to say, it is used to restrictive the meaning of the antecedent it modifies. So, it has very close relationship with its antecedent. It combines with the antecedent in the main clause and forms as an indispensable part of the sentence it belongs to.
1. The Characteristics of Non-restrictive Attributive Clauses
As far as the expression is concerned, non-restrictive attributive clauses are clearly signaled both in speech and writing. In written English, they are often marked off by commas, but sometimes dashes or parentheses. In spoken English, a non-restrictive attributive clause forms a separate ton group. As far as the meaning is concerned, a non-restrictive attributive clause does not define the referent of the antecedent, it adds a further characterization of something that is taken to be already fully specific. The domain of a non-restrictive attributive clause is not necessarily just a noun. It may be a whole clause or any of its constituents, such as a verbal group, an adverbial group, etc. The relative pronouns in the non-restrictive attributive clauses can only be wh-words.
2. The Characteristics of Semi-adverbial Clauses
Semi-adverbial clauses are attributive clause in form, but in fact they function as adverbial clauses. They are used to offer some additional information. Chen Dezhang wrote: "The relative clause-usually called 'attributive clause', which , however doesn't often function as the attributive but in most cases offers some additional information, especially seen from semantic view, has a very high frequency in both spoken and written English." . Yao Shanyou calls such clauses as "formally attributive clauses functioning as adverbial ones in sense" in his English Grammar. The adverbialized functions of attributive clauses can be further classified into six categories according to the logical relations between attributive clause and their antecedents:cause, result, purpose, concession, condition and time.
The Translation Methods of English Attributive Clauses
A.The Translation Methods of Restrictive Attributive Clauses
Not all restrictive clauses use the same translation methods. Every restrictive attributive clause has its own characteristics. They are long or short, complicated or simple. In translating a restrictive attributive clause into Chinese, a series of methods are available, to translate it into a modifier before a noun, to translate it into a post-positioned compound clause, and to translate it into a predicate. We will discuss every translation method in details in this chapter.
1.To Translate a Restrictive Attributive Clause into a Modifier before a Noun Generally speaking, when the attributive clause is simple and short, we should place the attributives before the words they modify in Chinese. Here, attributives are simply what are corresponding to attributive clauses in english, for in Chinese, such modifiers are not necessary in the form of clauses all the time. By using this translation method, the English attributive clause is translated into a modifier before a noun which functions as the antecedent in the English original. As a result, the complex English sentence is translated into a simple Chinese sentence. Look at the following example: (3). The people who worked for him lived in mortal fear of him.在他手下工作的人对他怕得要死。
2. To Translate a Restrictive Attributive Clause into a Post-positionedCompound Clause
In the past, researchers not frequently assumed that form would be rather difficult for the Chinese EFL (English foreign language) learners to deal with, for they thought that there is no such terminology as attributive clause in the Chinese grammar. The attributives in Chinese are always put before the modified words, which is strikingly different from English attributive clauses. When In translating English attributive clauses into Chinese, learners tend to put all the attributive elements before the modified word by using the "的" structure. But Zhang Peiji pointed out that the method of translating an attributive clause into a modifier before a noun is more often used to translate simple English attributive clauses.If an attributive clause is rather long and complicated, this method doesn't function effectively. Look at the following example: (4). Your wife got the letter that announced the coming back of your father in a warm spring. 您妻子收到那封信,说您的父亲回来了,在一个温暖的春天。
3. To Translate a Restrictive Attributive Clause into a Predicate
Here, we introduce a third translation method to translate a restrictive attributive clause, that is, to translate a restrictive attributive clause into a predicate. It is such a method: when an attributive clause is translated into Chinese, it is combined with the main clause. The main clause is compressed into the subject, and the attributive clause is compressed into the predicate. Then the complex English sentence is compressed into a simple Chinese sentence. Such a translation method requires close relationship between the antecedent and the attributive clause, so in most cases, it is used to translate restrictive attributive clauses. This translation method is called "the technique of blending" by many scholars. It is also called "the translation technique of combination" by other researchers.
In the above example, the predicate of the English original is a "to….have" structure. When it is translated into Chinese, the main clause "we shall have a lot of people" is translated into noun phrase "许多人" to function as the subject in the Chinese translation and the attributive clause "who will visit our college" is compressed into the predicate "将来参观我们学校". As a result, the complex English sentence containing a main clause and a subordinate clause is translated into a simple sentence.