七、分句转换

分句转换是指一种英语分句翻译成汉语时转换成另一种分句，例如：

(1(世博英文翻译公司)) They felt that it was much easier and safer to rob their own people, for they knew that white policemen never really searched diligently for Negroes who committed crimes against other Negroes.他们觉得抢劫他们的同种人要安全得多，因为他们知道，如果黑人侵犯的是黑人，白人警察便从来不认真搜捕。（定语从句--条件状语从句）

(2) Her great grief in this relation was that her only child, on whose education no expense had been and would be spared, was now old enough to perceive these deficiencies in his mother. 这一方面给她造成了极大的苦闷，也就是有关她的独生子的问题。虽然过去和今后在儿子的教育费用上既不曾也不会省掉什么钱，然而如今他的年纪已经不小，能注意他母亲的这些缺点了。（定语从句--让步状语从句）

归化

由于文化上的差异，英译汉时有时直译原文就会使译入语读者感到费解，甚至误解。这时，就有必要借用汉语中意义相同或相近、且具有自己鲜明文化色彩的表达法对原文加以归化。归化翻译法常用于处理某些英语成语、典故、形象词语等一类文化色彩较浓的表达方式。恰倒好处地归化可以使译文地道简洁、生动活泼，便于译入语读者理解和接受。例如：

as timid as a hare 胆小如鼠

（在西方文化中，兔子是胆小的象征，而在我国，兔子却象征着机警敏捷。人们常说："静若处子，动若脱兔。"鼠在我国才是胆小的象征，所以翻译时直接加以归化。）

at a stone's throw一箭之遥

wet like a drown rat 湿如落汤鸡

as stupid as a goose 蠢得像猪

as stubborn as a mule 犟得像牛

seek a hare in a hen's nest 缘木求鱼

as dumb as an oyster 守口如瓶

lead a dog's life 过着牛马一样的生活

cry up wine and sell vinegar 挂羊头，卖狗肉

put back the clock 开倒车

talk horse 吹牛

kill the goose that lays the golden eggs 杀鸡取卵

drink like a fish 牛饮

肉中刺 a thorn in the flesh

画蛇添足 to gild the lily

害群之马 the black sheep

倾盆大雨 to rain cats and dogs

(1(世博英文翻译公司)) Once the wife of a parson, always the wife of a parson.

嫁鸡随鸡，嫁狗随狗。

(2)One boy is a boy, two boys half a boy, three boys no boy.

一个和尚挑水吃，两个和尚抬水吃，三个和尚没水吃。

(3(世博北京翻译公司)) I was limp as a dish rag. My back felt as through it had been beaten with wires.

我软得像一团棉花，脊背疼痛得好像被钢丝抽打过一样。

(原文中limp as a dish rag，如直译为"像洗碟布一样柔软"，既不地道，又让人产生一种较恶心的感觉，不如用汉语中常说的"软得像一团棉花"加以归化。)

(4) Everybody said how well the new Secretary was doing, but old Mr. Carr said shortly, "Yes. New brooms sweep clean."

人人都说新任秘书干得好，但卡尔老先生却简慢地说："新官上任三把火。"

(原文new brooms sweep clean的字面意思是"新扫把扫得干净"，比喻"新任职的人干得好"，和汉语中的"新官上任三把火"异曲同工，貌离神合。

(5) Among the blind the one-eyed man is King.

山中无老虎，猴子称霸王。

(6) Last night I heard him driving his pig to market.

昨夜我听到他鼾声如雷。

(7) Who would have thought of Mr.Mottram doing so well? And so many of his friends, too, that used to stay here? We were entertaining angels unawares.

谁知道摩特兰先生干得那么出色？还有他那许多朋友，原来都住在这儿的，谁知道呀？我们真是有眼无珠。

(8) It was, as Bill afterwards expressed it, "during a moment of temporary mental apparition", but we didn't find that out till later.

恰如后来比尔说的那样，那阵子简直是"一时鬼迷心窍"。不过，我们直到后来才明白了这个意思。

（apparition在原文中是鬼魂或幽灵出现的意思。mental apparition直译是"心中有鬼"，这就很容易给人造成误解，因此需要多少将原形象适当地转换一下。

(9) They will be ice-skating in hell the day, when I vote the aid for them.

要我投票赞成给他们援助，除非太阳从西边出来。 （ice-skating in hell如译成"在地狱里滑冰"就很难为中国读者所理解和接受。） 翻译公司 (责任编辑：世博翻译公司)