汉英翻译中连动式施事句的拆分

来源:https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/3IpMMZv8s9oapdh5YynHEw

汉语的复句中经常会出现多个谓语动词,而英语的句子中只能有一个谓语动词。施事句是汉语的一个基本句型,其基本形式是“施事语+动作语”,其中连动式施事句通常包含多个动作语或动词短语。

由于英语的主谓结构限制了谓语动词的使用数量,因此在汉译英时,需要对连动式施事句进行拆分翻译,以使得译文符合英语的句式结构表达需要。

在汉英翻译中,连动式施事句,主语为施事者,谓语由两个或多个连续动作构成,动作间存在承接、目的、方式等逻辑关系,它的核心挑战是汉语可通过 “动词连用” 自然衔接动作,而英语需遵守 “一个谓语核心” 的语法规则,因此必须通过拆分将汉语的连动结构转化为英语的复合句或简单句(含从句、非谓语、介词短语等)。

汉语连动式施事句的本质是 “一个主语 + 多个并列 / 承接动作”,动作间无显性连接词,逻辑隐含在语序中。

英语的语法限制在于一个简单句只能有一个谓语动词(核心动词),其余动作需转化为非谓语(不定式、分词)、介词短语、从句等;动作间需用显性逻辑词,to/for 表目的,by 表方式,after/before 表时间,and 表承接等)明确关系。

连动式施事句拆分的核心是 “确定核心动作(保留为谓语),将次要动作转化为修饰成分”,遵循 3 个原则:

逻辑优先

先判断动作间的关系(目的、方式、承接、因果),再选择拆分形式;

简洁性

避免过度拆分,优先用非谓语,介词短语(比从句更简洁);

语序适配

英语习惯 “核心动作前置,修饰成分后置”,汉语多 “动作按时间 ,逻辑顺序排列”。

核心拆分特点在于汉语动作并列,无显性连接,动词 1 + 动词 2 + 动词 3);英语在于核心动作作谓语,其余动作通过 “非谓语 / 介词短语 / 从句” 依附于核心动作,逻辑显性化。

老师笑着回答学生的问题。

The teacher answered the student’s question with a smile.

Smiling, the teacher answered the student’s question.

核心谓语:answered;伴随:with a smile/doing 短语

他 扛着麻袋 慢慢 走进仓库。

Carrying a sack on his shoulder, he walked slowly into the warehouse.

核心谓语:walked;伴随:carrying 分词短语

她 一边打电话 一边 开车 回家。

She drove home while talking on the phone.

核心谓语:drove;伴随:while talking 从句简化

他 打开电脑 查资料 写报告。

He open the computer check information write the report.

He turned on the computer to look up information and write a report.

我们 步行 去公园 野餐。

We walk go to the park have a picnic.(动词连用,无逻辑连接) We walked to the park for a picnic.

  例:他此时又带了七八分醉,又走乏了,便一屁股坐在床上,只说歇歇,不承望身不由己,前仰后合的,朦胧着两眼,一歪身就睡熟在床上。

(《红楼梦》,曹雪芹)

英语译文

① Now Grannie Liu was seven or eight parts drunk and thoroughly worn out from all her walking. Seeing a bed in front of her, she sat down on it gratefully, to rest her feet. 

But though she intended no more than a few moments’ rest, as soon as she had sat down, her weariness overcame her. Her head went down and her feet went up as though she was no longer in possession of them; a darkness closed over her eyes, and she sank back on the bed, fast asleep.(The Story of the Stone, David Hawkes译)https://wxa.wxs.qq.com/tmpl/ou/base_tmpl.html

② Being still more than half drunk and tired from her walk, she plumped down on the bed to have a little rest. But her limbs no longer obeyed her. She swayed to and fro, unable to keep her eyes open, then curled up and fell fast asleep.

(A Dream of Red Mansions,杨宪益、戴乃迭译)

解析

原文为由多个动词结构组成的连动式施事句,霍克斯和杨宪益、戴乃迭的译文都对其进行了拆分,分别译为四个和三个英语句子。这种拆分的处理方式避免了译文过于冗长,使之符合英语的句式结构表达需要。

汉英翻译中连动式施事句的拆分,本质是 “汉语隐性逻辑,英语显性结构” 的转化:通过 “确定核心谓语,转化次要动作为非谓语 ,介词短语 ,从句”,既遵守英语语法规则,又保留汉语动作的逻辑关系。关键在于:先判断动作间的逻辑,目的 , 方式 ,承接 ,伴随,再选择最优拆分形式,优先保证简洁性和可读性。