科技文章的被動語態使用極為廣泛,這是因為科技文章中往往論及的是存在的現象及客觀過程,而很少涉及人們的動作,思想感情等。為了看重敘述科學道理,使讀者注意力和興趣,集中在其上,科學工作者的文章,不使用或很少使用第一、二人稱。於是被動句頻頻出現。
科技寫作,若過度使用被動語態,會使文章變得笨拙而生硬,而且還常常產生不自然或難以閱讀的句子。若被動語態佔了全篇文句的百分之二十五以上,便可能犯了過度使用被動語態的毛病。
許多英文動詞本來就沒有被動的形式。不及物動詞後面不跟著直接受詞,所以根本沒有被動形式。例如
這個動詞就無法使用被動語態,所以下面的句子就有文法上的錯誤:
誤:The experiment was proceeded by the researchers.
正:The experiment was performed by the researchers.
正:The experiment was carried out by the researchers.
下面一批動詞,在科技文章,常可見到的,它們都是沒有被動形式:
appear |
correspond |
occur |
tend |
arise |
depend on |
proceed |
work |
be |
exist |
remain |
yield |
become |
happen |
result in |
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come |
have |
rise |
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consist of |
let |
seem |
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照漢語的習慣,被動句所敘述的行為,對於主語大都是不愉快的或不希望受到的。例如「被迫害」、「被腐蝕」、「被磨損」、「被革職」等都是不於受動者或對象。就科技翻譯來說,除了借助科技理論知識,還要找出英漢兩種語言的表達規律,這樣才可勝任工作。
我們最容易犯的毛病,是見到被動句子在譯成漢語時就加上一個「被」字,使譯文生硬,不符合漢語習慣,甚或造成文理不通。一般翻譯的方法,可以採用直譯和意譯交替使用,因為英漢兩種語言在詞彙上無法有絕對的偶合和絕對的一對一的對應現象。所以,我們較多以意譯主動式為之。以下我們舉出一些例子,供各位參考:
- A barometer is used for measuring atmospheric pressure.
誤:氣壓計被用來測量大氣壓力。
正:氣壓計用來測量大氣壓力。
- Sugar can be dissolved in water.
誤:糖可被水所溶。
正:糖可溶於水。
- His research will not be completed this year.
誤:他的研究不會在這年被完成。
正:他的研究工作,今年不會完成。
- Radium was discovered in 1898.
誤:鐳元素是於 1898 年被發現。
正:鐳是 1898 年發現的。
- The hypothesis has been proved up to the hilt by the results
of experiments.
誤:這假設徹底地被實驗結果證明是對的。
正:這一假說已為實驗結果所充分證明。
- If one or more electrons be removed, the atom is said
to be positively charged.
誤:倘若一個或多個電子被移除,原子將會變成正原子。
誤:如果原子的電子被取去,原子就被稱為帶正電了。
正:如果原子失去了一個或多個電子,我們就說原子帶正電荷。
- Matter is known to occupy space.
誤:物體被認為佔有空間的。
正:我們都知道物質佔有空間。
- 10, 000 feet was read from the altimeter.
誤:高度表的讀數被讀成是 10, 000 英尺。
正:高度表的讀數是 10, 000 英尺。
科技文章中,以 It… that 這類用被動語態動詞作謂語,以
It 作主語為前導的結構,幾乎俯拾皆是。以下將一些常見的及其漢譯羅列於下,以供參考:
- It is generally (universally) accepted that…
一般 (普遍) 認為,大家公認;
- It should be added that…
還得指出;
- It is admitted that…
人們 (大家) 承認;
- It is [ generally ] agreed that…
人們 [一般] 認為;
- It is (has been) announced that…
據 (已) 宣布;
- It is alleged that…
人們斷言;
- It can (could) be argued that…
有人 (人們) 可以這樣辯解 [說];
- It is arranged that…
已經商定;已經作出安排;
- It is [ sometimes ] asked that…
人們 [有時] 會問;
- It is asserted that…
有人主張 (斷定);
- It is assumed that…
假設 (定),設想;
- It is believed that…
據信,人們 (大家) 相信;
- It has been calculated that…
據計算 (考慮);已經認為;
- It is claimed that…
有人 (人們) 主張;人們要求;
- It is [usually] considered that…
人們 [通常] 認為,據估計 (假設、研究);
- It is decided that…
已經決定;
- It is declared that…
據宣稱,人們宣稱;
- It is demonstrated that…
據證實,業經查 (證) 明;
- It is described that…
據 (經、經人) 介紹 [說];
- It cannot be denied that…
無可否認,不可否認的是;
- It is enumerated that…
據統計 (清查);
- It is estimated that…
據估計 (推算);
- It is (can be) expected that…
據 (可以) 預測 (預期、指望);
- It is (was) felt that…
人們 (有人) 認為 (感到);
- It is found that…
據發現,人們發現;
- It has been found that…
已經發現,實踐證明;
- It is hoped that…
我們希望,有希望的是;
- It is hypothesized that…
假設;
- It has been illustrated that…
據說明,據圖示;
- It was first intended that…
最初就有這樣的想法;
- It must be kept in mind that…
必須記住;
- It is known (well known) that…
眾所周知,大家知道;
- It is learned that…
據悉 (聞);
- It is mentioned that…
據說,有人說;
- It is (was、should be) noted [above] that…
人們注意到,有人指出,已經發現,[前面] 已經指出,應當 (予) 指出;
- It is noticed that…
人們注意到,有人指出;
- It has been objected that…
有人反駁 [說];
- It has been observed that…
已 [經] 觀察到;
- It is outlined that…
概括了,概括地講;
- It must be pointed out that…
必須指出;
- It is postulated that…
[我們] 假定,先決條件是;
- It is predicted that…
據估 (預) 計,預計的情況是;
- It is preferred that…
最好 [是];
- It is proposed that…
有人 (人們) 提出 (建議),一般認為;
- It has been proved that…
已經證明;
- It is generally recognized that…
一般 (普遍) 認為 (認識到);
- It is recommended that…
最好 [是],可取的是,有人推薦 (建議);
- It is regarded that…
人們認為;
- It is reported that…
據報告 (道) [說];
- It is refuted that…
人們駁斥說;
- It must be realized that…
必須了解 (認識、明白);
- It has been reviewed that…
討論了;檢查了;已回顧到;
- It is said that…
據說 (稱),一般認為;
- It need not be said that…
不用說;
- It may safely be said that…
可以有把握地說;
- It will be said that…
有人會說;
- It can be seen that…
可見,可以看出;
- It will be seen from this that…
由此可見,可以看出,人們會看出;
- It has been shown that…
有人指出,業已證明;
- It is stated that…
據稱 (說),有人說;
- It is stressed that…
人們強調說;
- It is suggested that…
有人建議;
- It is supposed that…
人們認為 (相信),據推測;
- It is taken that…
人們 (有人) 認為;
- It is thought that…
人們 (有人) 認為;
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