Before从句的翻译.docxVIP

Before 从句的翻译胡德良?众所周知,连词before用来引导时间状语从句,其本义是在……之前。然而，一些学生倾向于把before从句一概译成在……之前。但这样翻译在很多情况下并不是通顺达意的汉语。请比较下例两例的译文：????(1)He went away before I could reply.????a.?在我能够回答之前,他就离去了。????b.?我还没来得及回答,他就离去了。????(2)It will be five years before we meet again.????a.在我们再见之前,将会是五年的时间。????b.我们将在五年之后才能再见。????显然，上两例中的a译文都不如b译文更贴切，顺畅。下面介绍before从句的几种译法，供大家参考。????1.译成“(在)……前”。这时强调主句动作发生在从句动作之前，句子侧重在主句；从句译文前置。????(3)Before I came here, I hadnt had any English.????来这儿之前，我没学过英语。????(4)Ill see you again before you return home.?????在你回家之前，我再来看你。????(5)Take the medicine before you go to bed.?????你睡觉之前服药。?????2.用“正反译法”处理。即：原before从句从正面表达，其中不含任何否定词或否定词缀，而译文从反面表达，通常含有否定字眼。?????A.译成“还没……就”。例如：?????(6)He had pressed the button before we stopped him.??????我们还没来得及阻止他，他就按了按钮。?????(7)Before I realized it, the year had passed.??????还没等我弄清是怎么回事，这一年就过去了。?????(8)You startle your friends by asking nervously, Who is it? What do you want? and?????hanging up before they have time to reply.?????你神经兮兮地问道：“你是谁？你想干什么？”，?而朋友们还没来得及回答，你就挂了电话。你这种言行使他们大吃一惊。?????B.有时before从句用过去完成时，还是强调动作的未完成或未实现，?仍然译成“还没……就”。?????(9)He arrived before I had finished my lunch.?????我还没吃完午饭，他就到来了。?????(10)Before I had gone much farther, I caught them up.?????我还没走多远，就赶上了他们。?????(11)The bell rang before we had finished our work.?????我们还没完成作业，铃就响了。?????C.有时，主从句的动作并不存在紧凑的连贯性，这时的before从句，可直接用“正反译法”处理，不再用后文的关联词“就”。?????(12)She arrived before I expected.??????我想不到，她到得那么早。?????(13)Three months went by before Aqiao knew it.??????阿巧不知不觉地过了三个月。?????(14)Before their first child was two years old, Maurice and Vera moved to a cottage in the country.?????在他们第一个小孩还不满两岁时，莫里斯和维拉搬到了一间乡下的房子去住。??????3.译成“……（之后），才……”。这时，?主句往往带有时间状语或直接表示时间概念，句子侧重在从句；原文从句多后置，其译文也后置。?????(15)They had been married many years before a child was born to them.?????他们结婚许多年,才生了一个孩子。?????(16)But my teacher had been with me several weeks before I understood that everything has a name.?????可是，老师和我在一起好几周之后，我才明白每一样东西都有名称。?????(17)It was some time before his eyes could bear the light after ha