2013年4月11日星期四

翻譯公司:英語四級語法不同詞序帶來的不同語義

不同詞序帶來的不同語義

  在中文裏,詞序非常重要;兩個字的秩序不同,意思也不同。例如“東西”和“西東”,前者是“things”,後者是

  “everywhere” ——“各奔西東”。再如“女兒”和“兒女”,前者是“ daughter(s)”,後者是“children”。

  英語的詞序雖不像中文那樣富有語義上的變化,法語口譯,但也很重要,絕對不容忽視。有時,一字一詞方位的改變,全句的意思可能

  “牽一發動全身”,跟著受影響。

  下面便是些好例子:

  ① Even the government officers admitted that some tax measures were

  unfair.

  ② The government officers admitted that even some tax measures were

  unfair.

  第一句的意思是:每個人,包括政府官員,都承認有些稅務措施不公平。第二句的意思是:政府官員承認,許多事情,連稅務

  措施在內,都不公平。前者焦點在“人”;後者則在“事”。

  ③ The couple don‘t have much money to spend on their foreign trip.

  ④ The couple don‘t have to spend much money on their foreign trip.

  第三句說“錢不夠用”;第四句卻說“不必多用錢”。“沒有錢可花”和“有錢不必多花”,呈強烈對炤,詞序的影響,由此

  可見一斑!

  ⑤ The committee as a whole pointed out that the world economic

  situation had improved.

  ⑥ The committee pointed out that the world economic situation as a

  whole had improved.

  第五句指的是“全部的委員”;第六句卻影射“整體的經濟侷勢”。同樣一個片語,

  所指有所不同,現場口譯

  ⑦ In vain did David try to prevent the job from being done.

  ⑧ David tried to prevent the job from being done in vain.

  ⑦裏的“in vain”(無結果)指的是大衛的行動;⑧裏的不是指人的行動,而是指“在進行中的工作”。

  ⑨ Approaching the shop, Helen noticed two strangers.

  ⑩ Helen noticed two strangers approaching the shop.

  ⑨裏講的是“海倫走向銀行時,注意到兩個陌生人”;⑩裏指的是“兩個陌生人走向銀行時,引起海倫的注意”。

  (11) I may visit a sometime lecturer of English language.

  (12) I may visit a lecturer of English language sometime.

  (11)裏的“sometime”是形容詞,意思是“以前的”;(12)裏的“ sometime”是時間副詞,意思是“某時候”。前者可以改

  成“former ”或“previous”;後者就要變為“at a certain time”了。

  最後,請問下列二詞,哪個是“防暴警察”?哪個是“警察暴動”?

  A: RIOT POLICE

  B: POLICE RIOT

  Answer: A 防暴警察

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