2018考研英语翻译语法讲解：定语从句（2）后置法

所谓后置法，是指把定语从句独立成句，翻译到所修饰的先行词之后。非限制性定语从句与先行词关系不是很密切，往往采用后置法。而在考研英语翻译中，有时划线句子所包含的定语从句虽是限制性的，但由于从句嵌套等原因，使得定语从句较复杂，这时如果直接将之翻译到所修饰的定语从句之前，就会显得臃肿不堪，读起来也会离汉语表达习惯相差万里，因此我们只能另辟蹊径，采取后置法。具体操作方式是，通过重复先行词或者重复先行词的对应代词来引出定语从句的内容。下面通过具体的例子进行详细说明。 1)One place where children soak up A-characteristics is school , which is , by its very nature , a highly competitive institution . 2)They have been spurred in part by DNA evidence made available in 1998 , which almost certainly proved Thomas Jefferson had fathered at least one child with his slave Sally Hemings . 3)Immigrants are quickly fitting into this common culture , which may not be altogether elevating but is hardly poisonous . 上面这三个句子中出现了三个定语从句，这些从句本身较复杂，且作为非限制性定语从句，与各自先行词的关系也不密切，我们可以考虑采用后置法。第一个句子的定语从句which is, by its very nature, a highly competitive institution中包含一个插入语，较复杂，修饰先行词school;第二个句子的定语从句which almost certainly proved Thomas Jefferson had fathered at least one child with his slave Sally Hemings中介词短语较多，较复杂，修饰先行词DNA evidence;第三个句子的定语从句which may not be altogether elevating but is hardly poisonous中包含两个并列的谓语，较复杂。明晰了这些定语从句及其先行词后我们就可以着手翻译了。以下是参考译文： 1)让孩子吸收A型性格的一个地方是学校。学校，就其本质而言，是高度竞争的机构。 2)他们的兴趣部分源自1998年的DNA证据，它几乎肯定地证明了托马斯•杰斐逊曾与其奴隶萨利•赫明斯育有至少一个孩子。 3)移民们正在快速成为大众文化的一部分，这种情况也许不能从总体上提升这个文化，但几乎没有什么害处。