1. The irony of the historian's craft is that its practitioners always know that their efforts are but contributions to an unending process.
【翻譯演練】 _________________________________
【參考譯文】 歷史學家這一行的諷刺性就在于實踐者清楚地知道他們的努力只不過是對無休止過程的付出而已。
【結構分析】 The irony (of the historian's craft) is that its practitioners always know that their efforts are but contributions (to an unending process).此句的主語是The irony(其后括號中的of短語是其后置定語),謂語是系動詞is,that引導名詞性從句作表語(即表語從句);在表語從句中,謂語動詞know后又接that從句,亦是名詞性從句,作動詞know的賓語(即賓語從句);在畫線的賓語從句部分,but作“only/just”解,句末括號中的不定式短語to...是contributions的后置定語;故此句中共有兩個that引導的名詞從句,分別作表語和賓語(即表語從句和賓語從句)。
【詞匯精記】 irony 諷刺性;craft 手/工藝,行/職業(yè),船,飛行器(例如:~ union 同行工會);practitioner(源自practice)從業(yè)者,實踐者;but(相當于only,just)僅僅;contribution to... 對……的貢獻,此處根據(jù)語境的需要調整翻譯為“付出”;unending 無休止的,沒有盡頭的(接近endless);process 過程,工藝(例如:in the ~ of... 在……過程中,secret ~ 秘方/秘密工藝)。
2. What is harder to establish is whether the productivity revolution that businessmen assume they are presiding over is for real.
【翻譯演練】 _________________________
【參考譯文】 商界認為他們正主導的生產率革命是否屬實是更加難以定論的事情。
【結構分析】 (What is harder to establish) is ( whether the productivity revolution that businessmen assume they are presiding over is for real).此句的主語是what引導的名詞性從句(即主語從句),謂語是系動詞is,表語是whether引導的名詞性從句(即表語從句),故此句中也包含了兩個名詞性從句; 在whether引導的表語從句中:主語是the productivity revolution,謂語是is,表語是固定搭配for real,畫線部分是that引導的一個較復雜的定語從句,修飾從句的主語revolution。
【詞匯精記】 establish 建立,確定(例如~ a family 建立一個家庭,~ sb's identity 確定某人的身份);productivity 生產率;assume 認為,假設;businessmen 商人,此處是名詞復數(shù)形式,表示“一類人”,可引申為“商界”;preside over 主持,主導;for real 真實的(構成形式類似于for free)。
3. Galileo's greatest glory was that in 1609 he was the first person to turn the newly invented telescope on the heavens to prove that the planets revolve around the sun rather than around the earth.
【翻譯演練】 _____________________________
【參考譯文】 伽利略最輝煌的業(yè)績在于他在1609年第一個把新發(fā)明的望遠鏡對準天空,以證實行星是圍繞太陽旋轉而不是圍繞地球旋轉的。
【結構分析】 Galileo's greatest glory was that in 1609 he was the first person (to turn the newly invented telescope on the heavens) (to prove that the planets revolve around the sun rather than around the earth ).句子主干結構中,Galileo's greatest glory是主語,系動詞was是謂語,that引導表語從句;應關注的是that表語從句里面兩個不定式短語的作用:to turn...是the first person的后置定語,而to prove that...則作動詞turn的目的狀語;在目的狀語里,prove后面的that從句(畫線部分)是賓語從句;在此賓語從句中,需關注revolve保持原形的用法,它和前面的動詞時態(tài)不一致,原因在于此從句的內容是一條客觀真理。
【詞匯精記】 glory 輝煌,光榮;heaven 天堂,天空;planet 行星;revolve around 圍繞……旋轉;the newly invented telescope 新發(fā)明的望遠鏡;turn...on... 把……指向/轉向;rather than 而不是。
4. One difficulty is that almost all of what is called behavioral science continues to trace behavior to states of mind, feelings, traits of character, human nature, and so on.
【翻譯演練】 ___________________________
【參考譯文】 困難之一在于:所謂的行為科學幾乎全都依然從心態(tài)、情感、性格特征、人性等方面去尋找行為的根源。
【結構分析】 One difficulty is that almost all of what is called behavioral science continues to trace behavior to states of mind, feelings, traits of character, human nature, and so on. 此句主語是One difficulty,謂語是系動詞is,表語是that引導的名詞性從句(即表語從句);復雜的是,在that表語從句中:all of what is called behavioral science是該從句中的主語,謂語部分是continues to trace,賓語是behavior,后面的介詞to短語是地點狀語。 what is called behavioral science是what引導的名詞性從句,相當于the thing (that is called behavioral science),作前面介詞of的賓語(即賓語從句)。
【詞匯精記】 behavioral science 行為科學;state of mind 心態(tài),意識狀態(tài);trait 顯著的特征/特點;human nature 人性;trace 追蹤,追尋,探究(例如:My fear of dogs could be traced to one of my childhood experiences. 我對狗的恐懼可以追溯到我的一次童年經歷)。
5. The question is how what you have learned can be put into practice.
【翻譯演練】 __________________________________
【參考譯文】 問題是如何將你已經習得的知識付諸實踐。
【結構分析】 The question is how what you have learned can be put into practice.此句中,特殊疑問詞how引導名詞性從句,和前面的The question is形成主系表結構,作句子的表語(即表語從句);在此從句中,需關注畫線部分,它是特殊疑問詞what引導的名詞性從句,在表語從句中充當主語的成分(即主語從句),其謂語是can be put,句末的into practice是地點狀語,修飾put。
【詞匯精記】 put...into practice 把……付諸實施。