《2014考研英语阅卷人：翻译与完形填空技巧全攻略》

　　Unit 11  2004年英译汉
The relation of language and mind has interested philosophers for many centuries.（41）The Greeks assumed that the structure of language had some connection with the process of thought which took root in Europe long before people realized how diverse language could be.
Only recently did linguists begin the serious study of languages that were very different from their own.Two anthropologists—linguists,Franz Boas and Edward Sapir,were pioneers in describing many native languages of North and South America during the first half of the twentieth century.
（42）We are obliged to them because some of these languages have since vanished,as the people who spoke them died out or became assimilated and lost their native languages.Other linguists in the earlier part of this century,however,who were less eager to deal with bizarre（古怪的）data from“exotic（外来的）”language,were not always so grateful.（43）The newly described languages were often so strikingly different from the well studied languages of Europe and Southeast Asia that some scholars even accused Boas and Sapir of fabricating their data.Native American languages are indeed different,so much so in fact that Navajo could be used by the US military as a code during World WarⅡto send secret messages.
Sapir’s pupil,Benjamin Lee Whorf,continued the study of American Indian languages.（44）Being interested in the relationship of the language and thought,Whorf developed the idea that the structure of the language determines the structure of habitual thought in a society.He reasoned that because it is easier to formulate certain concepts and not others in a given language,the speakers of that language think along one track and not along another.（45）Whorf came to believe in a sort of linguistic determinism which,in its strongest form,states that language imprisons the mind,and that the grammatical patterns in a language can produce far-reaching consequences for the culture of a society.Later,this idea became to be known as the SapirWhorf hypothesis,but this term is somewhat inappropriate.Although both Sapir and Whorf emphasized the diversity of languages,Sapir himself never explicitly supported the notion of linguistic determinism.

【试题精析】

(41) The Greeks assumed that the structure of language had some connection with the process of thought, which took root in Europe long before people realized how diverse language could be.
[核心词汇] assume (v.)①假定，认为②承担//realize(v.)①意识到②实现//take root in(v.)生根；在…扎下了根//process (v.)加工，处理②过程,进程//long before (v.)早在…之前；在…之前早就…//diverse (a.)差异的，多样性的，多种多样的
[结构分析] 本句的主干结构为The Greeks assumed that （希腊人认为），that后的the structure of language had some connection with the process of thought（语言结构与思想的过程之间有某种联系）为宾语从句，which took root in Europe（扎根于欧洲）为非限定性定语从句修饰前面希腊人的想法，long before people realized how diverse language could be（早在人们意识到语言会有多么的不同之前）为时间状语从句。
[参考译文] 希腊人认为，语言结构与思维的过程之间存在着某种联系，这种想法在人们尚未意识到语言的千差万别之前就早已在欧洲扎下了根。

(42) We are obliged to them because some of these languages have since vanished, as the peoples who spoke them died out or became assimilated and lost their native languages.
[核心词汇] oblige(v.)①迫使，责成②使感激 be obliged to感激，感谢某人//die out 灭绝 //vanish (v.)消失//assimilate(v.)吸收，同化 //native (a.)本国的，本地的
[结构分析] 本句的主干结构：We are obliged to them （我们感激他们），because引导原因状语从句because some of these languages have since vanished（因为自此这些语言中的一部分消失了），as 表示伴随可以翻译为“随着”，as the peoples who spoke them died out or became assimilated and lost their native languages （随着说这些语言的人消亡或者被同化而失去母语）
[参考译文] 我们得感谢他们，因为在此之后，随着说这些语言的人消亡或者被同化而失去母语，这些语言中有一些就此消失了。

(43) The newly described languages were often so strikingly different from the well studied languages of Europe and Southeast Asia that some scholars even accused Boas and Sapir of fabricating their data.
[核心词汇] so ... that …如此…以至于//accuse sb of sth (v.)指责，谴责某人做了某事//fabricate(v.)捏造，伪造，虚构//strikingly (ad.)显著地
[结构分析] 这是一个带有结果状语从句的主系表结构：The newly described languages were so different from.. that …（这些新近被描述的语言是如此显著的不同，以至于……），结果状语为some scholars even accused Boas and Sapir of fabricating their data（一些学者甚至指责Boas 和Sapir编造了他们的资料），the well studied languages of Europe and Southeast Asia（经过充分研究的欧洲和东南亚的语言）为介词from的宾语。
[参考译文] 这些新近被描述的语言与经过充分研究的欧洲和东南亚的语言差别是如此的显著，以至于一些学者甚至指责Boas 和Sapir编造了资料。
[技巧点拨]翻译中人名的处理，在翻译中出现英文人名如Boas 和Sapir时，尤其是非众所周知的公众人物，翻译时可以不做处理，而公众人物如Newton，最好翻译成“牛顿”。

(44) Being interested in the relationship of language and thought, Whorf developed the idea that the structure of language determines the structure of habitual thought in a society.
[核心词汇]  habitual (a.) 习惯性的habitual thought 习惯性思维 //determine (v.)决定，确定
[结构分析] 主句的主谓宾结构为：Whorf developed the idea （Whorf 逐渐形成了这种观点），that the structure of language determines the structure of habitual thought in a society （在一个社会里，语言的结构决定习惯思维的结构）为the idea的同位语从句，对the idea进行解释说明。现在分词短语Being interested in the relationship of language and thought（对语言与思维的关系感兴趣）作状语，对句子进行修饰。
[参考译文] Whorf对语言与思维的关系很感兴趣，他逐渐形成了这样一种观念：在一个社会里，语言的结构决定了习惯思维的结构。
[技巧点拨] ①同位语结构可考虑用冒号提示性的方法来处理；②翻译中出现的人名（尤其是非大众熟知的名人）可以不做处理。

(45) Whorf came to believe in a sort of linguistic determinism which, in its strongest form, states that language imprisons the mind, and that the grammatical patterns in a language can produce far-reaching consequences for the culture of a society.
[核心词汇详解] state(v.) 陈述，声称，认为 (n.) ①国家 ②状态 //pattern (n.)①方式，模式②图案，花纹//produce(v.) ①生产②产生//consequence (n.) 结果，影响，重要性//come to believe 开始相信// a sort of某种//linguistic(a.)语言的，语言学的//determinism(n.) 决定主义，后缀ism表示“…论，…主义”// in its strongest form在其最强烈的形式下，意译为“其极端说法是”//imprison(v.)①把……关在监狱中，囚禁②禁锢，束缚//far-reaching (a.)意义深远的，深刻的
[结构分析] 本句的主干为：Whorf came to believe in a sort of linguistic determinism（Whorf逐渐相信某种语言决定论），which引导的定语从句中又带两个并列宾语从句which, …states that, …and that..第一个宾语从句：language imprisons the mind（语言将思想禁锢其中）第二个宾语从句：the grammatical patterns in a language can produce far-reaching consequences for the culture of a society（语言的语法模式可以对某一社会文化产生深远的影响，in its strongest form（其极端说法是）为插入语。
[参考译文] Whorf进而相信某种语言决定论的观点，其极端说法是：语言禁锢了思想，语言的语法模式可以对某种社会文化产生深远的影响。

【全文翻译】
许多世纪以来哲学家一直对语言与思维的关系很感兴趣。（41）希腊人认为,语言结构与思维过程之间存在着某种联系，这一观点在人们尚未认识到语言的千差万别以前就早已在欧洲扎下了根。直到最近语言学家才开始认真研究与自己的母语截然不同的语言。两位人类学家、语言学家佛朗茨·博厄斯和爱德华·萨皮尔在二十世纪上半叶描述了北美和南美许多土著语言,在这方面他们堪称先驱。（42）我们得感谢他们,因为在此之后,随着说这些语言的人消亡或者被同化而失去母语,这些语言中有一些就此消失了。不过,在该世纪早期其他语言学家并不那么热心处理“异域”语言中的怪异数据,因此他们常不被人们所称道。（43）这些新近被描述的语言与已经得到充分研究的欧洲和东南亚地区的语言往往差别显著,以至于有些学者甚至指责博厄斯和萨皮尔编造了材料。美洲土著语言的确十分特异,纳瓦霍语实际上在二战中可以被美军用作密码发密码电报。
萨皮尔的学生本杰明·李·沃夫继续研究美洲印第安人的语言。（44）沃夫对语言与思维的关系很感兴趣,逐渐形成了这样的观点:在一个社会中,语言的结构决定习惯思维的结构。他论述说,某一特定语言中比较容易形成某些特定概念,但与此有别的其他概念则不易形成,因此该语言的使用者思考问题只会沿着这一条道而不会沿着那一条道进行。（45）沃夫进而相信某种类似语言决定论的观点,其极端说法是:语言禁锢思维,语言的语法结构能对一个社会的文化产生深远的影响。后来,这种观点成为了知名的萨皮尔—沃夫假说,不过这个术语有点不妥。虽然萨皮尔和沃夫都强调各种语言之间的差异性,但萨皮尔自己从来没有明确地表示过支持语言决定论的观念。

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