名師指導：考研英語翻譯歷年真題精析(2008)

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　　In his autobiography, Darwin himself speaks of his intellectual powers with extraordinary modesty. He points out that he always experienced much difficulty in expressing himself clearly and concisely, but (46) he believes that this very difficulty may have had the compensating advantage of forcing him to think long and intently about every sentence, and thus enabling him to detect errors in reasoning and in his own observations. He disclaimed the possession of any great quickness of apprehension or wit, such as distinguished Huxley. (47) He asserted, also, that his power to follow a long and purely abstract train of thought was very limited, for which reason he felt certain that he never could have succeeded with mathematics. His memory, too, he described as extensive, but hazy. So poor in one sense was it that he never could remember for more than a few days a single date or a line of poetry. (48) On the other hand, he did not accept as well founded the charge made by some of his critics that, while he was a good observer, he had no power of reasoning. This, he thought, could not be true, because the “Origin of Species” is one long argument from the beginning to the end, and has convinced many able men. No one, he submits, could have written it without possessing some power of reasoning. He was willing to assert that “I have a fair share of invention, and of common sense or judgment, such as every fairly successful lawyer or doctor must have, but not, I believe, in any higher degree�！� (49) He adds humbly that perhaps he was “superior to the common run of men in noticing things which easily escape attention, and in observing them carefully�！�

　　Writing in the last year of his life, he expressed the opinion that in two or three respects his mind had changed during the preceding twenty or thirty years. Up to the age of thirty or beyond it poetry of many kinds gave him great pleasure. Formerly, too, pictures had given him considerable, and music very great, delight. In 1881, however, he said: “Now for many years I cannot endure to read a line of poetry. I have also almost lost my taste for pictures or music�！� (50) Darwin was convinced that the loss of these tastes was not only a loss of happiness, but might possibly be injurious to the intellect, and more probably to the moral character。

　　真題解析

　　46. He believes / that (this very )difficulty may have had the compensating advantage (of forcing him to think long and intently about every sentence, // and thus enabling him to detect errors in reasoning and in his own observations。)

　　句子結構分析

　　(1)本句是一個主從復合句，含有一個that引導的賓語從句;其主干是he believes that (difficulty may have had the advantage)。

　　(2)賓語從句“that this very…h(huán)is own observations”含有of引導的兩個后置定語“of forcing him to…h(huán)is own observations”;由于是分詞短語作定語，且太長，翻譯時要找到與主句的邏輯關系，翻譯成非定語成分。

　　詞語用法解釋

　　(1)very

　　adj. 表示“真正的，真實的，恰好的”等等。

　　adv. 表示“很，甚，及其，非常，完全”等。例如：The very idea of cheating people again is distasteful to him。(他一想到還要欺騙人就感到很不是滋味。)

　　表示加強語氣，意思是“就是，正是”，原文正是此種用法。

　　(2)compensate

　　vi.&vt. 表示“補償，賠償，酬報”等。如：to compensate sb. for (為……向某人賠償)，Nothing can compensate the young mother for the loss of her favrourite daughter。(年輕的媽媽喪失了自己心愛的女兒是任何東西也彌補不了的。)本句是其現(xiàn)在分詞作定語，譯成“彌補的，補償?shù)摹薄?/P>

　　(3)advantage

　　n。表示“優(yōu)勢，有利條件，利益，便利”等等。如：Many women think this is an advantage for men. (許多婦女認為這是男人的優(yōu)越之處。)This hall combines the advantages of the ball room and of a meeting place。(這個大廳既可作舞廳，又可作會場。)

　　常用短語：take advantage of (利用，欺騙)，at an advantage (有利地)，be of advantage to (對……有利)，gain an advantage over/of (勝過， 優(yōu)于)。

　　(4)enable 見2009年49題解釋。

　　(5)detect

　　vt。表示“發(fā)現(xiàn)，察覺，注意到”。例：The dentist could detect no sign of decay in her teeth。(牙醫(yī)在她的牙齒上找不到蛀蝕的跡象。)表示“偵察出，查明(常與in連用)”。例如：He was detected in the act of stealing。(他在偷竊時被當場發(fā)覺。)此處是“查明，發(fā)現(xiàn)”的意思。

　　(6)reason

　　n。表示“理由， 原因， 動機， 理智， 前提”等。如：There are reasons for this great interest in the ideas, feelings, and actions of youth。(對年輕人的思想、感情和行動發(fā)生這樣巨大的興趣， 自有它的道理。)

　　vt。表示“說服， 推論， 辯論”。如：reason with sb. for/against sth. (因贊成/反對……同某人講道理/辯論)。

　　vi。表示“推論， 勸說， 思考”。如：to reason a person out of fear(勸人別害怕)。

　　常用短語：it stands to reason (合乎道理)，with reason (有理由，合乎情理)。例如：He thinks, with reason, that I don’t like him。(他有理由認為我不喜歡他。)

　　本句可譯成“推理”。

　　參考譯文

　　他(達爾文)認為，正是這種困難起了彌補作用，使他長時間專注地思考每個句子，從而能在推理和親自觀察中發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的錯誤。

　　47. He asserted, // also, that his power to follow a long and purely abstract train of thought was very limited, / for which reason he felt certain // that he never could have succeeded with mathematics。

　　句子結構分析

　　(1)本句是一個復雜的主從復合句，包括兩個that引導的賓語從句、一個for引導的原因狀語從句，主句的主干是he asserted that (his power was very limited)。

　　(2)主句所含的賓語從句中，主干是his power was very limited; to follow a long and purely abstract train of thought是不定式作后置定語，由于太長，可以處理成非定語成分。

　　(3)原因狀語從句中所含的賓語從句是he never could have succeeded with mathematics，由于太長，將其放在賓補certain之后。

　　詞語用法解釋

　　(1)assert

　　v。表示“宣稱， 斷言， 聲明;維護， 堅持”等。如：assert one’s rights (維護自己的權利)，assert sth. to be true(斷言某事是真實的)，assert national independence (維護民族獨立)。 本句中可譯為“認為，斷言”。

　　(2)train

　　n。表示“列車， 行列， 后果， 順序”等。如：a train of events (一連串的事件)。

　　v。表示“(常與to連用)培養(yǎng)，教導，訓練”。如：Mr. Hart has trained his daughter for years. (哈特先生已訓練自己女兒多年。)

　　本句中可譯為“一連串的”。