考研英语（一）长难句解析系列——2004年翻译

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　　本文主要讲述语言和思维的关系，通过分析部落语言的兴衰证明语言与文化的不可分割性。全文中在长难句方面，难度较大，从句嵌套较多，语法知识点较多。下面就其中的典型例句进行分析：
　　【典型例句1】：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 languages could be.
　　【例句解析】：句子的主干是：The Greeks assumed that…。which引导定语从句，修饰前面的从句，此处需增译。long before引导时间状语从句。how引导宾语从句。
　　【难点点拨】：take root：生根，扎根
　　【例句释义】：希腊人认为，语言结构与思维过程之间存在着某种联系，这一观点早在人们意识到语言可以千差万别以前就在欧洲扎了根。
　　【典型例句2】：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.
　　【例句解析】：句子主干是：We are obliged to them…。because引导原因状语从句。As引导时间状语从句。who引导定语从句，修饰peoples。
　　【难点点拨】：be obliged to：感谢;assimilate：同化
　　【例句释义】：我们之所以感激他们，是因为随着说这些语言的民族的消亡或者因被同化而失去自己的本族语言，其中一些语言从此以后就消失了。
　　【典型例句3】：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.
　　【例句解析】：句子主干是：The newly described languages were often so strikingly different from…that…。本句使用so…that…句型。from the well studied languages of Europe and Southeast Asia为介词结构作状语，that some scholars even accused Boas and Sapir of fabricating their data为结果状语从句。of fabricating their data作Boas and Sapir的宾补。
　　【难点点拨】：strikingly：显著地，突出地;accuse of：谴责，控告;
　　fabricate：伪造，捏造
　　【例句释义】：新近被描述的语言与已经充分研究过的欧洲和东南亚语言差别如此显著，以至于一些学者指责博厄斯和萨丕尔编造材料。
　　【典型例句4】：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.
　　【例句解析】：句子主干是：Whorf developed the idea that…。that引导同位语从句，对idea补充说明。Being interested in…现在分词短语作原因状语。of language介词短语作后置定语，修饰structure。of habitual thought介词短语作后置定语，修饰structure。in a society介词短语作状语。
　　【难点点拨】：develop：形成;habitual：习惯性，惯常的
　　【例句释义】：由于对语言与思维的关系感兴趣，沃尔夫逐渐形成了这样的观点：在一个社会中，语言结构决定习惯性思维的结构。
　　【典型例句5】：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.
　　【例句解析】：句子主干是：Whorf came to believe in a sort of linguistic determinism…。Which引导定语从句修饰linguistic determinism。in its strongest form作插入语。states that…and that…两个that引导宾语从句，作states的宾语。of a society介词短语作后置定语修饰the culture。
　　【难点点拨】：come to believe：开始相信，进而相信;determinism：决定论;
　　far-reaching：深远的，广泛的
　　【例句释义】：沃尔夫进而相信某种语言决定论，它的极端说法是：语言束缚思维语言的语法结构能对社会的文化产生深远的影响。
　　总之，本篇翻译题长难句从句嵌套较多，基本涵盖所有高频考点：定语从句、状语从句、宾语从句和后置定语。考生应该熟练掌握这些考点的识别技巧和翻译技巧，提高做题效率和正确率。本文还多出现熟词生义情况，考生在熟知单词的第一层含义的基础上，扩充多层含义，以免错译。
　　(本文作者为中公考研英语指导老师—路达)