王敬义
攀枝花学院
四川省攀枝花市617000
English for science and technology (EST) is one of the most popular styles in the world. The emergence of EST is the product of the globalization of the world and development of the times. In order to do a good job in scientific English translation, we need to have three conditions: first, to really master the rules of English grammar; second, to have certain professional knowledge and a wide range of scientific and technological knowledge; third, to have a high level of Chinese culture. There are some skills in English translation of EST.
1Vocabulary Translation Methods
There are two ways to translate EST Vocabulary.
1.1 To look up the Dictionary
The content of science and technology English includes human, from ancient times to the present all the field of science - type technical knowledge. When translators encounter such problems again, they must consult scientists, consult dictionaries frequently, and explore the conceptual meaning of a word.
1.2 Combining the Context to Define the Meaning of Words
In English, except for professional terms, almost all words can only be understood by reading the following. Soviet translator Sobriev(1985) pointed out that "it is inevitable to distort the meaning of the original text when translating the word without the close connection of context". For example: ...his great flight lasted thirty seven minutes. When he landed near Dover, the first person to greet him was a local policeman. (New Concept English,Vol.Ⅲ,p.50) Land can be translated into 上岸、着陆or降落.But according to the context, Bleriot successfully flew across the English channel, so land there can be translated into “着陆”.
2 Syntactic translation skills
Bao Qing(1983) and others said in the translation theory and skills of EST: "translation is to express the meaning of one language with another language. Translation inevitably involves two processes: understanding and expression. "In the process of translation, understanding is the first and expression is the second.
2.1Understanding the Original Text
There are three steps in the process of understanding translation: first, reading the whole text thoroughly and comprehending the general idea, which is convenient for the translator to choose the meaning of words and make sentences; second, distinguishing the grammar clearly and making clear the internal grammatical relationship of sentences, which can correctly and smoothly translate the original text and the third, combining with the context to figure out the meaning of words, because scientific and technological articles have strong scientific logicality.
2.2 Translation of Passive Voice Sentences
Jespersen said: "the active sentence and the passive sentence express the same thing in essence. But they are not synonymous in all respects. So it's not superfluous to have different sentence patterns in different languages. "(Otto Jesperson. Essential of English Grammar, 1970) As for the usage of English passive sentences, C.E.Eckersley(1984) put forward in A Comprehensive English Grammar for Foreign Students: "when we want to emphasize the executor of an action, we use the active voice; when we want to emphasize the action itself or the bearer of an action, we use the passive voice." Therefore, there are three ways to translate passive sentences into Chinese: linear translation, conversion of ingredients and amplification.
The skills and methods of EST translation discussed may be normal for the translators to use another skill more appropriately. In addition, there are many shortcomings and deficiencies in the arguments pointed out in this paper, which need to be improved continuously.
[1]Alexander L·G. , He Qixin. New Concept English, Vol. Ⅲ. 外语教学与研究出版社和培生教育出版社中国有限公司, 1997:50
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