英语词典编纂者webster 曾经说过,every word is a new word (meaningless )with a context.(没有语境的单词都是生词,是没有意义的) 。现代词汇学概论里也提到 without contextthere is noway to determine the meaning of aword (没有上下文,就没有办法确定一个单词的确切含义)。那么反过来说,你只有在确定整个语境的前提下,才能决定去选择哪一个单词合适。对于汉译英来说,就是要先解析汉语句子结构,然后转换成英语思维,再根据语境筛选单词。
以下的关键词解析中所选择的单词和语法结构,都是依据整个语境来进行筛选的。
1. 她们中谁可能担任过排球教练?(may)
关键词解析:
1.)“谁可能担任过” 结合括号中的may,可以得出结论:此题考察的是may 表示“完成”的推测,即may have done 结构。
2)担任教练:work as a coach
3)原文中用了“她们”,该怎么来把这个“她”字表达出来呢?这里可以用female(女性).
句子整合:
among the females who may have worked as a volleyball coach?
2. 我看见他换上徒步鞋向草坪走去了。(make for)
关键词解析:
1.)看见某人做某事:see sb doing(正在做)see sb do(经常做,或者动作的全过程)
2)换上 change …for (注意不能用change…into ,这个意思是“变成” ,而不是“换成”比如: he changed the pet into a toy.他把宠物变成了玩具。)
3)徒步鞋 hiking shoes
4)向。。。走去:make for
句子整合:
i saw him change his shoes for hiking ones and made for the lawn.
3. 妈妈设置闹钟六个小时响一次,提醒自己给宝宝量体温。(reminder)
关键词解析:
1) 设置闹钟:set the alarm clock
2) 六个小时响一次 ring every six hours ( 提示:every hour 每(1个)小时 every six hours每6个小时)
3) 提醒:动词是remind . reminder是名词,意思“提醒物“,或者”提醒某人去想起某事的标志物“。在这里可以在reminder后面接一个同位语从句来表达,在语意上更加贴切。
4) 量体温:take one’s temperature
句子整合:
mother set the alarm clock to ringevery six hours as a reminder that she would take her baby’s temperature.
或者主体句子也可以用一般现在时:
mother sets the alarm clock to ring every six hours as a reminder that she will take her baby’s temperature.
4. 在这个村庄里,人们通常每餐吃八分饱,但这种健康的饮食习惯最早是为了应对缺少食物的困境。(until)
关键词解析:
1) 吃八分饱:be 80% full
2) 最早是为了 :result from (因。。。而致,意译) the initial…
3) until怎么用? until 前面的句子如果是陈述句,指状态的持续。
4) 缺少食物:lack of food
句子整合:
in this village, people tend to be eating until they are 80% full, but this healthy diet results from the initial fight against the lack of food.