英语专业翻译方向 毕业论文
earth!
Translated version 2: You prisoners of starvation arise! You toilers of the earth
arise!
Though translated version 2 following the basic SV English sentence structure
has no grammatical mistakes and conveys the literal meaning of the original version,
it still can not reflect the connotation of the text—the determination and strength of
the poor who struggled for freedom. Compared with version 2, version 1 which
reverses the order of predicate and subject is more powerful in expression, and
effectively arouse readers’ passion. Therefore, we should not only consider literal
meaning but also implicit meaning of a text by changing the positions of predicates
and subjects of the translated version to emphasize information.
3.1.3 The formal subject
In spite of how long subjects are, Chinese tend to put subjects at the beginning
of sentences in most cases. But long subjects are not welcomed by English nations
who tend to keep a balanced sentence structure when talking or writing. With the help
of the formal subject “it”, English language puts real subjects behind of predicates for
emphasizing and keeping a balanced sentence structure, which avoids long subjects at
the same time. For example,
对于大学生来说至少掌握一门外语是必要的。
Translated version 1: To master at least a kind of foreign language is essential for a college student.
Translated version 2: It is essential for a college student to master at least a kind of foreign language.
Translated version 1 puts the subject at the beginning of the English sentence. It
conveys the meaning of the original version and has no grammatical mistakes, but it
leads to a long subject. Translated version 2 uses “it” as a formal subject, and places
the real subject behind of the predicate. Though both of the two versions are
acceptable, version 2 is a more idiomatic English expression.