英语句子特有的修辞现象——“无生命主语”

刘永科

在新课标人教版必修一第5单元课文中，有这样一句话：The last thirty years have seen the greatest number of laws stopping our rights and progress. “过去的30年来所出现的大量法律，剥夺我们的权力，阻挡我们的进步。”

按照我们汉语的思维习惯，see 这个动作应该由“人”发出，其主语自然是有生命的事物，然而，英语则是用了一个无生命的主语the last thirty years。英语中，see的这个用法并不鲜见，又如：

Every day sees our motherland flourishing. 我们的祖国日益繁荣昌盛。

Tomorrow will see the opening of the meeting. 会议将在明天开幕。

The year 1959 saw the first appearance of a real flying ship in the world. 1959年世界上出现了一种真正的飞船。

This old building has seen glorious days. 这栋老房子曾有过辉煌的日子。

This stadium has seen many thrilling football matches. 在这个体育场里举行过很多精彩的足球赛。

这是英语特有的修辞现象——叫做“无生命主语”。

我们知道，主语是句子的主体，在全句中起主导作用。在理解的时候，“有生命主语”(Animate Subject)的句子翻译起来比较容易，因为我们很容易确定译文的主语。但在翻译一些无生命主语(Inanimate Subject)的句子时，就感到比较困难，因为很难确定译文的主语。英汉两种语言，由于在文化传统、思维方式和句子结构方面存在差异，对主语作用的认识也有不同。汉语中有些动词如“看见、发现、说出”等，都是只有“人”才有的行为或动作，而英语中这些动作不一定由“人”去实施。在英美人的思维中，往往更注意客观事物或现象对人的作用和影响，反映在语言表达习惯上，就是无生命名词作主语。这其实是一种修辞现象，属于Personification（拟人）的一种。同样一个动词，可以有两种不同的主语，效果会不同。

George told me that he would come this afternoon. 乔治告诉我他今天下午来。

My conscience told me that I deserved no extrordinary politeness. 凭良心讲, 你待我礼貌有加, 我却受之有愧。

下面，针对英语无生命主语句的特点和翻译技巧做一探讨。

（一）无生命主语句的特点和翻译技巧

一、句子主语多为时间、地点等名词，谓语常用see, find, witness等动词。翻译时一般把这些英语句子的主语看作“时间或地点状语”，谓语动词则不必翻译出来，因为实质性内容就是它的宾语及其定语。如果宾语是表示“某种行为或动作的名词”，可译为谓语。例如：

The year 1949 witnessed the founding of the People's Republic of China. 1949年，中华人民共和国成立。

This stadium has seen many exciting football matches. 在这体育场里举办过很多精彩的足球赛。

Dusk found a little boy crying in the street. 黄昏时一个小男孩在大街上哭。

Rome witnessed many great historic events. 在罗马城发生了许多伟大历史事件。

The following year saw the death of his mother. 第二年他妈妈去世了。

Dawn met him well along the way. 拂晓时，他早已走了一大段路。

The world history has seen more tears than laughter. 在世界历史上眼泪比欢笑多。

Shanghai first saw the rise of this movement.这个运动首先在上海兴起。

The city witnessed the outbreak of the war. 战争是在这个城市爆发的。

Nightfall found him many miles short of his appointed place. 当夜幕降临时，他离预定的地点还有好几英里。

The forty years, 1840-80, brought almost ten million migrants to America. 从1840至1880年这四十年中，近一千万移民移居美国。

二、表示心理状态的名词或表示某种遭遇的名词（如word, anger, faith, sorrow, idea, courage, desire等）作主语，用visit, fail, desert, escape, seize, oppress, depress等动词作谓语。翻译这类句子时可以把宾语译为主语，把主语译为宾语。谓语动词的含义则根据主语和宾语的关系来理解并翻译。例如：

A deep sorrow seized the man suddenly. 那人突然产生了一种非常难过的情绪。

When he met his girlfriend for the first time, words failed him. 当他第一次见到他女朋友时，他说不出话来。

Many troubles visited the poor old man last year. 去年这个可怜的老人碰到了不少麻烦。

When he had to speak to her, his courage suddenly escaped him. 当他不得不和她说话时，他突然失去了勇气。

Astonishment and even horror oppressed her. 她感到惊讶甚至恐惧。

His weariness determined him to sit down in the first convenient shade. 他疲惫不堪，于是下了决心，一碰到舒适的阴凉处就坐下休息。

Anger choked his words. 他气得话也说不出来。

It was an actor whose name escaped me for the moment. 那个男演员的名字我一时想不起来了。

Words failed me for the moment. 我一时不知说什么。

Alarm began to take entire possession of him. 他开始变得惊恐万分。

Something inside me seemed to stop momentarily. 我顿时呆住了。

三、句子主语是具有行为或动作意义的名词，谓语一般是使令动词（如remind, make, let, lead, send, leave, drive等）。从语法上看，无生命主语句常常是简单句，但其句子成分之间却含有某种关系：如时间关系，因果关系，条件关系等。翻译这类句子时，不能照搬原文表达形式，而要转换主语，必要时还须采用拆译等手段，以便把这些关系表达出来。一般把主语翻译成状语（时间状语、原因状语或条件状语），宾语译为主语。用“一……就；因……而；如果......那么”的句型进行翻译。例如：

The sight of the orphan always reminds me of her parents. 一见到那个孤儿，我就想起了她的父母。

The idea that he will go abroad for further study made him excited. 一想到要出国深造，他就兴奋不已。

The one look told Mary what sort of man she had to deal with. 玛丽看了一眼就明白她要对付的是什么样的人了。

The very sight of blood makes her feel nervous. 一见到鲜血，她就感到紧张。

No wonder that the sight of it should send the memories of quite a number of the old generation back 50 years ago. 难怪老一辈的许多人见了这东西, 就会想起50年前的往事。

A visit to the places where he had lived and worked during his youth brought back many fond memories.他重游自己青年时代曾经工作和学习过的地方时不禁回忆起许多美好的

Thought of the interview filled me with fear. 一想到面试，我就担心害怕。

His illness prevented him from joining in the climbing of the mountain. 他因病未能参加爬山。

The publisher’s rejection of his manuscript depressed him. 由于出版商拒绝接受他的手稿，他的情绪一落千丈。

Business took me to town.我因公去了镇里。

Investigation led us to the foregoing conclusion. 经过调查，我们得出了上述结论。

The bitter weather had driven everyone indoors. 由于天气寒冷，大家都躲进了室内。

Losing his fortune drove him mad. 他由于失去财产而发疯。

This medicine will make you feel better. 吃了这药，你会舒服些。

Careful comparion will show you the difference. 仔细比较，你就会发现不同。

Sickness had robbed her of her confidence that she could carry the load. 她疾病缠身，没信心挑起这副重担。

四、表示其他事物的名词作主语。这类无生命主语句的翻译，可以照字面直译。例如：

The matter asks immediate attention. 这件事需要立即予以注意。

Her heart did whisper that he had done it for her. 她心里的确在嘀咕，他这么做是为了她。

The door refuses to close. 门关不上。

The heat makes me sweat like a pig. 我热得满头大汗。

His deeds moved me to tears. 他的事迹使我感动得流下眼泪。

His illness left him weak. 疾病使他虚弱。

The conference threw doubt upon the new policy. 会议使人们对新政策产生怀疑。

My watch says five.我的表显示5点。

His passion carried him astray.他的热情让他误入歧途。

Death walks closer to the patient. 死亡向病人靠近。

Love embraces me from time to time. 爱情时常拥抱我。

The minutes slipped by quickly.时间一分一分地溜走了。

五、it作形式主语或用there做引导词，句子真正的主语是后面的词或从句。翻译这类英语句子时，可将后面的真正主语补充出来，或者加上“有人”、“人们”、“大家”等。例如：

It was very wise of her to bring an umbrella. 她带了雨伞，真是明智。

It is expected that our team will win the game. 我们代表队有望赢取比赛。（也可译为：人们期待我们的代表队赢取比赛。）

It is generally felt that his appointment was a serious mistake. 现在，大家都觉得当时对他的任命是个严重的失误。

Right now it strikes me that it is a mission by no means easy to complete. 此时此刻我突然间想到这是个绝非容易完成的任务。

There is a growing concern over the population growth. 人们对人口的迅速增长越来越关注。

There comes a knock at the door. 有人敲门。

In ordinary living, there can be some tolerance of unpunctuality.在日常生活中，我们要容忍一些不守时的情况。

There was expected strong disagreement on the matter.在这个问题上人们估计有很大分歧。

（二）英语无生命主语句拾零

The thought of spending another year makes me physically sick. 想到再花一年的时间，我就反感。

A clear conscience laughs at false accusations. 只要问心无愧，别人的指责可以一笑置之。

Winter finds out what summer lays by. 到了冬天才知道夏天储存东西的重要。

His youth got him off. 他已青春不再。

The courage escaped from me at the moment. 我当时没有勇气。

A lot of troubles visited the poor family. 这可怜的家庭遇到许多麻烦事。

The shortest cut would take us five hours to get there. 我们最快也要五个小时才能到那里。

Down met him well along the way.他一路挫败连连。

Shanghai first saw the rise of the movement. 运动首先在上海爆发。

Something inside me seemed to stop all of a sudden. 我脑子突然短路了。

Perhaps, this scene will come back to you years later when you sit alone at sunset like this.或许若干年后，当你像这样独自坐在黄昏中你会回想起这种场景。

No wonder that the sight of it should send the memories of quite a number of the old generations back 50 years ago. 难怪许多老一辈的人就会回忆起50年前的事。

His weariness and the increasing heat determined him to sit down in the first convenient shade. 由于疲倦和发烧，他决定找最近的阴凉处坐下休息。

The sight of the orphan always reminds me of her parents．一见到这个孤儿，我总是想起她的父母。

The idea that he will go abroad for further study made him excited．他因为能够到国外深造儿感到兴奋。

Losing his fortune drove him mad.他因失去财产而发疯。

The want of his family had kept him from school, and he had to work as a casual labourer.他因家庭贫困而无法上学，只好去打零工。

The publisher’s rejection of his manuscript depressed him.出版商拒绝了他的手稿，他很沮丧。

The 1960s witnessed the growth of a very restive younger generation in the US．20世纪60年代见证了美国年轻一代的成长。

His saying that he was sorry altered the case. 情况因为他的一声抱歉而改变。

Only the thought of his mother gave him the strength to go on doing it. 一想到他妈妈，他就有力量继续做下去。

The path led us to a tiny village perched on the steep sides of a mountain. 顺着小路，我们来到坐落在陡峭山坡上的小村庄。

The cave leads us down to a treasure. 我们沿着这个洞爬下去，就会发现宝藏。

Nightfall found the boy still a long way off home. 黄昏时候，小男孩还在离家很远的地方。

The past few years witnessed the great influx of foreigners to China, for traveling, studies or business. 过去的几年，有很多外国人来中国旅游，学习或从商。

The following year saw the death of his mother. 他妈妈在一年后去世了。

Dawn met him well along the way. 他一路挫败连连。

The world history has seen more tears than laughter. 世界历史悲剧多于喜剧。

Now pessimism has given way to confidence. 现在自信战胜了悲观。

Taking care of the sick child has already chipped a few kilos off her. 她因照顾生病的孩子而瘦了好多。

Careful reading of the two books will show the one written for kids is more interesting. 细读这两本书你会发现写给孩子的这本更有趣。

Time limit admits of no delay. 时间有限不容许耽搁。

Her good work and obedience have pleased her teacher. 老师因为她出色的工作和听话感到高兴。

His absent-mindedness during the experiments nearly caused an explosion of the chemical.在实验中他心不在焉差点引起化学爆炸。

The 5th century saw the end of the Roman Empire in the west .西方罗马帝国在5世纪灭亡了。

When he had to speak to her his courage suddenly deserted him.当他不得不跟她说话时,他没勇气了。

His illness prevented him from joining the expedition.他因病不能参加探险。

In ordinary living, there can be some tolerance of unpunctuality.在日常生活中，我们要容忍一些不守时的情况。

The city saw a series of fierce fights between blacks and whites in the 1960s and Dr King was shot to death in 1968.这个城市在20世纪60年代爆发了一系列黑人和白人之间激烈的斗争；1968年，马丁·路德·金被枪杀身亡。

The year 1959 saw the first appearance of a real flying ship in the world.1959年，真正的飞船在世界上首次亮相。

Nightfall found him many miles short of his appointed place．夜幕降临,他离目的地还很远。

This old building has seen better days.这座古老的建筑见证了崭新的时代。

This stadium has seen many thrilling football matches.这座体育馆举行过许多激动人心的足球比赛。

Nothing justifies cheating on an exam. 在考试中作弊是没有理由可以辩解的。

In some cases, the end justifies the means.在一些情况下，只要目的正当，可以不择手段。

Your state of anxiety does not justify your being so rude to me.你不能因为焦虑对我如此无礼。

A little flattery would set him carried away.他会因为小小的奉承就得意忘形。

Rockets have found application for the exploration of the universe.人们已把火箭用于宇宙探险。

His being neglected by the host added to his uneasiness.他因被主人忽略而感到更加不安。

Science absorbed me most, though I had excelled in all subjects at high school.虽然我在高中的时候擅长所有的科目，但是我对科学最感兴趣。

His illness prevented him from joining the expedition.他因并不能参加探险。

Business took me to town.我因公去了镇里。

Anger and bitterness had preyed upon me continually for weeks and a deep languor had succeeded this passionate struggle.几个星期以来，我又气又恨，感到非常苦恼，这种感情上的激烈斗争过去之后，我感到浑身无力。

Too much exposure to TV programs will do great harm to the eyesight of children.孩子看太多电视节目对视力有很大伤害。

The sight and the sound of her son filled her with joy and happiness.看到她儿子和听到她儿子的声音她既开心又幸福。

When he had to speak to her，his courage suddenly deserted him.当他不得不跟她说话时，他突然没有勇气。

My conscience told me that I deserved no extrordinary politeness.凭良心讲，我不应该得到格外的照顾。

The turn of the century finds China most active on the diplomatic area.在世纪之交，中国在外交方面扮演着最活跃的角色。

One reliable source said that major tax changes were being considered by the Treasury.据可靠消息，财政部正在考虑对税收办法作重大改革。

The eighteenth century produced many volumes of the “life and adventures”of varous heroes and heroines.在18世纪，有关描写各种人物的生活与经历的书籍纷纷问世。

A profound melancholy seized him.他突然产生了一种忧郁情绪。

Monday morning found Tom miserable.星期一早晨，汤姆显得很难过。

The explosion of births has made this country poorer and poorer.由于出生率激增，这个国家越来越贫穷。

The sight of the orphan always reminds me of her parents.一见到那个孤儿，我就想到了她的父母。

The shortest cut would take us five hours to get there.抄近路也要5 小时才能到那里。

The fresh sunlit January morning filled the young teacher with happy thought.一月的早晨清新晴朗，令这位年轻教师的心中充满了愉快的感想。

It is generally felt that his appointment was a serious mistake.现在大家都觉得当时对他的任命是个严重的失误。

A splendid idea suddenly occurs to me.我突然有了个好主意。

The sight of a tailor shop gave me a sharp longing to throw away my rags, and to clothe myself decently once more.我一看到一家服装店，心里就起了一阵强烈的愿望，很想扔掉这身褴褛的衣服，重新穿得像个样子。

From the moment we stepped into China, care and kindness surrounded us on every side.一踏上中国国土，我们就随时随地受到各方面的关怀和照顾。

Three hours set him down in a little town near the state line.三小时后，他来到这个州边境附近的一个小镇。

A glance through his office window offers a panoramic view of the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memories.从他的办公室窗口望出去，就可以看见华盛顿纪念碑和林肯纪念堂的全景。

His weariness and the increasing heat determined him to sit down in the first convenient shade.他疲惫不堪，天气又越来越热，于是想就近找个阴凉的地方，坐下歇会儿。

Dawn met him well along the way. It was a pleasant ride.东方欲晓的时候，他已走了一大段路了，这次骑车旅行是很愉快的。

The realization of the plan will greatly enhance the warefare of the people.当这个计划实现后，人们会享有更好的福利。

The complexity of the road map puzzled the truck driver.这位卡车司机因为复杂的道路交通图，而不知所措。

Simplicity of language demands, in the first place, that the text should be colloquial rather than literary, that they should be written in short sentences, not in long and complicated clause.要做到语言简练，首先文章要用口语体，不要用文学体，其次要写短句，不要写长句和复杂句。

His addition completed the list. 若把他添上，名单就齐全了。