“So few authors have brains enough or literary gift enough to keep their own end up in journalism,” Newman wrote, “that I am tempted to define ‘journalism’ as ‘a term of contempt applied by writers who are not read to writers who are’”.
在上述句子中,So few authors have brains enough or literary gift enough to keep their own end up in journalism 是 so...that... 的主句,应该用倒装吧?但原句子没用倒装。如果理解成wrote的宾语从句,应该在so few前有that,原句子也没有。后边by writers who are not read to writers who are 这个句子中 read 是一个形容词,牛津字典中有“博学的”含义,但一般翻译书把该句子翻译成受欢迎不受欢迎,我不太理解,博学一定受欢迎吗?
刚整理完资料,准备上传解答,发现张老师已给出了很好的解答。下面的解答仅供参考:
▲So few authors have brains enough or literary gift enough to keep their own end up in journalism 是 so...that... 的主句——这点没错!但为什么要用倒装呢?没有要用倒装的理由吧!其实,这个句子只是把 Newman wrote 插在了句子中间,如果这样改写一下就很清楚了:
Newman wrote, “So few authors have brains enough or literary gift enough to keep their own end up in journalism that I am tempted to define ‘journalism’ as ‘a term of contempt applied by writers who are not read to writers who are’”.(将 Newman wrote 放在直接引语前)
“So few authors have brains enough or literary gift enough to keep their own end up in journalism that I am tempted to define ‘journalism’ as ‘a term of contempt applied by writers who are not read to writers who are,’” Newman wrote.(将 Newman wrote 放在直接引语后)
▲整个句子的基本就是一个 so…that…句式,注意这里的 so few 用于修饰主句的主语,所以放在了句首(这样的句子不用倒装的)。类似的句子如:
So many people attended the concert that chairs were set up in the lobby for the overflow. 去听音乐会的人很多,连门廊里都摆放了椅子让超员的人坐。
So much income is devoted to monthly mortgage payments that nothing is left over. 收入的大部分都付了按揭月供款,以至于分文不剩。
So many people have helped me with this book that it is hard to pick out the few for special mention. 帮助我完成本书的人数太多,难以从中选出几位特别致谢。
So many people were calling me that in the end I got tired of it and left the phone off the hook. 那么多人给我打电话,我实在受不了了,干脆把听筒拿了下来。
▲在 a term of contempt applied by writers who are not read to writers who are 中,who are not read 是修饰其前名词 writers 的定语从句,这里的 read 不一定理解为形容词“博学的”,就可以直接理解过去分词,writers who are not read的字面意思是“没有被人阅读过的作家”,即其作品没有读者的作家,换句话就是“所谓的作家”;类似地,writers who are read的字面意思是“被人阅读过的作家”,即其作品拥有读者的作家,换句话就是“真正的作家”。注意句末的 writers who are 实为 writers who are read 之省略。
▲a term of contempt applied by writers who are not read to writers who are 中的另一个结构 applied to 也值得注意,这个部分也可以这样改写一下(这样的改写并不是为了使其更好,而是为了便于理解):a term of contempt (which is) applied to writers who are read (by writers who are not read)。
【句子大意】“具有足够的思想或足够的文学天赋可以让其在新闻业不断进取的作者非常之少,所以我认为,那些所谓的作家把‘新闻业’用于那些真正的作家,简直就是一个蔑称,”纽曼写道。
“So few authors have brains enough or literary gift enough to keep their own end up in journalism,” Newman wrote, “that I am tempted to define ‘journalism’ as ‘a term of contempt applied by writers who are not read to writers who are’.”
【参考译文】
纽曼说,“在报刊评论界,有些作家天赋异禀,历久长青,不过这种人实在是凤毛麟角,所以我想明确地说,在一些没什么读者的写手看来,新闻评论(写作)工作只不过是个泛酸的称谓而已。(对于某些人,这种工作只不过是酸葡萄而已,反衬该业界精英之少,一些写手如过眼云烟,只有羡慕妒忌恨的份。)
【参考解析】
1.你所问的确实为so…that结果结构,只不过这不是一个倒装结构,因为So few authors在句中作主语。So后跟形副在句中作状/表时才需要倒装。
2.Read作为形容词有个意思为【读知的】,即因受阅读而为众人所(熟)知,即有时可译为【受欢迎】。
3.to keep their own end up in journalism更似应该为不定式表结果,容易被理解为表目的。