Lesson 18 Electric currents in modern art 内容鉴赏

Lesson 18 Electric currents in modern art

1. Modern sculpture rarely surprises us any more.

rarely表否定, 后加any more 构成 not...any more 组合, 意为"不再......".

modern sculpture 意为"现代雕塑".

译: 现代雕塑不再使我们感到惊讶了.

2. The idea that modern art can only be seen in museums is mistaken.

句子的主干成分已用不同颜色标识.

that modern art can only be seen in museums 修饰 the idea.

The idea ... is ... . 可译为"那种认为......的观点是......的".

译: 那种认为现代艺术只能在博物馆里看到地观点是错误的.

3. Even people who take no interest in art cannot have failed to notice examples of modern sculptures on display in public places.

句子的主干成分已用不同颜色标识.

even表强调, 这里意为"即使".

take no interest in art 意为"对艺术不感兴趣".

cannot have failed to notice ... 这里双重否定(cannot + fail)表肯定, 意为"不会注意不到......". 细心的朋友肯定会发现, 这里用了have failed而不是 fail, 这是因为这句话暗含的意思是"即使是对艺术不感兴趣的人也已经注意到......", 这里通过翻译发现了"已经"一词, 所以用have failed更加合适. 还有另一种更加贴近理论层面的解释, 由于情态动词(cannot)+have+过去分词表对过去情况的推测, 这里即为对过去"人们已经注意到公共场所陈列的雕塑"这一情况的推测.

modern sculptures on display in public places 意为"在公共场所展示的现代艺术品(雕塑)".

译: 即使是对艺术不感兴趣的人, 也不会注意不到在公共场所展示的现代艺术品.

4. Strange forms stand in gardens, and outside buildings and shops.

forms指代之前提到的sculptures.

上面连用两个and, 很好地划分了层级关系: 即 in garden 和 outside buildings and shops是并列关系, outside后 buildings 和 shops又是并列关系, 意为"在花园里、大楼和商店外".

译: 公园里、大楼和商店外竖立着奇形怪状的雕塑.

5. We have got quite used to them.

get used to ... 习惯于......

作者想在本句中表达"已经......"的意思, 所以用现在完成时.

译: 我们对此已经司空见惯了.

6. Some so-called ‘modern' pieces have been on display for nearly eighty years.

so-called 意为"所谓的".

pieces指代不可数名词sculpture, 又表达了其一定数量的概念.

译: 有些所谓的"现代"艺术品已经(在那里)陈列了近80年了. 

值得注意的是, 翻译中的"那里"是泛指, 对应in garden, and outside buildings and shops.

7. In spite of this, some people-including myself-were surprised by a recent exhibition of modern sculpture.

In spite of this 意为"尽管如此", 可与Despite this相互替换.

-including myself-为插入语, 两边的破折号可用逗号替换.

译: 尽管如此, 最近举办的一场现代雕塑展览还是使一些人(包括我在内)大吃了一惊.

8. The first thing I saw when I entered the art gallery was a notice which said: ’Do not touch the exhibits. Some of them are dangerous!’

句子的主干成分已用不同颜色标识.

art gallery 展厅(走廊), exhibits 展品, notice 告示.

I saw 修饰 The first thing, 此处将句子还原回简单句为 I saw the first thing, 可以发现, the first thing 在句中作宾语, 故可将the first thing which I saw 或 the first thing that I saw 简化为 the first thing I saw.

译: 走进展厅, 首先看到的是一张告示, 上面写着: "切勿触摸展品. 某些展品有危险".

9. The objects on display were pieces of moving sculpture.

the objects on display 意为"展出的物品".

moving sculpture 意为"活动的雕塑".

pieces指代不可数名词sculpture, 又表达了其一定数量的概念.

译: 展品都是些活动的雕塑.

10. Oddly shaped forms that are suspended from the ceilings and move in response to a gust of wind are quite familiar to everybody.

句子的主干成分已用不同颜色标识.

oddly shaped forms 意为"造型奇特的雕塑品".

... are suspended from the ceilings 意为"......挂在天花板上".

a gust of wind 意为"一阵风".

move in response to a gust of wind 意为"随风飘荡".

... are quite familiar to everybody. 意为"......对于每个人来说都是再熟悉不过的了".

译: 造型奇特的雕塑品悬挂在天花板上, 并随风飘荡, 这对于我们来说是非常熟悉的. 或 人们熟悉的是悬挂在天花板上、造型奇特、随风飘荡的雕塑品.

11. These objects, however, were different.

however 一词表转折, 引出对此处展览的描述.

differetn 意为"不同". 

这句话的表面意思是"然而, 这些展品却是不同的". 再结合语境, 可以得出下面的译文.

译: 这些展品却使人大开眼界.

12. Lined up against the wall, there were long thin wires attached to metal spheres.

lined up against the wall 这里用了两个副词 up 和 against 来表明方位, 意为"靠墙排列".

attached to metal spheres 修饰 long thin wires, 为后置定语.

下面的翻译结构很值得大家学习, 对于掌握对定语从句的理解十分重要.

译: 靠墙排列着许多细长的电线, 而电线又连接着金属球.  

13. The spheres had been magnetized and attracted or repelled each other all the time.

magnetize 使磁化, attracte 吸引, repell 排斥

细心的朋友可能回问, 为什么要用过去完成时(had been magnetized). 是这样的, 金属球 attracted or repelled each other 是发生在金属球被 magnetized之后的.  即金属球被磁化发生在金属球互相排斥、吸引之前, 即过去的过去, 所以用过去完成时. 

译: 金属球经过磁化, 相互之间不停地吸引和排斥.

14. In the centre of hall, there were a number of tall structures which contained coloured lights.

centre 为英式拼写, center 为美式拼写. 

tall structures 高高的构件, coloured lights 着色的灯

which contained coloured lights 修饰 tall structures.

下面的翻译结构是定语从句的另一种翻译思路, 与12作比较后, 发现对定语从句的翻译十分灵活, 即根据中文的习惯进行翻译.

译: 在展厅的中央, 有许多装有彩色灯泡的高高的构件.

15. These lights which flickered continuously like traffic lights which have gone mad.

flicker 闪烁(不停地) , continuously 不停地, continually 不停地(夸张, 中间会有停歇)

which have gone mad 修饰 traffic lights, 为其定语.

下面的翻译结构和14类似, 注意和12比较.

译: 灯泡一刻不停地闪烁, 就像失去控制(发了疯似)的信号灯.

16. Sparks were emitted from the small black boxes and red lamps flashed on and off angrily.

emit 放射, lamps 灯泡(注意和lamb(绵羊)区分).

flashed on and off 忽明忽暗地闪烁.

译: 小黑盒子里迸出火花, 红色灯泡发怒似地忽明忽暗地闪烁.

17. It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment.

rather 表程度加深, 意为"倒".

prehistoric 史前的, 老掉牙的(中性词), electronic 电子的(弱电), equipment 设备

译: 这儿倒像是在展览老掉牙的电子设备.

18. These peculiar forms not only seemed designed to shock people emotionally, but to give them electric shocks as well.

peculiar 奇特的(和正常情况不太一样的).

seemed designed to ... 注意这里的表达, seem是系动词, seemed designed to ... = were designed to ...

electric shocks 电击

译: 好像设计这些奇形怪状的展品不仅是为了给人以情感上的冲击, 而且还为了给人以电击似的.

总结:

通过对这一课课文的详细分析, 我们可以发现, 要想学好英语, 就要熟知英国人的表达方式和思维方式, 并以中文思维方式与之作比较. 

在本课中, 有这么几个句子值得我们继续推敲.

英国人表达一件比较复杂的事情时的思维结构:

Even people who take no interest in art cannot have failed to notice examples of modern sculptures on display in public places.  

 

当我......时, 首先看到的是...... :

The first thing I saw when I entered the art gallery was a notice which said: ’Do not touch the exhibits. Some of them are dangerous!’

 

seem作系动词代替 be:

These peculiar forms not only seemed designed to shock people emotionally, but to give them electric shocks as well.

 

定语从句不同的翻译顺序: 

 ①Lined up against the wall, there were long thin wires attached to metal spheres.

 ②In the centre of hall, there were a number of tall structures which contained coloured lights.

 ③These lights which flickered continuously like traffic lights which have gone mad.

 ④Oddly shaped forms that are suspended from the ceilings and move in response to a gust of wind are quite familiar to everybody.

其中, ①、④为一种类型, ②、③为另一种类型, 需读者进一步推敲.