This result merely confirms earlier American and British studies: if there is any effect of noise upon mental health it must be so small that present methods of psychiatric diagnosis cannot find it. That does not prove that it does not exist; but it does mean that noise is less dangerous than, say, being brought up in an orphanage... (New Concept English, Book 4, p. 106) [原译]这个结果只不过肯定了早些时候美国和英国的研究结论:如果噪音对于精神健康有任何影响的话,这影响一定是如此微小以致现代的精神病诊断方法无法发觉。然而这并不证明它不存在,但是它的确意味着噪音的危险不及,譬如说,在孤儿院中被抚养成人的那种危险大……(上海科技文献出版社版,p. 208)
“它的确意味着”里的“它”字到底是代表什么？
英文里的代词 it, 用途非常广泛, 往往不能简单地译成“它”。
请分析下面英文句子里的 it 及其汉译方法：
- A: Who said that I was crazy? B: I said it. (“that you were crazy”) (CGEL)
A: 谁说过我疯狂了。 B: 我说的。(it 代替从句)
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Many students never improve. They get no advice and therefore keep repeating the same mistakes. It's a terrible shame. (CGEL) 很多学生毫无改进。他们得不到忠告，因而总是重复同样的错误。这真是太遗憾了。(it 指一连串句子)
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“Shall I mail this letter for you?” “Yes, I'd appreciate it.” (TOEFL) （it 代表前面句子提到的事情）
在你所提问的句子里,共有4个it。前三个it是替代上文中的the effect的,第四个it则是代替前面整个句子内容的。这种用法的it是不能译成“它”的。