请谈一谈有关“否定重心”的问题。
英语的否定重心(the focus of negation)是一个重要的语法范畴,也是翻译时难以对付的一个问题。
从语法上看, not 与动词谓语连用时, 是否定动词谓语的, no 与名词连用时, 是否定名词的。但是从否定重心的角度来看, not 往往并不是否定动词谓语的, no 也往往并不是否定名词的。例如:
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Scientists do not know exactly why the compound works so well. （否定重心是 exactly, 不是“不知道”, 而是“不能确切地知道”）科学家们还不能确切地知道, 究竟是什么原因使这种化合物具有这么好的性能。
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He didn't come to work by bus. （否定重心是 by bus） 他没有乘公共汽车来上班。
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If iron is stored in contact with dry air, it does not rust as much as in moist air. （否定重心是 as much as in moist air）如果将铁放在干燥的空气中，就不会像在潮湿的空气中腐蚀得那么厉害。
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Snakes did not acquire their poison for use against man but for use against prey such as rats and mice, and the effects on these of viperine poison is almost immediate. （否定重心是 for use against man）蛇获得毒液，原来并不是为了对付人，而是为了对付像老鼠这样的捕获物……
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I didn't marry him for his looks. （否定重心是 for his looks）
我并不是因为他的美貌才嫁给他的。
下面我们用否定重心的理论来讨论一个具体的翻译实例：
Scientific discoveries and inventions do not always influence the language in proportion to their importance. [It is doubtful whether the radio and the moving picture are more important than the telegraph and the telephone, but they have brought more new words into general use.]
[原译]科学的发现与发明,就其重要性的比例而言,并不一定对语言有什么影响。无线电与电影是否比电信与电话更为重要,固然难说,但他们确已使许多新字成为一般之用了。
译者把本句的否定范围看作是自否定词起至 the laguage 止,实际上本句的否定范围是从否定词起至本句末才告结束的,而且介词短语 in proportion ... importance 是句子的否定重心。
[试译]科学上的发明与发现对语言的影响并不总是与它们的重要性成正比的。[无线电和电影是否比电报和电话更为重要,这是很难说的,但是前者确实使更多的新词得到了普遍的应用。]
(参见 not... because, end-focus)