医学英语中长难句名词性从句的翻译
2009-05-26 20:36:34   来源：   作者：  评论：0 点击：

这一讲我们要讲到一个比较难的从句的翻译——名词性从句的翻译。本次课我们总共需要讲到以下内容：
1. 主语从句
2. 宾语从句
3. if连接的宾语从句
4. 同位语从句
5. what连接的名词性从句
6. 表语从句

好了，下面开始讲解了，由于这一讲理论知识不多，所以主要还是以例子为主，大家分析例句，并认真完成作业即可达到效果。这些作业都是从例句中抽出来的，所以供大家学习。

1. 主语从句
一般是按照原文的语序翻译即可：
That sports are beneficial to health is known to all.
运动对健康有益，这是众所周知的。

Whether the tumor is benign or not is not clear yet.
这种肿瘤是不是良性的还不清楚。

How much and what kind of exercise one should take merits consideration.
一个人究竟应当做多少运动，以及做哪种运动是值得考虑的。

Why his blood pressure is so high remains unknown.
仍不清楚他的血压为什么如此之高。

When the patient will be discharged is not yet known.
目前尚不知道病人何时可以出院。

That the patient should give up smoking and drinking is very important.
病人应当戒绝烟酒，这是非常重要的。

That the tablet strength should be stated on the prescription and that the patient should also know his daily requirements in terms of milligrams are strongly recommended.
尤其应该建议在处方上注明药片剂量，并且也让病人知道他自己每日所需的毫克量。

当用it做形式主语的时候，that后是真正的主语，翻译时一般需要提前，但有时也不提前，视情况而定。
It important that we should build up our health.
我们应当增强我们的体质，这一点非常重要。
It is not clear which of the previously described procedures are most effective.
上述的许多方法中，哪些最有效还不清楚。
It has not been decided who will perform the operation this afternoon.
还没有决定谁做今天下午的手术。

2. 宾语从句
一般情况是不需要改变宾语从句在原句中的位置。
One must see that composition of blood changes as it passes through the various organs of the body.
我们应当看到血液流经身体各个不同器官时，其成分有所改变。
In making a diagnosis of appendicitis, it is very important to find out where tenderness on pressure is most marked.
在做出阑尾炎诊断时，非常重要的是查处压痛在哪里最突出。
We have emphasized these points in an attempt to explain why these symptoms may mask the presence of the primary lesion.
我们强调了这几点，是试图解释为什么这些症状可能掩盖住原发性损害。

但是当it作形式宾语时，汉译时that引导的宾语从句一般可按照原文顺序翻译，it不需要翻译。但是有时在译文中也可以将that引导的宾语从句提前。
We all thought it pity that the conference should be cancelled.
会议将被取消，我们都感到非常遗憾。

3. if连接的宾语从句
前面讲过，if作为连词，除了连接条件状语从句（这种情况下译为“如果”、“假如”）以外，还可以连接宾语从句，一般译为“是否”，此时可以与whether互换。
但是肯定会有战友疑问了：怎么在句中判断到底if引起的是条件状语从句还是宾语从句呢？一般可以根据下列方法判断：
首先，if连接的条件状语从句在主句前、后均可，但if连接的宾语从句只能在主句之后
第二，如果看到主句的谓语缺少宾语，意义也不完整，那么它后面的从句就是宾语从句，反之，就是条件状语从句。
第三，可以根据逻辑意思判断。
下面我们看几个if连接的宾语从句的例子：
The doctor wishes to know if the pain remains localized.
医生希望知道疼痛是否仍为局部性的。
Diagnosis should be made to determine if the patient should be operated on.
应做出诊断以确定患者是否需要动手术。
The doctor must decide if gastric cancer should be suspected in a patient over 40 years of age who has anorexia which fails to clear up in a reasonable period of time with medical treatment.
对于一个40岁以上的斌人，如经过一定时间的治疗未能消除其厌食症状，医生必须决定是否应当怀疑其为胃癌。

4. 同位语从句
同位语从句在翻译时有需要和不需要提前的两种情况。

4.1 同位语从句在翻译时需要提前的情况
We have arrived at a conclusion that these cells play an important role in the immune response.
我们得出了一个结论：这些细胞在免疫反应中起着重要作用。
The development of methods for the counting of red cells and for measuring hemoglobin concentration led to the realization that the common infections which ravaged the world, such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, and typhoid fever, were all associated with low red cell and hemoglobin values.
红细胞计数和血红蛋白含量测定方法的进展，使我们认识到，像肺炎、结核和伤寒等这些危及世界的常见传染病，都伴有红细胞减少和血红蛋白值降低。

4.2 同位语从句汉译时提前的情况
It is an established fact that the mucous membranes of the nose, throat, and mouth harbor various microorganisms.
鼻、咽、口腔粘膜聚藏有各种微生物，这是确定的事实。

5. what连接的名词性从句
前面也讲到过，what一般可以用来连接主语从句、宾语从句和表语从句。这些从句都属于名词性从句。What引起这几种从句可见有两种情况
5.1 what用作疑问代词性的连接代词，所连接的从句虽然不是疑问结构，但经常翻译为“什么”、“什么样的”等，有时也可以不译出。
这样的例子有：
Physics is the study of heat, sound, magnetism, electricity, light, the properties of matter and what it is composed of.
物理学是研究热、声、磁、电、光等物质的性质及其组成的一门学科。
The decision as to what medical or surgical risk is to be considered acceptable in the individual circumstances can be reached only by assessment of diagnostic and prognostic information in a broad and comprehensive fashion.
什么样内外科方面的风险在具体情况下应被认为是可接受的？这个问题只有通过对诊断和预后方面的资料进行全面和综合的估计才能做出决定。

5.2 what用作关系代词性的连接代词，意义相当于that which (those which)或the thing which，也可以表示泛指不具体的食物。在这种情况下，what已经没有表示疑问的意思，可以翻译为“所…的（事物）”，或者根据具体请采取其他适当的译法，有时也可以不需要翻译出。
这样的例子有：
These investigators suggested that one could carefully adjust salicylate dosage below what might cause deterioration of liver function.
这些研究人员建议慎重地调整水杨酸盐的剂量，使之低于可能引起肝功能恶化的水平。
What is known is that some types of viruses cause outbreaks of diseases in man—the epidemic types—while others causes only sporadic illness.
所知道的是，有些类型的病毒引起人的爆发性疾病（流行型），而另一些类型的病毒则仅引起散发性疾病。

6. 表语从句
表语从句跟宾语从句一样，一般可以按照原文的句序翻译。
The fact is that between the attacks of pain the patient is symptom—free, and in good health.
事实是，在两次疼痛发作的间隔期间，病人无症状，而且健康状况良好。
One test of a good doctor is whether he can come to a correct diagnosis even though he has never met the disease before.
对一个优异的一生的一项考验就是：他能否下正确的诊断，哪怕这种病他以前也没有遇到过。
The ileum with its greater amount of lymphoid tissue is where most of the lymphomas occur.
具有较多淋巴样组织的回肠，是大多数淋巴腺瘤产生之处。

本期作业：
翻译下面各句，并指出属于我们上述讲过的哪一中类型的名词性从句。
That overexertion should be avoided is certain.

What method of anesthesia will be used has not been decided.

Whether the patient can stand surgery is still a question.

It is now known that renal hypertension has at least two causes.

The doctors are trying to find out who are more responsive to this therapy in their control groups.

I regard it as an honour that I am chosen to attend the meeting.

The surgeons are now trying to find out if the operation is possible.

The value of X-rays in cases of fracture remains preeminent, both to confirm diagnosis and to decide if a fracture has been properly reduced.

He raises the question whether some “rheumatic” heart disease or perhaps even atypical acute rheumatic fever may be viral in origin.

The question when we shall make this experiment has not been settled yet.

If you want to know what our blood consists of you must examine it under the microscope.

Heart attack is the popular term for what physicians call coronary thrombosis, or myocardial infarction.

The modern conception of the atom is not what used to be in the last century.

What we want to know is when they can design a new type instrument.

The patient looks as if he had been ill for a long time.

This is why congenital abnormalities in the region of the neck may be symptomless for years.