50. arrange

《上海学生英文报》第2版(1986年5月6日):

In his third year in junior middle school, the schoolmaster, member of the Shanghai Mathematics Society, discovered his talent in maths and arranged him to listen to lectures on mathematics sponsored by the Children's Palace.

【评】该句的意思是:他读初三的时候,那位老师,上海数学协会会员,发现他有数学才能,就安排他去听少年宫主办的数学讲课。必须指出,“arranged”后面应加用介词“for”。另外,“talent in maths”中的“in”应改为“for”。表示“安排某人或某物做某事”可使用“arrange for somebody/Something to do Something”这个结构,其中“for”不能省去。'我们也可用“arrange + that - 从句”来表达同样意思。此外,“安排某事”可说成“arrange(for)something安排某人或某物”可说成“arrange for somebody/something”。“arrange”还可跟带to的不定式。例如:

① We will arrange(for)everything. 我们会安排一切。

② It has been arranged satisfactorily to both parties. 这已安排得双方都满意。

③ I'm arranging for a guide(car). 我正在安排一位向导(一辆汽车)。

④ We'll arrange visits and sightseeing trips for foreign guests. 我们将为外宾安排参观游览。

⑤ You may arrange to see him on Sunday morning. 你可以安排在星期日上午和他见面。

⑥ Please arrange so that we may start work in time. 请安排好以便我们及时开始工作。

⑦ We have arranged for a car to pick them up at the station. 或:We have arranged that a car(should)pick them up at the station. 我们已安排了一辆汽车去车站接他们。

⑧ I have arranged for the old worker to be examinedby Dr Li. 或:I have arranged that the old worker(should)be examined by Dr Li. 我已安排好让李医生给那位老工人检查。

51. beginner

《上海学生英文报》第3版(1986年5月27日):

As a beginner of English,I like to read your paper,because it suits me most。

【评】该句的意思是:作为初学英语者,我欢喜读你报,因它对我最合适。“beginner of English”中的“of”必须改为“in”。“beginner”有两个意思:1. 初学者,生手2. 创立人,鼻祖。“初学…的人”应说成“a beginner in…”,而“…的创立人”应说成“the beginner of…”(例如the beginner of the Impressionist school印象派绘画的创始人)。

52. between

《科技英语阅读语法》第27页(高等教育出版社1981年出版):

A similar,although much weaker,force exists between each of us or between any two masses. 在两个人或任何两个质量之间,都存在着一个与此类似但弱得多的力。

【评】该句的第一个“between”用错了,其后之“each”应改为“(any)two”同样,我们不可说:between each person,between every person,between this person or that,between each of them,而可以说;between two persons,between this person and that,between them. 关于“between”的进一步用法,本文(续一)8. among条下已有所探讨,这里不再谈了。

53. circle

《上海学生英文报》第1版(1986年5月6日):

Wu, 18, a vocational school student, has recently become well-known in the Shanghai artists' circle by giving a 9-day personal art exhibition at the   Cultural Palace of Jing-an District.

【评】该句的意思是:吴,十八岁,职校学生,最近通过在静安区文化馆举行为期九天的个人画展而在上海美术界出了名。“the Shanghai artists' circle”似不符合规范英语表达法,应改为“Shanghai artistic(或art)circles”。“circle”作“(具有共同兴趣、利益的人们所形成的)圈子;集团”解时,可用单数。但作“…界”解时就该用复数,其前一般使用形容词;如无相应的形容词,就用相当的名词(表示行业而不表示该行业的人)。另外应注意的是,该短语前不加用定冠词。例如:

① He has a wide(narrow)circle of friends. 他交游广阔(不广阔)。

② The circle of acquaintance is ever widening. 交游日广。I

③ The magazine has a wide circle of readers. 该杂志拥有广大读者。

④ He told no one outside the family circle. 他没把事情告诉家庭圈子以外的人。

⑤ He occupies a prominent position in academic(banking, business, cultural, economic, educational, financial,   foreign   trade,   industrial,   literary,   military, political, religious, scientific and technological) circles. 他在学术界(银行,商业,文化,经济,教育,金融,外贸,工业,文学,军,政,宗教,科技)占有显要的地位。

54. leave very little to be desired

《英语从属关联词》第21页(四川人民出版社1984年出版):

As far as the language of the composition is concerned, it leaves very little to be denied. 就这篇文章的文字而论,那是相当完美的。

【评】该句中的“denied”应改为“desired”。“leave much(a lot,little,nothing,something)to be desired”是习语,其中“desired”(desire[期望,要求]的过去分词)是固定用法,通常不用其他词代替。“denied”(deny[否定,拒绝]的过去分词)显然是用不上去的,现举几个用例如下:

① What I've done still leaves much to be desired。

我所做的工作还有许多待改进的地方。

② These two paintings leave nothing to be desired. 这两幅画十分美好。

③The quality of our services(products)leaves something to be desired. 我们的服务(产品)质量还有些缺点。

55. rarely

《中国翻译》1986年第3期第62页:

原文:内容很少登载耸人听闻的新闻…

译文:Rarely it reported any unusual and alarming incidents…

【评】该句中的“Rarely it reported”应改为“Rarely did it report”[强调“Rarely”]或“It rarely reported”。这是因为作为状语的否定词或带否定含义的词语(例如hardly,never,rarely scalyrce,seldom,not until等)提到句首以示强调时就引起局部倒装。局部倒装是指“(第一个)助动词+主语+谓语的另一部分(包括主动词或表语)”这样的结构形式。如果正装句的谓语单是主动词,则在局部倒装句的主语前要相应地加用do,does或did。例如:

Hardly can I believe that. 我简直不能相信那个。

Never in my life have I seen such a wonderful machine. 我生平从未见到过这样奇妙的机器。

Never before has there been a political party so wholeheartedly devoted to the interests of the people as our Party. 从来也没有一个政党像我们的党那样全心全意地致力于人民的利益。[there be句型的主语均放在整个谓语后面。]

Scarcely did he speak about the difficulties in his work. 他很少谈到过自己工作中的困难。

⑤ Not until1982 was the subject approached with the scientific method. 直到一九八二年,才以科学的方法对这门学科进行研究。

56. that

《外贸英语泛读》第7页(中国对外经济贸易出版社1983年出版):

And, as the country differentiates prices on the home market from the foreign market, the constant price fluctuations and the economic crises of the capitalist world cannot adversely affect the economy.

【评】该句的意思是:而且,由于我国把国内市场价格和国外市场价格区分开来,资本主义世界的经常性价格波动和经济危机不会对我国经济产生不利影响。但应把“from the foreign market”改为“from those on the foreign market”,因为讲的是国内外市场价格,不是国内市场价格和国外市场。指示代词“that”(其复数为“those”)可用来指示句中前面所提到的人或物,以免重复。和“those”之后多带有作定语用的介词短语,分词短语或从句。在科技文章中,这种用法可经常见到。例如:

① The unit of weight is the gram, that of length is the meter, and that of capacity is the liter. 重量的单位是克,长度是容积是公升。

② The atoms of one element are different from those of all other elements. 一种元素的原子和其他所有元素的原子都不相同。

③ In addition to these natural colours there are those made by man. 除了这些天然色以外,还有人造色。

④ If the forces causing motion are greater than those opposing it,an. increase in speed takes place. 如果引起运动的力大于反抗运动的力,速率就会增加。

⑤ Our problems today are somewhatsimilar to those(which)we faced last year. 我们今天面临的问题和去年面临的(问题)有点相似。

57. travel and back

《科技英语》第2页(上海外语教育出版社1985年出版):

The station is crowded with other commuters like himself,people who must travel 30 or even 50 miles to   the   city   and   back. 车站上挤满了像他那样搭火车往返两地的人,他们每天都要乘车三十至五十英里到城里去,当天再乘车回家。

【评】从译文的内容看来,火车旅客去城市的路程计三十至五十英里,而回来的路程不包括在内。这与原文似有出入,因“travel 30 or even 50 miles to the city and back”可以理解为“去城市来回乘三十或甚至五十英里路”。原文似可改译成:车站上挤满了像他那样使用长期车票去城市来回乘三十或甚至五十英里路的人。如按原译文再译英,我们似可说:…who must travel 30 to 50 miles to the city,and come back on. the same day. 现再举几个含有“…and back”的例句如下:

① How long does it take to go there and back? 往返要多少时间?

② It will take(a) full two hours to get there and back. 来回需要整整两小时。

③ I walk two kilometers to school and back every day. 我每天上学来回走两公里路。

④ It's one li from our quarters to the workshop and back. 从我们宿舍到车间来回有一里路。

⑤ How far is it there and back?来回有多远?

⑥ What is the fare to Ningbo and back?去宁波来回车费(或船费)多少?

(待续)