What are the translation skills of prepositions in English-Chinese translation?

Most prepositions in English have flexible meanings and polysemy. Except for some commonly used translated phrases, a large number of prepositions need to be handled flexibly from their basic meanings and contexts. The following briefly introduces several basic translation methods.

(1) Translation: Prepositions are often used in English to express the meaning of actions. In Chinese translation, prepositions can be translated into verbs.

① When prepositional phrases are used as predicative expressions, prepositions are often translated into verbs, while linking verbs are omitted. This machine is in disrepair. This machine is in disrepair.

② In prepositional phrases used as adverbials of purpose or reason, prepositions are sometimes translated into verbs. For example:

The plane went out of control and crashed. The plane lost control and crashed.

The letter e is usually used to represent electromotive force. The letter e is usually used to represent electromotive force.

③ In prepositional phrases as adverbials of conditions, ways or methods, prepositions are sometimes translated into verbs. For example:

However, even larger molecules with hundreds of atoms are too small to exist.

Look with the best optical microscope. However, even molecules with hundreds of atoms are too small to be seen with the best optical microscope.

④ When prepositional phrases are used as complements, prepositions are often translated into verbs. For example:

Heat makes particles move randomly. Heat makes these particles move randomly.

(2) Addition and translation: Addition words are not made out of nothing, and should be added appropriately according to the context, especially the meaning of verbs or adjectives with prepositions. In many cases, verbs or adjectives collocated with prepositions will not appear in sentences. If you can't express your meaning clearly according to the original structure, or even easily misunderstand it, you need to add words. That is.

That's all. That's all. (to = related to in the original sentence)

The engineer suffered from lung disease. There is flour on the lungs.

The doctor told him

The engineer got lung disease, which was caused by the effect of flour on his lungs. That's what the doctor told him at that time. (On = Effect)

Therefore, being familiar with the habitual collocation of prepositions with verbs or adjectives is an important means to supplement vocabulary and correctly understand the meaning of words.

(3) Translation: When prepositional phrases are used as attributes, they are often abbreviations of attributive clauses. When prepositional phrases are used as adverbials, they are sometimes abbreviated forms of adverbial clauses. Some prepositional phrases are short forms of complex sentences. So when translating Chinese, some of them can be translated separately.

(1) translated into coordinate clauses.

The porous wall acts as an isolated fence.

Molecules The porous wall is like a sieve, which can separate molecules of different masses.

(2) into a concession clause.

Despite all the shortcomings, this design is still considered to be

Despite its shortcomings, this design is still considered to be one of the best.

③ Translate into real or virtual conditional clauses.

The warm blood of human beings makes it difficult for him to survive in the ocean without water for a long time.

Some warmth. People's blood is hot, without a certain amount of heat, it is difficult for people to live in seawater for a long time.

(4) Translate into causal clauses.

We can't see clearly because of the fog. We can't see clearly because of the fog.

⑤ Translate into an object clause.

In order to facilitate research, this set of knowledge is usually divided into

Classification: mechanics, heat, optics, electricity and optics.

Sound .. For the convenience of research, this subject is usually divided into mechanics, heat, optics, electricity and acoustics.

(4) Non-translation: Non-translation or omission of translation is to make the translation concise and conform to Chinese norms on the premise of accurately expressing the original content, and is by no means to omit some prepositions at will.

(1) English prepositions indicating time or place are mostly not translated if they appear at the beginning of a sentence when translated into Chinese. For example:

There are four seasons in a year. There are four seasons in a year.

② Some prepositions, such as for (for), from (from ...), to (for ...), to open (when ...), and so on. , without translation. For example:

Most substances expand when heated and contract when cooled.

Most substances expand when heated and contract when cooled.

(3) Prepositions indicating a certain aspect, scope or content related to the subject are sometimes not translated, and the object of the preposition can be translated into Chinese subject. For example:

There is something wrong with the engine. There is something wrong with this engine.

Gold and brass are similar in color. Gold and brass are similar in color.

(4) Many prepositional phrases are used as attributes in sentences, among which (…) is often not translated. For example:

Electrical energy is converted into mechanical energy in

Motor. The conversion of electrical energy into mechanical energy is realized by the motor. (The phrase and change has a logical subject-predicate relationship and can be translated into a predicate structure. )

(5) Inverse translation: In many cases, some prepositional phrases can't be translated if they are not written from the opposite side, so inverse translation is needed. For example:

Transcendence, past, opposition, etc. When they express more than a certain limit or object, they sometimes use reverse translation ... for example:

This is after-sales maintenance. This thing can't be repaired.

Some arguments are against the possibility of life on it.

Planet. Some people disagree that there is life on this planet.

(2) off, from, etc. There are sometimes reverse translations when expressing places and distances. For example:

The ship sank off the coast. The ship sank off the coast.

But, except, except, and so on. Sometimes it is translated in reverse.

Besides silver, copper is the best conductor. Copper is the best conductor after silver.

(4) When prepositional phrases such as from and in are used as complements, reverse translation is sometimes used. For example:

The signal indicates that the machine is being ordered. This signal indicates that there is something wrong with the machine.

"Without context, a word cannot be translated" (Sobolev). Without context, there is no meaning. The translation of prepositions should be handled flexibly according to the context and word collocation to avoid mechanical translation.