《Spare That Spider  不要伤害蜘蛛》 -英语翻译教程-中英双语赏析

朗读这篇文章

Spare That Spider 

不要伤害蜘蛛

🎈英文标题押首韵/头韵（alliteration）。与首韵相对的还有尾韵(rhyme)的修辞

例如

Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.

天才是百分之一的灵感加百分之九十九的汗水。

🎈饶命！/放过我吧！Spare my life!

棍棒底下出孝子Spare the rod and spoil the child.

备用轮胎spare tyre

不惜一切代价…spare no expense to do

不遗余力…spare no effort to do

How much of each year do spiders spend killing insects?

蜘蛛每年在消灭害虫上要花耗多少时间？

🎈花费（多长时间）做某事spend…(in) doing sth

Why, you may wonder, should spiders be our friends?

你可能会奇怪，蜘蛛为什么会是我们的朋友呢？

🎈should此处不指“应该”，而是意为“怎么会”。

How should I know?

我怎么会知道？

🎈此句写成You may wonder why spiders are our friends. ，语法上完全没有问题，但不如原文的表达效果好。

原因有三

1、能用简单句，不用复杂句

2、原文是设问句，更能引发读者好奇心

3、you may wonder作插入语，即默认为其是非核心成分，使得整个句子主次分明，重点(spiders be our friends)突出。

Because they destroy so many insects, and insects include some of the greatest enemies of the human race.

因为它们能消灭非常多的昆虫，其中包括一些人类的大敌。

🎈杀死destroy

大量杀死kill off

屠杀slaughter / massacre（unarmed civilians手无寸铁的平民）

南京大屠杀Nanjing massacre

杀光wipe put / exterminate

终止terminate

例句

Illegal contracts must be terminated.

非法合同必须被终止。

🎈人类

human race[U]

man[U]

human being[C]

mankind / humankind[U]

humanity，这个词是多义词，可以表示

1、人类

2、人性，例如：humanitarianism（人道主义）就是由该词演变而来

3、(复数形式)humanities指人文学科。

Insects would make it impossible for us to live in the world; they would devour all our crops and kill our flocks and herds, if it were not for the protection we get from insect-eating animals.

那些昆虫会使我们无法在地球上生活下去，如果不是我们受一些食虫动物的保护，它们会吞食我们的全部庄稼，杀死我们的成群的牛羊。

🎈虚拟语气：If + S. + did / were … , S. + would / should / could / might + do …。原文中的would+V原表示一种虚拟语气，是一种与现在事实相反的假设。

🎈使…无法/不能够…make it impossible for sb to do

使…能够…make it possible for sb. to do= enable sb. to do

使…（变得）…render sb. / sth. + adj.

例句

His injury rendered him unfit for work.

🎈羊群/鸽群a flock of sheep / pigeons

（牲畜）牛/鹿/象群a herd of cattle / deer / elephants

（需驱赶类的动物）马/牛/羊群a drove of horses / cattle / sheep

（食肉猛兽类）狼/虎/狮群a pack of wolves / tigers / lions

（专指）狮群a pride of lions

（飞虫类）a swarm of flies / bees

（爬虫类）a colony of ants / termites（白蚁）

鱼群a school / shoal of fish

🎈若没有……的话

if it were not for … /but for … / except for …

例句

If it were not for your support, I would be in big trouble now.

=（省略形式）Were it not for your support, I would be in big trouble now.

要是没有你的帮助，我现在就有大麻烦了。

另，except / but (that从句) …也可以表示虚拟语气，但要注意其含义。

例句

I would buy a Mercedes except / but (that) I am poor.(此处不用were，因为“poor”就是事实，而不是假设；buy a Mercedes则与现实相反，所以用would buy…)。要与I would buy a Mercedes if I were rich.区分开来。

🎈这一句乍一看有点头重脚轻（先扔了两个would，最后才是if…），其实不然，我们可以将这类句子归为圆周句（掉尾句），在句子开头先制造悬念，吸引读者注意力，句尾再解释谜底，告诉读者真相和重点信息。例句：Although Tchaikovsky himself thought of the Pathetic Symphony as his crowning masterpiece, the premiere on October 28th 1893 in St. Petersburg proved a disappointment.中将时间和地点状语on October 28th 1893 in St. Petersburg先堆砌出来，最后再点明disappointment这个重点信息。

🎈（主动-现在分词）

食虫动物insect-eating animals→animals which eat insects

守法公民law-abiding citizens

卖花女孩flower-selling girls

划时代的作品epoch-making masterpieces

致癌物质cancer-causing substances

（被动-过去分词）

手工制造的银器hand-made silverware→silverware which is made by hands

和压力相关的疾病stress-related diseases

国有企业state-owned enterprises

We owe a lot to the birds and beasts who eat insects, but all of them put together kill only a fraction of the number destroyed by spiders.

我们要十分感谢那些吃昆虫的鸟和兽，然而把它们所杀死的昆虫全部加在一起也只相当于蜘蛛所消灭的一小部分。

🎈欠条IOU

(结账时询问)我应该给您多少钱？How much do I owe you?

欠某人一个道歉或解释/应该向某人道歉或解释owe him an apology / explanation.

感谢某人 owe sb a lot / a great deal

把A归功于（归因于）B  owe A to B/owe A to B put A down to B/attribute A to B assign A to B/ascribe A to B credit A to B

🎈fraction原意是“分数，小数”，引申为“一小部分”。

比例，百分比proportion / percentage

例句

a high / large proportion / percentage of …

a small / tiny proportion / percentage of …

Moreover, unlike some of the other insect eaters, spiders never do the least harm to us or our belongings.

此外，蜘蛛不同于其他食虫动物，它们丝毫不危害我们和我们的财物。

🎈表递进（无感情色彩），指“而且、此外，重要的是”

🎈insect eaters是对上文中“食虫动物insect-eating animalsthe birds and beasts who eat insects”的替换，避免表达雷同。

🎈危害…do harm to

不危害do no harm to→（程度/语气加深）never do the least harm to …

不知道have no idea→（程度/语气加深）完全不知道don’t have the foggiest idea

没兴趣have no interest in…→（程度/语气加深）一点兴趣都没有don’t have the slightest interest in…

若想加强肯定语气，可采用双重否定表肯定的形式，如：All of us admit that…→No one can deny that …

Spiders are not insects, as many people think, nor even nearly related to them.

许多人认为蜘蛛是昆虫，但它们不是昆虫，甚至与昆虫毫无关系。

🎈as many people think是限制性定语从句，修饰主句，意为“正如……的那样”，例如：As has been said above, grammar is not a set of dead rules.（正如上述提到的那样，语法不是一套死规定）。但如果主句是否定句，as引导的非限制性定从位于主句之后或主句之间，其修饰的是去掉否定词之后的主句，例如：She did not, as her friends feared, open the box.（她没有像她朋友害怕的那样打开盒子），即朋友害怕的是“她打开盒子”，而不是“did not open the box.”。

🎈nor做连词，引导并列的否定句，其后的句子要部分倒装。nor even nearly related to them补全为：nor are spiders even nearly related to them.

One can tell the difference almost at a glance, for a spider always has eight legs and an insect never more than six.

人们几乎一眼就能看出二者的差异，因为蜘蛛都是8条腿，而昆虫的腿从不超过6条。

🎈句首的One泛指人们，但谓语动词用单数。

🎈辨别出不同之处tell the difference

将…辨别开来tell sb. / sth. apart

将A与B区分开distinguish / differentiate / discriminate between A and B / A from B

🎈for引导原因状从，其后的句子完整版为a spider always has eight legs and an insect never (has) more than six (legs)，但并列句中常省略重复的成分。如：Paul likes poetry, and Peter (likes) fiction.

How many spiders are engaged in this work on our behalf?

有多少蜘蛛在为我们效力呢？

🎈忙于…be engaged in (doing) sth./be busy in doing sth

🎈on one’s behalf / on behalf of sb.

①为了…的利益= in one’s interest / in the interest of sb.

②代表

例句

Premier Li Keqiang delivered a speech on behalf of the Chinese government during the meeting.

李克强总理在会议期间代表中国发表了讲话。

One authority on spiders made a census of the spiders in a grass field in the south of England, and he estimated that there were more than 2,250,000 in one acre; that is something like 6,000,000 spiders of different kinds on a football pitch.

一位研究蜘蛛的权威对英国南部一块草坪上的蜘蛛作了一次调查。他估计每英亩草坪里有225 万多只蜘蛛。这就是说，在一个足球场上约有600万只不同种类的蜘蛛。

🎈… 的权威authority on…

…的专家experts in…

复数形式authorities可表示“政府、当局、管理部门”

地方当局the local authorities

法国/中国政府the French / Chinese authorities

🎈estimated that …中that引导宾语从句；that is (to say): or more exactly 也就是说，确切地说（后接同位语,可以是针对某个词，也可以是整个句子）

例句

The fare is reduced for children, that is anyone under 15 years old.[children]//I loved him ― that is, I thought I did.[整个句子]

🎈约莫着，估摸着something like …/some …/something / somewhere in the region of …

🎈(大号)足球场a football / soccer pitch / field

网球/篮球/羽毛球场a tennis / basketball / badminton court（court表示中号场地）

拳击台a boxing ring

滑冰场skating rink（可指旱冰，也可指真冰）

旱冰场roller skating rink

棒球场baseball diamond/ court

高尔夫球场golf course / links

保龄球场bowling alley

Spiders are busy for at least half the year in killing insects.

蜘蛛至少有半年在忙于吃昆虫。

🎈for at least half the year状语前置。此处的be busy in doing相当于前文提到的be engaged in。

It is impossible to make more than the wildest guess at how many they kill, but they are hungry creatures, not content with only three meals a day.

它们一年中消灭了多少昆虫，我们简直无法猜测，但是它们是吃不饱的动物，不满意仅仅一日三餐。

🎈结构：It(形式主语) is impossible to make …（真正主语）at how（how引导宾从）…not content with only three meals a day(非谓语动词作原因状语，being not content with中的being常省略)

🎈猜guess/make a guess at

乱猜the wildest guess

离奇的梦a wild dream

我做梦也想不到…is beyond my wildest dreams.（表示美梦成真的激动）

🎈more than + n. 超过；不仅仅……

例句

Peace is more than the absence of war.

和平不过是远离战火罢了。

🎈一日三餐 three meals a day

平淡的日常生活the dull routine of everyday life

It has been estimated that the weight of all the insects destroyed by spiders in Britain in one year would be greater than the total weight of all the human beings in the country.

据估计，在英国蜘蛛一年里所消灭昆虫的重量超过这个国家人口的总重量。

🎈结构：destroyed by spiders in Britain in one year作the insects的后置定语；than the total weight of all the human beings in the country介词短语是比较状语。

🎈Britain发音时是鼻腔爆破 （nasal explosion），同样的词还有mountain、certain、mutton等。

🔥必背词汇

beast    n. 野兽

飞禽走兽birds and beasts / fur and feather

各种各样的动物fin, fur and feather

美女与野兽 Beauty and the Beast

上面三个词组都押了首韵

census      n. 对数量的统计，普查

第五次全国人口普查the fifth national (population) census

交通流量调查road traffic census

investigation（事故、案件等）调查

例句

The case is under investigation.

案件正在调查中。

对…的调查the investigation/inquest into…

民意测验survey/poll/opinion poll

（调查）发现/表明…~ find / show / indicate / reveal …

inquiry/enquiry调查

现场/实地调查on the spot inquiry

官方/正式调查official inquiry

样本调查sampling inquiry

content        adj. 满足的，满意的

形容词content常作表语，很少作前置定语；前置定语可用contented。

例句

A contented mind is a perpetual feast.

知足常乐。

对…（相当）满意be (fairly) content / satisfied with …/be content / satisfied to do …

对…不满意be discontented / dissatisfied with …

noun满意content / satisfaction

noun不满意discontent / dissatisfaction

🔥重点表达

飞禽走兽birds and beasts / fur and feather

各种各样的动物fin, fur and feather

美女与野兽 Beauty and the Beast

现场/实地调查on the spot inquiry

官方/正式调查official inquiry

样本调查sampling inquiry

对…的调查the investigation/inquest into…

民意测验survey/poll/opinion poll

（调查）发现/表明…~ find / show / indicate / reveal …

第五次全国人口普查the fifth national (population) census

交通流量调查road traffic census

对…（相当）满意be (fairly) content / satisfied with …/be content / satisfied to do …

对…不满意be discontented / dissatisfied with …

饶命！/放过我吧！Spare my life!

棍棒底下出孝子Spare the rod and spoil the child.

备用轮胎spare tyre

不惜一切代价…spare no expense to do

不遗余力…spare no effort to do

花费（多长时间）做某事spend…(in) doing sth

杀死destroy

大量杀死kill off

屠杀slaughter / massacre

南京大屠杀Nanjing massacre

杀光wipe put / exterminate

人类human race

使…无法/不能够…make it impossible for sb to do

成群的牛羊flocks and herds

若没有……的话if it were not for … /but for … / except for …

食虫动物insect-eating animals

把A归功于（归因于）B  owe A to B/owe A to B put A down to B/attribute A to B assign A to B/ascribe A to B credit A to B

危害…do harm to

辨别出不同之处tell the difference

为了…的利益on one’s behalf / on behalf of sb. = in one’s interest / in the interest of sb.

… 的权威authority on…

…的专家experts in…

(大号)足球场a football / soccer pitch / field

乱猜the wildest guess

一日三餐 three meals a day

🔥复盘测试

飞禽走兽

各种各样的动物

美女与野兽

现场/实地调查

官方/正式调查

样本调查

对…的调查

民意测验

（调查）发现/表明…

第五次全国人口普查

交通流量调查

对…（相当）满意

对…不满意

饶命！/放过我吧！

棍棒底下出孝子

备用轮胎

不惜一切代价…

不遗余力…

花费（多长时间）做某事

杀死

大量杀死

屠杀

南京大屠杀

杀光

人类

使…无法/不能够…

成群的牛羊

若没有……的话

食虫动物

把A归功于（归因于）B

危害…

辨别出不同之处

为了…的利益

… 的权威

…的专家

(大号)足球场

乱猜

一日三餐

未经允许不得转载：帕布莉卡 » 《Spare That Spider  不要伤害蜘蛛》 -英语翻译教程-中英双语赏析