六级冲刺备考的翻译技巧（17）

　　36. In the early 1950s，historians who studied preindustrial Europe （which we may define here as Europe in the period from roughly 1300 to 1800） began， for the first time in large numbers，to　　investigate more of the preindustrial European population than the 2 or 3 percent who comprised the political　and social elite：the kings，generals，judges，nobles，bishops，and local　magnates who had hitherto usually filled history books. （4）

　　难句类型：复杂修饰、插入语

　　译文：二十世纪五十年代早期，研究前工业化时代欧洲（此处我们可将其界定为约自1300年至1800年这一时期的欧洲）的史学家，首次以众多的人数（杨鹏的书中：第一次以大量的数据），开始调查前工业化时代欧洲人口中的大多数，而非那些构成了政治与社会精英阶层的百分之二或三的人口，即国王、将军、法官、贵族、主教、以及地方上的达官显贵，而正是这部分人一直到那时为止普遍充斥于史学著作。

　　解释：句子中有两个插入语，一个是跟在preindustrial Europe之后的which we may define here as Europe in the period from roughly 1300 to 1800,这个插入语的直接作用是解释前面的preindustrial Europe的年代，而起到的客观作用则是把主句中的主语和谓语分割得很远；第二个插入语是在began，for the first time in large numbers, to investingate中间，把一个好好的began to斩为两段。

　　这句话另外一个难以理解的地方是more of the preindustrial European population than the 2 or 3 percent，表示的是在工业化以前的欧洲人口中超过了那2%到3%的人，亦即占97%到98%的人民群众。

　　意群训练：In the early 1950s，historians who studied preindustrial Europe （which we may define here as Europe in the period from roughly 1300 to 1800） began， for the first time in large numbers，to investigate more of the preindustrial European population than the 2 or 3 percent who comprised the political　and social elite：the kings，generals，judges，nobles，bishops，and local　magnates who had hitherto usually filled history books.

　　37. Historians such as Le Roy Ladurie　have used the documents to extract case　histories， which have illuminated the attitudes of different social groups （these attitudes include，but are not　　confined to，attitudes toward crime and　the law）and have revealed how the authorities administered justice. （3+） 版难句类型：复杂修饰、插入语

　　译文：象勒罗伊。拉迪里（Le Roy Ladurie）一类的史学家利用这些文献史料从中挖掘出某些个案史（case history）来，阐明了不同社会群体的态度（这些态度包括，但并非局限于，对犯罪和法律的态度），并揭示出当局是如何执行审判的。 大解释：逗号以后的内容都是修饰逗号以前的case history的。在which引导的非限定性定语从句中有一个插入语，我们可以看到这个插入语中又套了一个插入语but not confined to。

　　意群训练：Historians such as Le Roy Ladurie　have used the documents to extract case　histories， which have illuminated the attitudes of different social groups （these attitudes include，but are not　　confined to，attitudes toward crime and　the law）and have revealed how the authorities administered justice.

　　38. It can be inferred from the passage that a historian who wished to compare crime rates per thousand in a European city in one decade of the fifteenth century with crime rates in another decade of that century would probably be most aided by better information about which of the following? （5）难句类型：复杂修饰

　　译文：从文章中可以推断出来，一个希望比较十五世纪以前一个十年的某个欧洲城市中的每千人的犯罪率与另外一个十年中的犯罪率的历史学家将会被以下那种信息的提高最好的帮助？

　　解释：句首的it是形式主语，其具体内容是从that开始到句子结束的全部内容。That从句中，主语a historyian之后修饰它的超长的定语从句是这个句子难以读懂的原因。Compare crime rates with crime rates中间被修饰第一个crime rates的两个修饰成分perthousand in a European city in one decade of the fifteenth century分隔得很远。在with之后的第二个crime rates后面，省略了与前面重复的per thousand in a European city。

　　意群训练：It can be inferred from the passage that a historian who wished to compare crime rates per thousand in a European city in one decade of the fifteenth century with crime rates in another decade of that century would probably be most aided by better information about which of the following?

　　39. My point is that its central　consciousnessits profound understanding of class and gender　　as shaping influences on peoples livesowes much to that earlier literary heritage，a heritage that，in general，has not been sufficiently valued by most contemporary literary critics. （4）难句类型：复杂修饰、插入语

　　译文：我的论点是，其作品的中心意识它将阶级和性别作为人们生活的决定性影响而作出的深邃理解在很大程度上借鉴了那个早期的文学遗产，而这一遗产就总体而言还尚未获得大多数当代文学评论家的足够重视。 解释：宾语从句中的主语和谓语被长插入语分开，造成阅读障碍。插入语中有一个固定搭配understanding of A as B，是把A理解成B的意思。不过本句中as的宾语不容易理解：shaping influences on peoples lives可以理解成形成了对人们生活的影响也可以理解成对人们生活的塑造性影响。当然后面的理解是正确的，然而在阅读现场想要在瞬间做出正确判断，还有赖于考生的阅读理解力和词汇功底的深浅。插入语后面还有一个固定搭配：A owes much to B，指前者有很多东西是来自于后者，得益于后者的。

　　意群训练：My point is that its central　consciousnessits profound understanding of class and gender　　as shaping influences on peoples livesowes much to that earlier literary heritage，a heritage that，in general，has not been sufficiently valued by most contemporary literary critics.