变化句式的常用技巧

　　英语的一个显著特征是可以轻易地将简单句转化为复合句和(或)复杂句。复合句可以看做两个简单句的集合，类似丈夫和妻子，构成夫妻这个整体但又各自独立;复杂句则是主句和从句的结合，类似父母和孩子。请看下面的例子。

　　简单句：My dog bit a boy.

　　复合句：My dog bit a boy and the boy was hurt. (and连接的是两个独立的句子)

　　复杂句：Although my dog is friendly most of thetime, it bit a boy yesterday. (although连接的是主从句)

　　将若干个关系松散的简单句整合成逻辑严密的复杂长句的最佳方法是，先确定最核心成分，即主谓结构，写出主句，再将其余成分通过各种手段一一安排到合理的位置，常见的有从句、分词、介词词组、同位语、不定式等。例如：

　　Before: LuHao graduated last summer. He joined the First Auto Works in Changchun soonafter graduation. He received an engineering degree from his college.

　　After: ①After graduating last summerwith an engineering degree, Lu Hao soon joined the First Auto Works inChangchun. (介词结构+主语+谓语)

　　②An engineeringdegree-holder, Lu Hao joined the First Auto Works in Changchun last summer soonafter graduation. (同位语+主语+谓语+状语)

　　③Having graduated with an engineering degree, Lu Hao joined theFirst Auto Works in Changchun last summer. (分词结构+主语+谓语)

　　【评析】修改前的三个句子主语所指代的内容相同，但彼此之间关系太过松散，因此可以考虑采用介词词组、同位语结构或从句等不同的方式将这三个简单句连接起来，详见修改后的三个句子。

　　中译英实例

　　1. 我们在接待室等待着，好像度日如年，永无尽头。大约中午时分，医生终于从手术室走了出来，向我们报告手术结果。

　　不合格译文：We waitedat the reception room, which liked oneday seemed like a year, and havewaited without end. It was aboutnoon when the doctor came out of the operation room finally told us theresult of the operation.

　　【评析】第一个like有时态的变化，很明显在此处是用作了动词，表示“喜欢”，而不是“好像”，使用错误;将“度日如年”机械地直译为one day seemed like a year并不符合英文的常见表达，而且and have waited without end在时态和表达上都有误，建议改为“We waited at the reception room, which was painstakingly long.”另外，finally told us前要加and。

　　合格译文：We waitedendlessly in the reception room, asthough the days dragged on like years. Around midday, the doctor finallywalked out of the operating room and told us the result.

　　【评析】句中的endlessly这个词本身已经含有“度日如年”的意思，可以删去意思相近的表达asthough the days dragged on like years。

　　最佳译文：Afterwhat seemed like an endless wait in the reception room, the doctor finally cameout of the operating room around noon time to announce the result of thesurgery.

　　【评析】将汉语原文的前半句以“after+ what从句”的形式呈现出来，既简洁又富有创造性，且句子内部逻辑性更加清晰。