翻译真题

（71）The method of scientific investigation is nothing but the expression of the necessary mode of working of the human mind;it is simply the mode by which all phenomena are reasoned about and given precise and exact explanation.There is no more difference，but there is just the same kind of difference，between the mental operations of a man of science and those of an ordinary person，as there is between the operations and methods of a baker or of a butcher weighing out his goods in common scales，and the operations of a chemist in performing a difficult and complex analysis by means of his balance and finely graded weights.（72）It is not that the scales in the one case，and the balance in the other，differ in the principles of their construction or manner of working;but that the latter is much finer apparatus and of course much more accurate in its measurement than the former.

You will understand this better，perhaps，if I give you some familiar examples.（73）You have all heard it repeated that men of science work by means of induction（归纳法）and deduction，that by the help of these operations，they，in a sort of sense，manage to extract from Nature certain natural laws，and that out of these，by some special skill of their own，they build up their theories.（74）And it is imagined by many that the operations of the common mind can be by no means compared with these processes，and that they have to be acquired by a sort of special training.To hear all these large words，you would think that the mind of a man of science must be constituted differently from that of his fellow men;but if you will not be frightened by terms，you will discover that you are quite wrong，and that all these terrible apparatus are being used by yourselves every day and every hour of your lives.

There is a wellknown incident in one of Moliere’s plays，where the author makes the hero express unbounded delight on being told that he had been talking prose（散文）during the whole of his life.In the same way，I trust that you will take comfort，and be delighted with yourselves，on the discovery that you have been acting on the principles of inductive and deductive philosophy during the same period.（75）Probably there is not one here who has not in the course of the day had occasion to set in motion a complex train of reasoning，of the very same kind，though differing in degree，as that which a scientific man goes through in tracing the causes of natural phenomena.

真题解析
解析：
（71）The method of scientific investigation is nothing but the expression of the necessary mode of working of the human mind;it is simply the mode by which all phenomena are reasoned about and given precise and exact explanation.
结构分析:句子的框架是The method of scientific investigation is nothing but…;it is simply the mode by which all phenomena are reasoned about and given…。本句分号前为长单句，分号后句子与前句并列，意思递进，which引出定语从句修饰mode;结构nothing but译为“只是”。
参考译文 科学研究的方法不过是人类思维活动的必要表达方式，也就是对一切现象进行思索并给以精确而严谨解释的表达方式。

（72）It is not that the scales in the one case，and the balance in the other，differ in the principles of their construction or manner of working;but that the latter is much finer apparatus and of course much more accurate in its measurement than the former.
　结构分析:句子的框架是It is not that…;but that…。这并不是A，而是B。A、B分别为两件事:A是the scale…and the balance…differ in…，B是the latter is…。这句话如果直译，应为“并不是一种情况里的磅秤与另一种情况里的天平在构造原理和工作方式上有何不同，而是后者是种精密得多的仪器，在计量方面当然也就比前者精确得多。”这里的in one case承前指前文“面包师和买肉者用普通磅秤称量货物”，in the other呼应前文的“化学家利用他的天平和其它刻度精细的仪器进行困难、复杂的分析”。the latter，后者，the former，前者，显然分别对应上半句里的the scale in one case和the balance in the other。 参考译文 这并不是说面包师或买肉的所用的磅秤和化学家所用的天平在构造原理或工作方式上存在差别，而是说与前者相比，后者是一种精密得多的装置，因而在计量上就要更准确得多。

（73）You have all heard it repeated that men of science work by means of induction（归纳法）and deduction，that by the help of these operations，they，in a sort of sense，manage to extract from Nature certain natural laws，and that out of these，by some special skill of their own，they build up their theories.
结构分析:句子的框架是You have all heard it…that…，that…，and that…。句中的it是形式宾语，真正的宾语是后面的三个并列分句:A.that men of science work…and deduction;B.that by the help of these operations，they…manage to…certain natural laws;C.and that…，they…their theories.在第二个分句中，they指代前面的men of science，these operations指前文的means of induction and deduction，operations在这里根据上下文要译成“方法”而不能译成“操作”;在第三个分句中，代词these指代第二个分句中的certain natural laws。
“men of science”显然是“scientists”的另外一种说法，在1993年的英译汉文章中，作者还使用了“a man of science”，“a scientific man”之类的表达法，掌握了英语变化表达的特点，就能很轻松地把它们都译成“科学家”。
参考译文 你们都多次听说过，科学家是用归纳法和演绎法工作的，而且从某种意义上来说，他们依靠这种方法力求从自然界归纳出某些自然规律，然后根据这些规律，用自己的某种非同一般的本领，建立起他们的理论。

（74）And it is imagined by many that the operations of the common mind can be by no means compared with these processes，and that they have to be acquired by a sort of special training.
结构分析:句子的框架是And it is imagined…that…，and that…。这是典型的句型It+is+p.p.（过去分词）+that clause。It是形式主语，句子真正的主语是两个并列的that引导的主语从句，由连词and连接。operation此处不能译成“操作”，根据上下文应译成“活动”，这里的processes要译成“思维过程”，而不能简单地理解成“过程”。
原文中有三个被动语态is imagined，be compared和be required，译成汉语都变成了主动表达:认为、相比和掌握。
　　参考译文 许多人以为，普通人的思维活动根本无法与科学家的思维过程相比，认为这些思维过程必须经过某种专门训练才能掌握。

（75）Probably there is not one here who has not in the course of the day had occasion to set in motion a complex train of reasoning，of the very same kind，though differing in degree，as that which a scientific man goes through in tracing the causes of natural phenomena.
结构分析:句子的框架是这样一句型:Probably there is no one here…。后边紧跟一定语从句修饰no one:who has not had occasion to do something（in the course of the day）。这里定语从句里的否定与主句的否定一起构成双重否定，目的是加强语气:大概不会有谁一天到晚都没有机会去…。后面的不定式的内容也很复杂:set in motion意为“进行”;train这里指一系列、一连串的东西，a complex train of reasoning即一连串的思考;the same…与as…被though differing in degree隔开。这里“the very same kind as that…”就是指“与…完全同一类型（的思考）”，very用在名词性结构前，往往起强调作用。
参考译文 大概这里不会有人一整天都没有机会进行一连串复杂的思考活动。这些思考活动与科学家在探索自然现象原因时所经历的思考活动，尽管复杂程度不同，但在类型上却是完全一样的。

全文译文

（71）科学研究的方法不过是人类思维活动的必要表达方式，也就是对一切现象进行思索并给以精确而严谨解释的表达方式。科学家的思维活动与普通人的思维活动之间的区别和面包商或卖肉者用普通磅秤称货的操作方法与化学家在进行艰难而复杂的分析时用天平和精密刻度的砝码的操作方法之间的区别是完全相同的，此外就没有别的区别了。（72）这并不是说面包师或卖肉者所用的磅秤和化学家所用的天平在构造原理和工作方式上存在差别，而是说与前者相比，后者是一种更精密得多的装置，因而在计量上必然更准确得多。

要是我给你举几个熟悉的例子，或许你会更清楚地理解这一点。（73）你们多次听说过，科学家是用归纳法和演绎法工作的，他们用这些方法，在某种意义上说，力求从自然界找出某些自然规律，然后他们根据这些规律，用自己的某种非同一般的本领，建立起他们的理论。（74）许多人以为，普通人的思维活动根本无法与科学家的思维过程相比，认为这些思维过程必须经过某种专门训练才能掌握。听了上面的夸张言词后，你会以为，科学家的思维结构与普通人的思维结构大不相同;但是假如你没有被这些言词所吓倒，你会发现，你是完全错了;你还会发现，所有这些令人望而生畏的说法你自己每时每刻也在使用。

在莫里哀的一个剧本中有这样一个著名的插曲:作者让主人公得知他在整个一生中一直在说散文后，表现出无限的喜悦。同样，我认为，当你一旦发现你在一生中一直在按归纳法和演绎法的哲理办事时，你也会感到欣慰和陶醉。（75）大概这里不会有人一整天都没有机会进行一连串复杂的思考活动，这些思考活动与科学家在探索自然现象原因时所经历的思考活动，尽管复杂程度不同，但在类型上是完全一样的.