2. 职称英语
  3. We may say that religion, as distinguished from modern paganism, implies a l

We may say that religion, as distinguished from modern paganism, implies a l

游客2023-12-07  29
问题     We may say that religion, as distinguished from modern paganism, implies a life in conformity with nature. It may be observed that the natural life and the supernatural life have a conformity to each other which neither has with the mechanistic life: but so far has our notion of what is natural become distorted, that people who consider it "unnatural" and therefore repugnant, that a person of either sex should elect a life of celibacy, consider it perfectly "natural" that families should be limited to one or two children. It would perhaps be more natural, as well as in better conformity with the Will of God, if there were more celibates and if those who were married had larger families. But I am thinking of "conformity to nature" in a wider sense than this. We are being made aware that the organization of society on the principle of private profit, as well as public destruction, is leading both to the deformation of humanity by unregulated industrialism, and to the exhaustion of natural resources, and that a good deal of our material progress is a progress for which succeeding generations may have to pay dearly. I need only mention, as an instance now very much before the public eye, the results of "soil-erosion" — the exploitation of the earth, on a vast scale for two generations, for commercial profit: immediate benefits leading to dearth and desert. I would not have it thought that I condemn a society because of its material ruin, for that would be to make its material success a sufficient test of its excellence.
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答案     我们可以这样说：宗教信仰意味着一种顺应自然的生活，因为它与现代的异教信仰有所区别。人们可以觉察到自然的生活和超自然的生活具有相互顺应之处，二者都与机械论者的生活格格不入：但是对于什么是自然的，我们所抱的看法已经遭到极大的歪曲，结果有些人认为，不论性别，一个人要是选择独身生活，那是“不自然的”，因此令人反感；他们认为，家庭应该局限于一两个孩子，这是绝对“自然的”。假如存在更多的独身者，假如结婚的人家里人丁兴旺，或许这是比较自然的，同时也比较符合天意。不过我想到的“顺应自然”不止这些，意义比较广泛。
    我们现在意识到，由于不加调控的工业体系，根据损人利己原则而建立起来的社会组织，正在导致人性的畸形以及自然资源的耗竭；而且意识到，我们物质方面的高度进步乃是子孙后代可能不得不付出昂贵代价的一种进步。姑举一端目前世人有目共睹的例子，即“土壤侵蚀”的结果——为了商业获利而开发土地，规模浩大，两代人都是如此，于是眼前好处导致了饥馑和荒芜。我无意要人们认为，我谴责社会是由于它的物质毁坏，因为那样就是把社会的物质繁荣作为社会优越的充分检验。
解析     这段丈字节选自托.斯.艾略特(T．S．Eliot)的《顺应自然》(Conformity to Nature)。艾略特是现代英诗的主要创新者。自称“文学上的古典主义者，政治上的保皇主义者。宗教上的英国国教高教派”。早期文学创作表达现代生活的痛苦和沉闷以及个人的孤独，善于运用神话、文学典故和宗教信仰。获一九四八年诺贝尔文学奖。
We may say that：  “that”引导的宾语从句是“say”的内容，在中文里可以用逗号表示，如译为“我们可以这样说：……”。
paganism：异教信仰。
in conformity with：in agreement with(与……一致；符合)。例如，in conformity with your request(按照你的要求)／was his action in conformity with the law?(他的行动是否合法?)
It may be observed that：英译汉时常常化被动为主动，译为“人们可以觉察到……”。
neither has：表示“两者都不……”，译为汉语时可以考虑使用其他的否定形式，譬如，采用本身带有否定含义的四字格：  “(自然的生活和超自然的生活)都与……格格不入”。
the mechanistic life：机械论者的生活。
repugnant：distasteful；causing a feeling of dislike or opposition(讨厌的；令人不悦或反感的)。
celibacy：state of living unmarried，esp．as a religious obligation(独身；独身状态；独身生活)。
the Will of God：可译为“上帝的旨意”或“天意”。
celibate：unmarried person(esp．a priest who has taken a vow not to marry)(独身者)。
had larger families：这是一个暗含的比较级，与前文提到的只有一两个孩子的家庭相对比。可以译为“人丁兴旺”或“多子多孙”。
in a wider sense than this：此处作者强调他对“顺应自然”的理解要宽泛得多，译为中文时，可以适当增词，以加强语气。如译为“不止这些，意义比较广泛”。
on the principle of private profit，as well as public destruction：首先正确理解这个“原则”，即“自己获利，公家受损”；再思考是否有更简洁明了的表达方式，即“损人利己”。
unregulated industrialism：英语词汇加词缀的现象非常普遍，中文则不然，翻译类似“unregulated”之类的单词时，我们一般按照其词根的词性(regulate为动词)来还原，即“不加调控”。英语中另一常见现象是使用抽象名词，但中文多用具体名词，这里可将“industrialism”译为“工业体系”。
succeeding generations：子孙后代。
for two generations，for commercial profit：区别两个介词“for”：  “for(two generations)”表示“经历的时间长短”；  “for(commercial profit)”表示“目的”。
immediate benefits：  “唾手可得的利益”或“眼前的好处”。
dearth：scarcity；too small a supply(稀少；缺乏)。这里特指“famine(饥荒；饥馑)”。
have it thought that…：  “have sth．done”的结构，是其他人认为。可译为“要人们认为……”。
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