英语和汉语在否定的表达形式上有许多差异。在汉译英时难免出现一些错误。常见的如下:
1.否定词not与不定代词all,both,everyone,everything等一起使用,通常表示部分否定。
例:这两本书都不是英国出版的。
误:Both o fthe books are not published in England.
正:Neither of the books is published in England.你们当中我一个也不认识。误: I don't know everyone of you.正:I know none of you.我不同意所有这些方案。误:I don't agree to all
these plans 正:I agree to none of these plans.要表达全部否定意义时,英语必须用全否定词语:none,neither,no,nobody,nothing,not协2any,not协2either等。
2.汉语中常用"没有+主语+不+谓语"这一双重否定的结构,而英语中否定形式的主语习惯上不能与否定形式的谓语连用。
翻译这类句子时,(1)可把主语和谓语都改成肯定形式;(2)也可用另一结构的双重否定式。
例:听到这个消息后,没有一个人不感到惊奇。
误:Having heard the news,nobody did not feel surprised.
正:Having heard the news,everybody felt surprised.
正:There was nobody who did not feel surprised.
正:There was nobody but felt surprised.3.汉语中的"任何.......不"在翻译成英语时,必须用"否定形式的主语+肯定形式的谓语"。
例:未经允许,任何人不得入内。
误:Anybody can not come in without permission.
正:Nobody can come in without permission.
但当any的合成词或any所修饰的词带有后置定语时,谓语可用否定式。
例:干那种事的人都是不诚实的。
正:Anyone who does that isn't honest.4.汉语中的感叹句可用否定式,但在英语中的感叹句不能用否定式,可用反义词或有否定后缀的词来表示。
例:这些规章制度多不完善!
误:How not perfect the rules and regulations are!正:How imperfect the rules and regulations are!5.汉语中"在......之前"中的否定词去掉后意义不变,
如:在他还没来之前=在他来之前,因而这种句子译成英语时不能译成否定句。
例:在他还没来之前,我们就把所有的工作都做完了。
误:We had finished all the work before he didn't come.正:We had finished all the work before he came.