研英翻譯演練(68)

若水221147 分享 時間:
For example,they do not compensate for gross social inequality,and thus do not tell how able an underprivileged youngster might have been had he grown up under more favorable circumstances.(

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要點:句子的框架是they do not compensate…,and thus do not tell how…。and連接兩個并列分句,第二個并列分句中由how引導(dǎo)的賓語從句是一個帶有虛擬條件句的主從復(fù)合句,其中had he grown up…(=If he had grown up…)是省略了連詞if的非真實條件句。主句主語的they,在此代指上文提到的tests; able在句中作might have been的表語。underprivileged在此不能譯為“沒有特權(quán)的”,而譯為“沒有地位的”或“物質(zhì)條件差的”。
譯文:例如,測試并不能彌補明顯的社會不公;因此,它們不能說明一個物質(zhì)條件差的年輕人,如果在較好的環(huán)境中成長的話,會有多大才干。
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