Translating English Metaphorical Sentences into Chinese Animate Sentences by Changing the Inanimate Subjects into Adverbials

When English metaphorical sentences are translated into Chinese animate sentences, the original Subjects may be translated into adverbials.

If the Subject of the English metaphorical sentence is realized by a noun phrase of time, the Subject is sometimes translated into an adverbial of time. For instance:

(1) Dawn met him well along the road.

东方破晓的时候，他早已上路。

(2) October. 1979 found me studying in England.

1979年10月份的时候，我在英国学习。

(3) Ten days would disband his corps and leave him 1400 men.

十天以后，他的军队就土崩瓦解，他也就剩下1400名士兵了。

(4) The postwar years in Germany saw honours heaped upon the great scientist.

在德国战后的岁月里，这位伟大的科学家得到了种种荣誉。

In all these examples, the inanimate Subjects of time in the English metaphorical sentences are translated into adverbials of time in Chinese. The predicates are translated into animate sentences.

Sometimes, the inanimate Subjects denoting abstract entities, acts and facts can also be translated into Chinese adverbials of other kinds. Look at the following examples:

(5) Business took him to the town.

他因事进城去了。

(6) A just regard to the constitution and to the duty of my office forbids a compliance with your request.

为了遵守宪法，为了履行我的职责，我不能同意你的请求。

(7) Losing his fortune drove him mad.

他由于失去财产而发疯。

In the examples above, the predicate of each English metaphorical sentence is translated into an animate sentence while the inanimate Subject is translated into an adverbial.

责任编辑：admin