在表示否定概念时,英语和汉语存在着很大差异。汉语的否定只要将否定词直接放在要否定的成分前面就行,而英语不一定如此,在很多情况下可以使用not之外的否定词,从而发生否定转移。这一现象频繁出现于科技英语中。

 

一、否定前移

 

1. all, both和every充当或修饰主语时,not往往前移至all,both和every之前,译为“并非所有(两个、每一个)……都……”。如:

At 212°F, all the germs are not destroyed, as the spores are more resistant.在华氏212度时,并非所有的细菌都被杀灭,因为孢子具有耐热性。

Routing is necessary because every computer is not connected directly to every other.指定路由是必要的,因为并非每台计算机都是相互连接的。

但是否转移须根据语境确定。如: All these various losses,great as they are,do not in any way contradict the law of conservation of energy.所有这些各种各样的损耗,尽管它们的数量很大,都没有违反能量守恒定律。

 

2. 当句中宾语为nothing,none,neither等否定词或被no,neither等修饰时,其形式虽是否定宾语,但汉译时通常转到谓语。如:

This man knows nothing about things such as Dark Matter, Energy, M-String Theory.此人对暗物质、能量、M弦理论等知识一窍不通。

 

3. 当just because引导主语从句,而谓语动时采用否定时,“just because...not...”通常译成“并非因为……而……”。如: Just 

because someone doesn’t have coeliac disease, doesn’t mean they don’t have a problem with gluten.不要因为有人没患乳糜泻就意味着他们不存在谷蛋白问题。

Just because your students are computer-literate doesn’t mean they are research-literate.不要因为你的学生懂电脑就意味着他们会搞研究。

 

Yet just because something is dangerous does not always mean it is all bad.然而,不要因为某物有危险就一定意味着它很坏。有人认为because不能引导主语从句,有些严谨的作者可能会将这一结构改成“Just because..., it doesn’t mean...”。如:Just because you can donate a kidney, however, it doesn’t mean you should.然而,不要因为你能捐出一个肾脏就意味着你应该捐。

 

二、否定后移

1. 当谓语是think, believe, suppose, imagine, expect, fancy, reckon等表示“信念”、“臆断”意义的动词时,本该否定谓语动词的

否定词转为否定宾语从句或宾语补足语。但在科技英语中,谓语动词多为被动语态, not也就转变为否定主语从句或主语补足语。如: Although agoraphobia is more often seen in treatment than the other types of phobia, it is not believed to be as common as simple phobia.虽然在治疗时所见到的恐旷症比其他类型的恐惧症更为频繁,但人们认为它并不比单纯恐惧症常见。

It is not thought that AIDS (or hepatitis B) could be transmitted by their bite.人们认为艾滋病(或乙肝)不会因它们叮咬而传播

。

2.当主语为nothing, none,neither等词或由no, neither等修饰时,其形式上虽然是否定主语,但汉译时通常转到谓语。如:No machine is 100 percent efficient because energy is always lost due to heat or friction.任何机器的效率都不能达到百分之百,因为能量总是因为发热或摩擦而衰减。