【经典例析】
1.《柯林斯高阶》
CONJ-SUBORD (用于引出某个观点、评论或问题的原因)既然,考虑到 You use when to introduce the reason for an opinion, comment, or question.
How can I love myself when I look like this?... 看看我这个样子,怎么能对自己满意呢?
Emerald starlings are fairly small when compared with other such birds.与同类的其他鸟相比,翠辉椋鸟要小很多。
2.《麦克米伦高阶》
used for introducing a situation that makes someone’s action or behaviour seem surprising 虽然,既然 (用于引出使某人的行为看似出人意料的情形)
Why does she always drive to work when she could easily take the train? 明明坐火车上班很方便为何她还总要自己开车不可呢?
He went on protesting his innocence when he was obviously guilty. 很明显他有罪,但他继续申明自己无罪。
3.《朗文当代》
even though something is true:
Why does she steal things when she could easily afford to buy them? 本能轻易就买到的东西,她干嘛还要去偷呢?
used to introduce a fact or statement that makes something seem surprising:
When you consider that the airline handled 80 million passengers last year, the accident figures are really very small.如果你考虑到这家航空公司去年接待了8000万 名乘客,这个事故率其实是非常低的。
【参考结论】
综上,when的这种用法主要是“引出说话者的某种主观态度的客观性因素--- 即理由”。也正是由于这种理由具有某种程度的客观性,所以决定其译成“如果”是不合适的,因为单独使用的“如果”通常表示某种“假设”,具有不确定性,与此用法的逻辑意义相左,假如与其他词结合以弱化这种不确定性,有时是可以接受的。比如上面《朗文当代》上的第2个例句,其译为“如果考虑到”。事实上,也正是由于这种客观性因素,所以正如《柯林斯高阶》等词典上的例句一样,有时往往是作为一种客观陈述而并不翻译出来。当然有时我们可以译为“既然”,如该网友的这句话,因为其总是引出某种客观性事实。
【深度分析】
1. How can I love myself when I look like this?... 看看我这个样子,怎么能对自己满意呢?(主观态度:我对自己不满意;客观理由:自己当前状况不堪。)
2. Emerald starlings are fairly small when compared with other such birds.与同类的其他鸟相比,翠辉椋鸟要小很多。(主观态度:鸟小得多; 客观理由:与其同类比较所知。)
3. Why does she always drive to work when she could easily take the train? 明明坐火车上班很方便为何她还总要自己开车不可呢?(主观态度:她不必开车上班;客观理由:坐火车很方便。)
4. He went on protesting his innocence when he was obviously guilty. 很明显他有罪,但他继续申明自己无罪。(主观态度:他不该无理申辩;客观理由:他明显有罪。)
5. Why does she steal things when she could easily afford to buy them? 本能轻易就买到的东西,她干嘛还要去偷呢?(主观态度:她不该去偷;客观理由:能轻易买到。)
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