Being interested in the relationship of language and thought, Whorf developed the idea that the structure of language determines the structure of habitual thought in a society.(2004年翻译64题)
语法点:状语从句的省略;短语作定语;同位语从句;
解析:
Step1:断长句
①Being interested in the relationship of language and thought, //②Whorf developed the idea that the structure of language determines the structure of habitual thought in a society.
Step2:抓主干
Whorf developed the idea 主谓宾结构
Step3:理结构
整个句子结构比较清晰,主要难点有以下几处:
①Being interested in the relationship of language and thought,
难点:状语从句的省略。
此结构不难理解,即:对语言和思维的关系感兴趣。但是难点在于:是谁对于两者关系感兴趣?此结构和主句是什么逻辑关系?
其实本句话为状语从句的省略,真正的主语在后面的主句之中,也就是Whorf对此感兴趣。
另外,前后两部分的关系还需理解完后半句之后才能具体判断,我们可以先去理解后半句再去理解此前半句。
②Whorf developed the idea that the structure of language determines the structure of habitual thought in a society.
难点:同位语从句;短语的调整;
The idea 之后得that从句视实为同位语从句,对于“the idea”的具体解释说明。
从句之中“in a society”介词短语作定语修饰“thought”,而“of habitual thought”则是介词短语作定语修饰“structure”,故在理解中依次调整到其所修饰的对象之前即可。
理解:沃尔夫形成了这种观点:语言的结构决定了社会中惯性思维的结构。
③选择合适引导词,还原状语从句
还原:(Because Whorf is) interested in the relationship of language and thought, he developed the idea that the structure of language determines the structure of habitual thought in a society.
由前后句逻辑关系判断,前半句状语部分还原为原因状语最为恰当。
Step4:定句意
译文:由于沃尔夫对于语言和思维的关系很感兴趣,因此他形成了这种观点:语言的结构决定了社会中惯性思维的结构。