“是”字句的翻译

“是”字句的翻译
“是”字在汉语语法中称为判断词。“是”字句在汉语中 占有非
常重要的位置，可表示等同、类属、存在、特征、让步、加强语
义等多种意义，翻译成英 语时也有许多选择，值得注意。
一、“是”字译为“be”
主语+系动词+表语是英语五大 基本句型之一，而be在系动
词中使用频率最高。因此大多汉语中的“是”，英语译成be。
SV SVOSVOOSBP
SVOCSVC
·武汉是湖北省的省会，是华中地区工业、金融、商业、科技、
文化教育的中心。
Wuhan, as the capital of Hubei Province, is also the center
of industry, trade, science, culture and education in the area
of the country.
原文用了两个“是”，均表示等
同。
·十亿多人口的中国是个巨大的市场，与各国的经济合作有着
广阔的前景。
With a population of over 1.3 billion, China itself is a huge
market that holds great potential for countries looking for
economic cooperation.
原文中“是”是表示特征的。

·我不是不懂，是不想说。
It’s not that I didn’t understand it, but that I didn’t want
to say anything.
原文中，“不是”的意思并非否定，而是用来加强“不懂”的语
义；后面 的“是”用来加强“不想说”的语义。
·这些电子计算机是新华公司制造的。
These computers were made in Xinhua Company.
“是”与“的”配合表示被动，翻译时要用被动语态。
·是人，就会犯错误。
To err is human.
原文中的“是”的意思为“凡是”，译文套用了英文成语“To err
is human.”来表示“人非圣贤，孰能无过？”的含义。
然而，不必凡“是”皆译b e。现代汉语中，“是”字使用频率甚
高，这要求我们在汉译英时力戒照搬，力求有所变化；而汉语遣< br>词造句过程中的“是”字，除了表示判断之外，还可能根据它所依
托的主旨语境表达出多种意义来 ，这就为我们汉译英时使用不同
动词来表示“是”字的所指提供了可能性。
二、“是”译为remain，表示continue to be的意义
·实现工业化仍然是我国现代化进程中艰巨的历史任务。
It remains an arduous historical task in the process of our
modernization drive to accomplish industrialization.
·扩大就业是我国当前和今后长时期重大而艰巨的任务。

The task of increasing employment is arduous now and will
remain so for a long time to come.
·和平与发展仍是当今时代的主题。维护和平， 促进发展，事
关各国人民的福祉，是各国人民的共同愿望，也是不可阻挡
的历史潮流。
Peace and development remain the themes of our era. To
preserve peace and promote development bears on the
well-being of all nations and represents the common
aspirations of all people. It constitutes an irresistible trend
of history.
除remain一词外，译文中还活用了represent一词， 其词义
是correspond to sth. in essence (与……本质上符合)，与common
aspiration构成动词和宾语的搭配，既避免了三个 “是”字的机械性
重复，又文从意顺，准确地传达了原文中的信息。
三、“是”译为constitute，表示make up，form的意义
·以上十条，是党领导人民建设中国特色社会主义必须坚持的
基本经验。
The above-mentioned 10 principles constitute the basic
experience the Party must follow as it leads the people in
building socialism with Chinese characteristics.
·党的基层组织是党的全部工作和战斗力的基础。
Serve asfunction asact as

Play the role of …
The primary organizations of the Party constitute its
foundation for doing all its work and building up its combat
effectiveness.
Serve as the basis of…
Play the role of the basis of…
·建立健全同经济发展水平相适应的社会保障体系，是社会稳
定和国家长治久安的重要保证。
Establishing and improving a social security system
compatible with the level of economic development
constitute an important guarantee for social stability and
long-term peace and order in the country.
上述三句的共同之处在于，“是”字的功用是“构成”、“形成”、
“组成”的意思。
四、“是”译为serve或serve as
·实现两岸直接通邮、通航和通商，是两岸同胞的共同利益所
在。
The Three LsLinks

The direct links of mail，air and shipping services，and trade
across the Taiwan Straits serve (are where) the interests of
the compatriots on both sides (lie).

句中，serve的意思是comply with cater to meetsatisfy (符
合)，而“serve the interests”正是“是共同利益所在”。
·这是实现现代化建设第三步战略目标必经的承上启 下的发展
阶段，也是完善社会主义市场经济体制和扩大对外开放的关
键阶段。
The two decades of development will serve as an inevitable
connecting link for attaining the third-step strategic
objectives for our modernization drivecampaign as well as
a key stage to improving the socialist market economy and
opening wider to the outside world.
句中，serve as的意思是function or act as (充当)，译者把“是”、
“也是”合一，由will serve as统领inevitable connecting link和a
key stage，重在说明新世纪头二十年的重要性，准确地表达了原
文的信息焦点。
五、“是”译为mean，refer tostand forbe defined asbe interpreted
as表示signify(意指，意谓)的意思
·与时俱进，就是党的全部理论和工作要体现时代性，把握规
律性，富于创造性。
Keeping pace with the times (refers to the fact that) means
that all the theory and work of the Party must conform to
the times，follow the law of development and display great
creativity.

·团结就是力量，团结就是胜利。
Solidarity means strength；Solidarity signifies victory.
·效率就是金钱，时间就是生命，坚持就是胜利。
Efficiency means money. Time meansrefers to life.
Perseverance meansstands forcan be defined as victory.
六、“是”的其他译法
·创新是一个民族的灵魂，是一个国家兴旺发达的不竭动力，
也是一个政党永葆生机的源泉。
Innovation sustains the progress of a nation. It plays the
role of an inexhaustible motive force for the prosperity of a
country and functions as the source of eternal vitality of a
political party.

·党的领导主要是政治、思想和组织领导。
Leadership by the Party mainly refers to its political,
ideological and organizational leadership.
Build up socialist ideological
Ethics
Spiritual civilization X
·我们党的最大政治优势是密切联系群众，党执政后的最大危
险是脱离群众。
The biggest political advantage of our Party lies in its close

ties with the masses while the biggest potential danger for it
as a ruling party comes from its divorce from them.
细读原文，两个“是”字确实表示的是“在于”、“来自”之意。
·就业是民生之本。
Employment has a vital bearing on (bears on) the people’s
livelihood.
“民生之本”，就是人民赖以谋生的根基。它不同于“水有源，
木有本”之“本”(a tree has its root)，也不同于“胜利之本”之
“本”(the foundation of victory)。
have a bearing on意思是have relation to(与……有关系)，这种译
法，体现的不仅仅是译好“是”字的技巧。
地区性冲突仍然“是”世界安全与稳定的威胁。
译法1.
Regional conflicts still poseconstituteformmake upremain
threats to the security and stability of the world.
Pose a barrier to sth.
译法 2.
Regional conflicts are still challenging the security and
stability of the world.
Regional conflicts are still setting a challenge to the security
and stability of the world.

在此种语境下可以使用的“动词”有：pose, challenge等。
一个世纪以来， 中国人民在前进道路上经历了三次历史性的巨大
变化：第一次“是”辛亥革命，第二次“是”中华人民共 和国的成立，
第三次“是”改革开放。
译法For almost a century, the Chinese people have experienced in
their way towards progress three tremendous historic changes.
The first change was marked by the Revolution of 1911; the
second change was featured by the founding of the People’s
Republic of China and the third change was characterized by the
reform and opening-up.
在此种语境下可以使用的“动词”有：be marked by, be featured by,
be characterized by等。
袁隆平“是”一位中科院院士，一位国际知名的农业专家。
译法Mr. Yuan Long-ping, as an academician of Academy of
Sciences of China, is a world-famous expert on agriculture.

represent, remain, present, show, demonstrate, signify,
illustrate, reflect, mirror, embody, stand for, refer to, mean, be
defined as
function as, serve as, act as, play the role of,
pose, challenge, threaten
be marked by, be featured by, be characterized by

sustain, lie in, have a bearing on, come from,
as, appositive phrase

1. 气功起源于3000多年前，是中国最诱人的心理和身体锻炼方
法之一。
Qigong, as the most appealing method of mental and physical
exercise, started 3,000 years ago.
Originatedinitiated
Qigong, invented over 3,000 years ago, remains the most
attractive way of mental and physical exercise.
Qigong, dated more than 3,000 years ago, serves as one of the
most attractive mental and physical exercises.
Qigong, one of China’s most attractive mental and physical
exercises, originated 3，000 years ago.
2. 什么是反腐败所需要的较好的、更有效的措施呢？
What constitutes the better and more effective way against the
corruption?
What
What serves as the more proper and effective measure against
corruption?
What should beconstitute the necessary measures that are as
better as effective in fighting against corruption?

Fight combat fake products counterfeited products
3.从法律立场出发来打击腐败是一种长期的,更有效的办法。
Law functions as the long-term and more effective measures
against corruption.
It is a long-term and more effective way to fight against
corruption from law.
According to law, fighting corruption remains a long-term and
more effective methodapproach.
The use of legal measures serves as a long-term and more
effective way to fight corruption.
From the aspectrespectperspective of law In terms of law, As
far as legal measures are concerned, fighting corruption serves
asremains a long- term and more effective method.

3. 美丽，是发自内心的光华，不会随着岁月的流失而流失，只会
随着智能的增长而增长。
Beauty, as the essence from the bottom of our heart, will not wash
away with time dying down, rather remain prompting with
intelligence improving.
Beauty, as the brilliance from inner world, will not be washed
away with time, while can grow with intelligence.
Timeagetime and tideyears

Beauty, your inner splendor, isn’t fading as time elapses but
enhancing as wisdom increases.
Beautyeyesightmemorysoundcolor
Beauty is vanishingdying awayis worn out
As time goes byelapses with timeone’s agetime and tide
Time and tide wait for no man. (proverb)
5. 要在本地化和国际化之间权衡利弊，最终仍是中国商学院面临
的一件极具挑战性的任务。
Serve for . X
Face to .
Face sth. (in a good sense)
Be faced with sth.(in a bad sense)
Foreign =overseas
Be confronted with sth. (neutral)

Finally it still constitutes the biggest challenging task for China’s
business colleges to balance between localization and
internationalization.
To balance between localization and internationalization still
constitutes the most challenging task faced with by China’s
business collegesconfronted with by China’s business colleges.
Strike a balance between…and…

Striking a balance between localization and internationalization
constitutes poses a very challenging taska challenge for China’s
business schools in the long runfrom a long- term perspective. (in
the final analysis)
6. 利息是借款人因使用贷款而支付给贷款人的报酬.

Interest means a kind of payment given by the debtor to the
creditor.
Interest meansrefers tostands forsignifiescan be defined ascan
be interpreted as a reward which is paid by the borrowerdebtor
to the lender creditor for a loan.
UN stands for the United Nations.
On behalf of sb.
Represent sb.
On behalf of my school, I participated in the English Speech
Contest.
7. 光盘是多媒体的主要存储和交换媒体。
CD functions as the main medium of storing and exchanging
information.
The CD serves as multimedia’s chief storage and exchange
medium.
8. 它是我国在发展运载工具和电子技术方面进入一个新阶段的

标志。
It marks a new stage for our nation in the development of carrier
rockets (means) and electronics.
Aircraft carrier

9. 人们已经认识到维持生命必须的食物主要有三种类型。第一种
是碳水化合物，第二种是脂肪, 第三种是蛋白质。
People have realized that there are three types of necessary
essential indispensable foods to maintain sustain the human life:
the first kind of food is marked by carbohydrate; the second
featured by fat and the third characterized by protein.
Three main categories of food have been recognized as essential
for the life processes. The first is marked by carbohydrate, The
second is featured by fat, and the third kind is characterized by
protein.
10. 这是物理学原理得到广泛应用的证明。

It demonstrates that the principle of physics has been widely
used.
It acts as a proofwitness of the wide application of the principle
of physics.
It witnessesproves the widespread application of the principle of

physics.
This indicates the widespread application of the principles of
physics.
11. 朝核问题“北京会谈”是通过对话解决问题的良好开端。
Beijing Conference on North Korea’s nuclear issue marks a good
beginning for the solution to the problem by way of via through
by means of discussion.
The nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula
Negotiations on the nuclear issue held in Beijing represented a
good start for the settlement through dialogue.
Talks on sth.
12. 故宫建筑气势雄伟，豪华壮丽，是中国古建筑艺术的精华，
其规格之巨和独具特色的建筑艺术享誉世界。
The splendid and grand Palace Museum, as the best part of
ancient Chinese architecture, is characterized by its big scale and
unique architecture in the world.
The Forbidden City the Imperial Palace

The grand and magnificent Imperial Palace embodies the essence
of ancient Chinese architecture, thus it enjoys worldwide fame for
its scale and unique architectural detailing.
13. 健身球的使用方法是将球握在手中用手指捻转。

Playing the spheres refers to holding them in hand and then
rotating them in the palm of the hand with the fingers.
The spheres are used by rotating them in the palm of the hand
with the fingers.
14. 对于买者而言，彩票中奖是一件令人快活而惊奇的事.
Getting the right number of a lottery ticket means pleasure and
excitement for a buyer.

Winning the lottery means a delightful surprise for buyers.
15. 主持会议的是史密斯先生。
The meeting was chaired hosted by Mr. Smith. (be presided over)
Mr. Smith presided over the meeting.
The conference was chaired by Mr. Smith.
16. 这个病人的死，毫无疑问是医生的治疗不当造成的。
It is no doubt that the death of the patient is caused by the
doctor’s improper treatment.
There is no denying that…
It goes without saying that the doctor’s improper treatment led to
contributed togave rise to the death of the patient.
cause
The death of the patient no doubt lies in the fact that the doctor
gave an improper treatment.

The factthe ideathe notionthe opinionthe beliefthe concept
+that….
Witnessmarkseefind
17. 大运河在元、明、清三代是中国南北运输的大动脉.
The Grand Canal acted as served asfunctioned asplayed the
role of the main artery linking the north and south of China for
transportationtransport during the Yuan, the Ming and the Qing
Dynasties.
The Wei Dynasty, the Jin Dynasty and the Dynasty of the South
and North

The Grand Canal served asfunctioned as the major transport
artery between North and South China during the Yuan, the
Ming and the Qing Dynasties.
18. 联合国“是”一个全球各国人民表达其意见观点并解决各种国
际问题的组织机构。
The United Nations, as an international organization, plays the
role of a platform for people from around the world to express
their ideas or opinions and to deal with all kinds of international
issues.

The United Nations can be defined as an organization in which

people of all nations can express their ideas or opinions and seek
solutions to various kinds of international issues or problems.
19. 大运河是中国古代最伟大的水利工程, 有着1400年历史和1
794公里长.
As the most magnificent hydraulic project of ancient China, the
Grand Canal enjoysboasts a history of 1,400 years and the
length of 1,794 kilometers.
The Grand Canal, a giant irrigation project of ancient China,
with a length of 1,794 kilometers, boastsenjoys a history of over 1，
400 years.
20. 索马里海盗是各国远洋船只的一大威胁。
The Somalia’s pirates are posing threats to the ocean-going
vessels from different countries.

The Somalia’s pirates have posed a big threat to all the ocean
liners of the countries in the world.
Constitutechallengeset a challenge to en sb.
Linersvesselsships
boats
I’m pleased to hear that.
I’m pleased that you think so.
Thank you.

Thank you for saying so.
I’m flattered.
You flatter me.
Nice to meet you.
It’s a pleasurean honor to meet yousee you.
Hello.
Hi.
Nice to meet you.
Nice meeting you.
Nice to have met you.
Bye.
Bye-bye.
Catch you around.
See you later.
Take care.
Take care of that cold.
Take care of that heat.
I hope you like ityou love it.
Thank you for the presentgift.
Presentgift

It’s really lovelybeautiful.

Thanks.
Many thanks.
I’m obliged.
I’m very much indebted to you.

Not at all.
Don’t mention it.
You’re welcome.
Sure.
A sure thing.
Excuse me.
May I trouble you to do sth.?
Mind if I ask you to do sth.?
May I bother you to do sth.?
Be there or be square.
Good luck!
Plain sailing.
Good trip.
Bon Voyage.
Damn it.
Confound it.
Darn.

Shit.

You bet.
You’re telling me.
No way.
No can do.

I can’t agree more.
You don’t say.