词义的选择
一词多义和一词多类是英汉两种语言都有的一种语言现象。因此，在平日的翻译联系和考验测试中，大家在弄清原文句子结构后，须注意选择和确定句中关键词的词类和词义，以保证译文的质量。
通常从三方面来考虑词义选择：
a 根据词在句中的词类来选择词义
例：Censorship is for the good of society as a whole. Like the law, it contributes to the common good.
译文：审查是为了整个社会的利益。它像法律一样维护公众利益。
分析：本句中"like"作介词，意为"像......一样"。但"like"作动词用，则意为"喜欢；想要"。如：He likes films with happy endings.
b 根据上下文和词在句中的搭配关系选择词义
例：（出自1994年研英真题文章头一句）According to the new school of scientists, technology is an overlooked force in expanding the horizons of scientific knowledge.
译文：新学派的科学家们认为，技术在扩大科学知识范围过程中是一种被忽视的力量。
分析：school前面有定冠词the，后面有scientists, 回到原文中看它不能简单翻译成"学校"，有些朋友可能就像popo头一次接触它时那样不知道school还有"学派"的意思。它是一词多义的。如：different schools of thought 各种不同的思想派系；the Impressionistic School 印象派。
注意：当我们看到如different schools of thought这样的短语时要格外注意它的单复数情况，如果是复数，则一定记得在译文中加上"各种"等表示复数的字眼。
c 有些英语名词须根据其数来选择词义
例：The parcel you post must be well packed .Inadequate packing can mean delay,damage or loss at your expense.
译文：你寄的邮包必须妥善包装。包装不妥会引起单个、损坏或丢失，而使你蒙受损失。
分析：在at one's expense 或at the expense of 中的expense 只能用单数，意为"归...付费（或负担）"，"在损害（或牺牲）......的情况下"。如：Those who try to profit at the expense of others will come to no good end.(企图损人利己的人不会有好下场)。"expense"作复数用，意为"开支，经费"，如：The government will provide you with financial support to cover your expenses during your stay abroad.(政府将向你提供经济资助以支付你在国外的费用。)
【作业】
1 请把红色字体的句子翻译成中文。 （黑体处为上下文）
When an invention is made，inventor has three possible courses of action open to him: he can give the invention to the world by publishing it ,keep the idea secret, or patent it .Secrecy obviously evaporates once the invention is sold or used ,and there is always the risk that in the meantime another inventor ,working quite independently, will make and patent the same discovery .A granted patent is the result of a bargain struck between an inventor and the state ,by means of which the inventor gets a limited period of monopoly and publishes full details of his invention to the public after that period terminates. Once the monopoly period comes to an end , all those details of the invention pass into the public domain .
2请用四步翻译法对下面句子进行结构分析和句子划分. (来自1994年真题)
Galileo's greatest glory was that in 1609 he was the first person to turn the newly invented telescope on the heavens to prove that planets revolve around the sun rather than around the Earth.
3请将上面的句子推敲词义并翻译成中文。 （请特别注意glory的翻译。）
答案：1 一项批准了的专利是发明者与国家协议成交的结果。通过这种协议发明者获得一段时间的垄断权。这段时期已过，就得把发明的细节公诸于世。
2 结构分析：这是个多重复合句。主句是主系表结构Galileo's greatest glory was that……，其中that 引导表语从句。表语从句后面有两个不定式：一是to turn……，它修饰前面的名词person,所以是定语；二是to prove,它修饰动词turn,所以做状语。prove 后面的that 从句显然是宾语从句。
句子划分：Galileo's greatest glory was/that in 1609 he was the first person /to turn the newly invented telescope on the heavens to prove /that planets revolve around /the sun rather than around the Earth.
3 伽利略最伟大的成就是，1609年他是第一个把新发明的望远镜对准太空的人，以证明行星围绕太阳转，而不是围绕地球。
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