from the east与in the east
2024-07-23 15:19:31 学考宝 作者：佚名
问题描述
有人说“太阳从东方升起，从西方落下”翻译成英语应是：The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. 不能是：The sun rises from the east and sets from the west.
请问，这里为什么不用 from the east 而用 in the east 呢？
谢谢解答！
老师答疑
陈老师：
▲from 表示“从”，它的意思是 indicating the place or direction from which sb/sth starts，即它表示某人或某物出发的地方或方向，即它表示“开始”的起点。但我们知道，太阳升起的“起点”并非“东方”，故英语不说：The sun rises from the east.（注意事实：The earth turns around the sun.）。
▲但是这并不意味着east, west, south, north 等不能与介词 from 连用，比如表示“从……吹来的风”“从……传来的……”等，就可用from。如：
The wind came from the west. 风从西方吹来。
a bitter wind blew from the north. 从北方吹来的寒风。
The wind suddenly changed and began blowing from the north. 风向突变，开始从北方吹来。
Every so often, a new martial art arrives from the East. 时而会从东方传来一种新的武术。
The winds came from the north, across the plains, funnelling down the valley. 风从北方吹来，刮过平原，穿过山谷。
刘老师：
我写的这个解答就要发的时候，看到了陈老师的解答，算个做个补充吧。
中国学生在学习英语时，存在英汉翻译与词汇对应的问题。例如：
▲“为人民服务”，有人完全按照汉语的思维，翻译为：Serve for the people.殊不知，英语的serve是及物动词，本身就是“为......服务”，应说：Serve the people.不需要再加介词for。
▲“他回来时，已经10点了。”It was ten o’clock when he returned back.此句多了一个back，因为return这个词语，本身就表示“回来”，不需要再加back，说came back可以。
▲“太阳从东方升起，从西方落下”。实际是说，“太阳升在东方，落在西方。”正统的翻译是：The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
不过，现在好像可以说：The sun rises from the east and sets in the west.可以用from表示“从东方升起”，但是，“在西方落下”，仍然用in the west，因为“太阳下落”在逻辑上没有from的含义。
▲关于rise from the east的说法，在文学作品中偶有见到，但我觉得仍然不太规范，例如：
Everyone knows that the sun rises from the east and sets in the west.太阳每天东升西落,可说人尽皆知。
The sun rose from the east and shone upon the entrance to the house,making the leaves of the big colanut tree glisten with the dew.太阳从东方升起，照耀在院落的入口处，门口大榕树上沾满露珠的树叶也因此闪着晶莹的亮光。
He says that every day the sun always rises from the east, through south, down in the west.他说，每天太阳总是从东边升起，走过南边，又在西边落下。
A red sun is rising from the east.一轮红日正从东方冉冉升起。
▲存在英汉翻译与词汇对应的问题，还表现在：
例如，有的学生一看到kill，就马上联想到“杀死”。但是，下面这些句子是否可以翻译成“杀死”呢？
The mistake has killed his chances.那个错误使他失去了机会。
His rude manners killed the conversation.他的无礼终止了谈话。
The newspaper editor killed the story.报纸编辑删掉了那篇报道。
He often drinks to kill the pain.他经常喝酒止疼。
The red sofa kills the effect of the gray wall.红色沙发破坏了灰色墙壁的效果。
The noise killed the music.噪音淹没了音乐。
They have the right to kill a bill in Parliament.他们有权使法案在国会不能通过。
▲还有，学生一看到on one’s back，马上联想到“在背上”，例如：
The tourist carried a pack on his back.观光旅行者背了个包。
但是，下列句子是否也可以这样翻译呢？
He lay on his back and looked up at the sky. 他仰卧着，观看天空。
原来，on one’s back有两层意思：介词on除了表示“在......上面”之外，还有一个意思就是，“（身体重量）由（某部位）支撑”：You use on to say what part of your body is supporting your weight. 由此构成的短语一般跟lie, stand, stay, remain, be等动词连用。lie on one’s back表示“仰着身子”。例如：
He continued to lie on his back and look at the clouds. 他仍旧仰卧着，望着天上的云彩。
He raised himself on his elbows, squinting into the sun.用胳膊肘支起身子，眯着眼睛看了看太阳。
