之前聊过说翻译的时候应该尽量把句子翻译成短句,那么在遇到长长的定语从句时,怎么做才能使翻译出短句?这就需要我们把句子切割成若干个具有完整概念的部分加以翻译。必要时,我们还可以在此基础上加一些过渡的字词将这些部分自然地连接起来,连贯成原文整体的本意。我称这个方法为切割翻译法。翻译中遇到长长的定语从句是常事,举几个例子做说明。比如:

Before I went to London, all my family was given a short list of words that are in commom use in the UK which Americans would either be confused by or would even offend them.

我们可以先把这个句子拆成两部分,中间通过句中的先行词把断开的句子连贯。就可以翻译成:在我去伦敦之前,我们家里每个人都得到一小份单词表,上面列出一些在英国通用,但在美国则可能引起人们误解,甚至冒犯他们的词汇。
或者:在我去伦敦之前,我们家里每个人都得到一小份单词表,上面列出的词汇在英国是通用的,但在美国则可能引起人们误解,甚至冒犯他们。
再比如:

Working for John, Mr. White was a silent and subservient vice manage, a former rival ∥who gave himself the task of proving his loyalty∥ by staying in the background and never speaking out when his beliefs differed from those of his boss.

这句子本来就很长,有定语从句,又有插入语。如果不进行合理地切割断句,很难很快地把所有的信息,完全通顺地翻译出来。译文:怀特先生在约翰手下担任副经理时是缄默而恭谨的。作为昔日的竞争对手,他要证实自己对约翰的忠诚:他尽量低调处事,隐身幕后,在自己的观点与上司相左时,他总是保持缄默。