英译汉
Almost all our major problems involve human behavior, and they cannot be solved by physical and biological technology alone. What is needed is a technology of behavior, but we have been slow to develop the science from which such a technology might be drawn. One difficulty is that almost all of what is called behavioral science continues to trace behavior to states of mind, feelings, traits of character, human nature, and so on. Physics and biology once followed similar practices and advanced only when they discarded them. The behavioral sciences have been slow to change partly because the explanatory items often seem to be directly observed and partly because other kinds of explanations have been hard to find. The environment is obviously important, but its role has remained obscure. It does not push or pull, it selects, and this function is difficult to discover and analyze. The role of natural selection in evolution was formulated only a little more than a hundred years ago, and the selective role of the environment in shaping and maintaining the behavior of the individual is only beginning to be recognized and studied. As the interaction between organism and environment has come to be understood, however, effects once assigned to states of mind, feelings, and traits are beginning to be traced to accessible conditions, and a technology of behavior may therefore become available. It will not solve our problems, however, until it replaces traditional pre-scientific views, and these are strongly entrenched. Freedom and dignity illustrate the difficulty.They are the possessions of the autonomous (self-governing) man of traditional theory, and they are essential to practices in which a person is held responsible for his conduct and given credit for his achievements. A scientific analysis shifts both the responsibility and the achievement to the environment. It also raises questions concerning “values." Who will use a technology and to what ends?Until these issues are resolved, a technology of behavior will continue to be rejected, and with it possibly the only way to solve our problems.
参考译文
我们遇到的几乎所有重要问题都涉及到人的行为,而且仅靠物理技术和生物技术是无法解决这些问题的。我们所需要的是一种行为技术,但是可能产生这种技术的科学一直发展缓慢。难题之一在于所谓的行为科学几乎全都依然从心态、情感、性格特征、人性等方面去寻找行为的根源。物理学和生物学一度模仿类似的做法并且只有当它们抛弃这些做法后才得到发展。行为科学之所以发展缓慢,部分原因是用来解释行为的依据似乎往往是直接观察到的,部分原因是其他的解释方式一直难以找到。环境因素显然是重要的,但是它的作用仍然是模糊不清的。它既不推动也不阻碍行为科学的发展,它具有选择作用,因而这种作用是很难发现和分析的。自然选择在进化中的作用仅在一百多年前才得以阐明,而环境在塑造和保持个体行为时的选择作用则刚刚开始被认识和研究。然而,由于人(生物)和环境之间的相互作用已经逐渐被人们所认识,所以现在正开始从已知的环境去寻找一度认为是心态、情感和性格特征所造成的影响其根源所在。因此就可以建立一门行为技术。但是,如果行为技术代替不了传统的科学发展以前的观点,那它将无法解决我们的难题。而这些传统的观点是根深蒂固的。自由和尊严是难处之所在。自由和尊严(它们)是传统理论定义的自主人所拥有的,是要求一个人对自己的行为负责并因其业绩而给予肯定的必不可少的前提。科学的分析把责任和成绩归因于环境。它还提出有关“价值观念”的种种问题。谁会使用一门技术?其目的何在?在这些得到解决以前,研究行为的技术手段就会继续受到排斥,解决问题的惟一方式可能也随之继续受到排斥。
词义推敲:
One difficulty is that …:表语从句——由系动词修饰和限定。难题之一在于、一个困难是。
almost all of / what is called / behavioral science:多重定语结构。几乎所有的所谓的行为科学
what is called 所谓的
behavioral science行为科学
continue to依然/继续/延续
trace … to 追踪溯源
states of mind 心态,意识状态
feelings 感情
traits of character 性格特点
human nature 人性
have been slow to change (一直)发展缓慢。
have been:完成时——一直,一向。
slow:缓慢的
change 改变,发展。
the explanatory items: 用以解释的依据、要素(内容,项目)
item 内容,项目——依据、要素
seem to be directly observed:被动结构,最好不要用“被”字。似乎往往是(直接观察到的/从直接观察中得到的/来自于直接的观察/是直接观察的结果。
seem to be 似乎往往是
directly observed 直接观察到的 / 从直接观察中得到的 / 来自于直接的观察 / 是直接观察的结果
other kinds of explanations 其他的解释方式 / 类型的解释 / 种类的解释
the role of natural selection in evolution:多重定语结构——后浪推前浪。我们可以范围为:进化过程中自然选择的作用。
in evolution:在演化中。
role:a function or position 功能,职位。
natural selection:自然选择。
was formulated:得以(阐明/表述/解释/论证/揭示)。被动结构——最好不要用“被”字。
formulated 阐述;表述;解释;论证
only a little more than a hundred years ago:仅/只在一百多年前。
the selective role of / the environment / in shaping and maintaining / the behavior / of the individual:(保持/维护)个体行为时的选择作用/角色。
in shaping and maintaining 在形成和保持……的过程中。
to be recognized and studied被动结构——最好不要用“被”字。(被 / 得到)(认识 / 承认 / 意识到 / 认可)和研究。
recognize:to perceive or show acceptance of the validity or reality of 承认,认可认识到或表现出接受…的合理性或真实性
They:指代“freedom and dignity”,译作“自由与尊严”
the possessions of the autonomous (self-governing) man of traditional theory:多重后置定语——后浪推前浪。我们可以翻译为:传统理论定义的(自主行为的/自我控制的/自我约束的/自主人/自治者/自我管理者)所拥有的(不译/所有物/所具备的东西/财产/财富)。
autonomous (self-governing):自主行为的;自我管理的;自我约束的。
possession:wealth or property 财富,财产。
be essential to 必不可少的,非常重要的
practices 实践活动
in which = in these practices,译作“在这些实践活动中”。
is held responsible for 对……负责
conduct:the way a person acts, especially from the standpoint of morality and ethics 操行,行为一个人行为的方式,尤指从道德和伦理的角度来看。
and given credit for 认可;赞誉;给予肯定
credit:approval for an act, ability, or quality; praise 赞同,赞扬对某一行为、能力或质量的赞同;赞扬
until 除非,如果不
issue are resolved 被动结构——问题得以解决
a technology of behavior:研究行为(科学)的技术手段
to be rejected被动结构——受到排斥 / 被抛弃 / 被拒绝 / 被否定 / 被反对
and with it possibly the only way to solve our problems(will continue to be rejected)省略结构
with it 随之;伴随着它。
possibly the only way to solve our problems 解决问题的惟一方式 / 唯一可能解决问题的方式
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