二、英文的日期、地点等的排列是从小单位到大单位；单词连用时是分量轻的在前，分量重的在后，中文则反之。例如： (18) Helen was born at 10 p.m. on 3rd March, 1990.（海伦在一九九○年三月三日晚上十点出生。） (19) He came from a small town in Johore Malaysia.（他从马来西亚 柔佛州一个小镇来到这里。） (20) Beat our enemy or they will oppress and slaughter us.（打倒敌人；不然的话，他们会屠杀和压迫我们。） 三、中英文词类不一定对应，必须进行调适。例如： (21) Jack is mentally sound but physically weak.（杰克思想健全、身体虚弱。）（副词变成名词） (22) Yesterday’s stage performance was quite a success.（昨天的舞台表演相当成功。（名词变形容词） (23) The elimination of illiteracy is a matter of great urgency.（扫除文盲是当务之急。）（名词变成动词） (24) We are against racial discrimination.（。）（介词变成动词） 四、 中英文句式不吻合时，就要变动。例如： 1/ 英文被动语态变成中文主动语态。例如： (25) A new syllabus has been drawn up.（已经拟定了一份新的课程纲要。） (26) This can be done and must be done.（这件事可以办并且必须办。） (27) It must be admitted that Singapore is a small island country. (我们必须承认新加坡是个很小的岛国。） 2/ 英文的简单句变成中文的复杂句。例如： (28) His failure to observe the traffic rules resulted in the road accident.（由于他没有遵守交通规则，所以导致了公路意外。） (29) With your permission, I will embark on the project as soon as possible.（如果你答应的话，我将尽快展开这项计划。） 3/ 英文长句成分复杂需要作逻辑性的变动，以符合中文句法。例如： (30) The management’s reputation fell still further when it refused to accept the suggestion of the Labour Union that an increase in the salary of the workers was a precondition for the settlement of the current dispute. （劳工联合会建议增加工人的薪水作为解决当前纠纷的先决条件，但管理层拒绝接受这建议，结果它的声望再度下降。） 总而言之，直译和意译各有所长，可以直译就直译，不可直译时就采用意译，甚至双管齐下，两者兼施。有些惯用语的英译就要先直译后意译，才能兼顾到译文的表层结构和原文的深层意思。例如：
(31) 不劳而获 (Reap without sowing → Profit by others’ toil.) (32) 饮水思源 (When you drink the water, think of its source → never forget where one’s happiness comes.) (33) 种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆 (Plant melons and get melons, sow beans and get beans → You reap what you have sown.) (34) 真金不怕火 (True gold fears no fire→ A person of integrity can stand severe tests.) 最后，看看下列两名翻译大师在红楼梦中的一小段有关林黛玉讲话的译文。前者是霍克斯(Hawkes)教授的意译版本；后者是杨宪益教授和戴乃迭(Gladys Yang)的直译文： （35）黛玉说：你说你会过目成诵，难道我就不能一目十行了！ （霍克斯：“You needn’t imagine you are the only one with a good memory,”said Dai-yu naughtily. “I suppose I’m allowed to remember lines too if I like.”) (杨宪益,戴乃迭：“You boast that you can memorise a passage with one reading. Why can’t I learn ten lines at one glance?” 你们觉得那一段译文比较贴切，比较有韵味呢？
。）（介词变成动词）
