如何写出前后文连贯的英文文章
 |
Rent a house 租房子
「全民英检」中级写作测验第一部分「中译英」题目是一篇中文段落，需翻译成通顺、达意且前后连贯的英文。
例题：
为了节省时间，汤姆（Tom）想要在办公室附近租房子。但是房租太贵了，他负担不起。他已经找了两个月，还是找不到满意的房子。今天早上朋友打电话告诉他，有一间比较便宜的公寓要出租，他决定下班后去看看。
参考译文：
To save time, Tom wants to rent a house near his office. However, the rent is so expensive that he can't afford it. He has been looking for a house for two months, but he still hasn't found one that he's satisfied with. This morning his friend called and told him that there was a cheaper apartment for rent. He decided to go and have a look after work.
接下来让我们逐句为您分析：
为了节省时间，汤姆（Tom）想要在办公室附近租房子。
例答：To save time, Tom wants to rent a house near his office.
解析：
「为了」也可以用In order to表示。
rent可以作为名词或动词，这里作动词用，表示「租」这个动作。
但是房租太贵了，他负担不起。
例答：However, the rent is so expensive that he can't afford it.
解析：
这里用so + adj. + that子句的句型表示「东西太…以至于…」。本句也可以用too + adj. for sb. + to + verb的句型代替，例如However, the rent is too high for him to afford.。
rent在这里当名词，指「房租」。
「负担」用afford表示。
他已经找了两个月，还是找不到满意的房子。
例答：He has been looking for a house for two months, but he still hasn't found one that he's satisfied with.
解析：
这里用连接词but连接两个子句。第一句时态为现在完成进行式，表示汤姆已经找了两个月的房子(而之后也许还会继续找)。第二句的时态为现在完成式，表示到目前为止，汤姆还是找不到满意的房子，也可以用现在简单式he still can't find one that…。
描述一件事进行了多久，用介系词for + 一段时间。
本句有两个「找」，第一个「找」强调过程，所以用look for (或是search for)；第二个「找」强调结果，用find表示。
今天早上朋友打电话告诉他，有一间比较便宜的公寓要出租，他决定下班后去看看。
例答：This morning his friend called and told him that there was a cheaper apartment for rent. He decided to go and have a look after work.
解析：
本句时间点为「今天早上」，所以用过去简单式。
「打电话告诉他」为called and told him that…，千万别省略成*called him that…。英文中有些及物动词可以接that子句当受词，有些则不行，这里tell之后可接that子句，但call则不行。
一间公寓或房子要出租，英文说法为a(n) apartment/house for rent。
「去看看」也可以用go and check it out表示。
小叮咛
英文的动词有其固定的词性。举例来说，及物动词其后要接受词(例如tell)，不及物动词则不必接受词(例如go)。学习动词的过程中，除了熟记拼法与字义之外，也要留意其使用上的特性喔！
最后，让我们来复习今天学到的字汇与词组吧!
租借: rent
例句：How about renting a video tonight?
负担: afford
例句：Since I bought a computer already, I can not afford to buy a cell phone this year.
搜寻: look for
例句：That boy has been looking for his lost dog for a week.
找: find
例句：Kay has not given up hope of finding a better job.
