Washington, who had begun to believe that all men were created equal after observing the bravery of the black soldiers during the Revolutionary War, overcame the strong opposition of his relatives to grant his slaves their freedom in his will.
第一步:劃結構,抓住干。
拿到一個考研英語長難句應該先切分結構,從而抓出句子主干,這是翻譯句子的第一步。因為句子過長,對于大多數人而言都無法第一時間理清意思,所以要給句子分段,抓主要意思。這句話中兩個逗號間是插入的定語從句,主干為Washington overcame the strong opposition of his relatives to grant his slaves their freedom in his will.定語從句主干:who had begun to believe that all men were created equal,他開始相信人人生來平等。
第二步:分成分,組意思。
長難句主干劃分出之后,分句中還有一些成分比較長,需要進一步區分成分,overcame the strong opposition of his relatives克服了親屬的強烈反對,to grant his slaves their freedom in his will,grant之后是雙賓語,賦予他的奴隸以自由。定語從句中出現了一個非常重要的現在分詞結構作狀語,根據語義關聯確定為時間狀語。during the Revolutionary War也是時間狀語。
第三步:調語序,理通順。
各個成分確定了之后再看是否需要語序調整,比如 to grant his slaves their freedom in his will雙賓語順譯可以,而after observing the bravery of the black soldiers during the Revolutionary War放在原來的位置就不可以了,漢語習慣是時間狀語前置,所以需要調整。“在解放戰爭中觀察到了黑人士兵的勇敢之后,華盛頓開始相信人人生而平等”。最后正對定語從句的位置也需要調整,因為從句較長,所以采用拆分法。