英语的被动句，如果在译句里不能或不宜转译成主动句，而且为了使译文上下句的衔接关系，或要强调被动句中主语的作用，那就应该考虑把它直接译成被动句。具体译法常见的有下列四种：

一. 译成“被……”

英语的被动句如果强调被动意义，就可以译成“被 ……”这种句式。这个“被”字在原句里没有逻辑主语，并且不强调被动意义时，在译句里往往可以把它省略。 

例句：

1. Last week, her four-year-old daughter, Sally, was invited to a children's party.

上星期，她的四岁女儿萨莉遮邀请去参加一个儿 童晚会。

2. Many of these questions would never have been asked if physics itself had not been put to use.

假如物理学本身知识不被应用，这许多问题就决不会被提出来。

3. Anyone who leaves litter in these woods will be prosecuted.

凡在此树林里抛弃废物者将被提出控告。

4. At the beginning of the present century a new drilling method was developed.

本世纪初，一种新式钻井法（被）发展起来了。

5. A world decathlon champion is considered to be the strong man in the world.

一名世界十项运动的优胜者可（被）视为世上的强人。

二. 译成“受......”

在英语被动句里，被动行为的主体，即逻辑主语（具体是by引出的介词短语）的意思是表示人或事物，而且具有 “受到……”含义的时候，就可以采用这种译法。 例句：

6. The lower fields are affected by flooding.

低洼地受到涝灾的影响。

7. There is no possibility that human beings will be 'controlled by machines'.

人类受“机器控制”的可能性并不存在。

8. Only those parts of the moon which are lighted up by the sun are bright.

月亮只有受到太阳照射的那些部分才是明亮的。

9. Products of the factory are well recieved by the wide customers.

该厂的产品受到广大顾客的欢迎。

三. 译成“由……”

在英语的被动句里，by引出的介词短语虽属被动行为的主体，但它只着重表示被动行为的方式方法，这时就可以采用这种译法，译成“由……”、“通过……”的句式。 例句：

10. Early fires on the earth were certainly caused by nature, not by Man.

地球上早期的火肯定是鱼大自然而不是皇人类引燃的。

11. The great statue, which was designed by the sculptor Auguste Bartholdi, took ten years to complete.

这座鱼雕刻家奥古斯特•巴塞尔蒂设计的巨大雕 像历时十年才完工。

12. These signals are produced by colliding stars or nuclear reactions in outer space.

这些讯号是由外层空间的星球碰撞或者核反应所造成的。

13. The main development has been carried out by M* Schwarzschild and his team at Princeton University in the United States. 

这方面的主要发展是里莫•施瓦茨蔡尔德和他的小组人员在美国普林斯顿大学进行的。

14. The other gases, such as argon, can also be obtained separately by very careful arrangement or the boiling.

其它气体，如氩气，也可以通过非常仔细的汽化处理来分别制取。

四. 译成“用……”

在英语的被动句里，by引出的介词短语虽是被动行为的主体，但如果着重显示出行为工具的意思，那就可以采用这种译法，译成“用……”或“靠……”的句式。 例句：

15. In out day fish are caught in the sea and brought to us by rail and lorry.

在我们的时代里，鱼是在海中捕得，并且是由火车和载货卡车给我们运来的。

16. Boats are moved by oars or by the wind, and ships by paddle-wheels or screws.

帆船靠桨或风推动，而轮船则靠轮桨或螺旋桨行。

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