英语中有句俗语Well begun is half done.（好的开头是成功的一半。）这句话运用在汉译英的翻译中也很恰当，汉译英过程中如何处理原文的主语直接决定了译文的好坏。我们不妨先拿起笔，尝试一下上海中高级口译考试翻译部分的一个句子：当前，世界更加看好中国，不少外国人羡慕中国人的好日子。

       你的译文是不是这样的呢？Nowadays, the world is more optimistic about China, and many foreigners admire the Chinese people for their good life.

       相信即使大家在具体的措辞上有所不同，但句子的整体结构也都同上面的参考译文大同小异。这样的译文虽然正确、通顺，但离好的翻译还有很大的距离。英文的书面语对于主语有什么要求呢？我们不妨一起来体会一下出自《新概念英语第三册》的一篇课文，在阅读的过程中，注意句子首尾的划线部分：

       ①Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme. ②He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.' ③Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal, for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him. 　　

       ①The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island. ②It has a span of 4,260 feet. ③The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer. ④Two great towers support four huge cables. ⑤The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and concrete. ⑥The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea. ⑦These alone took sixteen months to build. ⑧Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet. ⑨They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended. ⑩Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire...

       我们一起来分析一下整篇文章的主语部分，或者更加广义的理解为句子的开头部分。

       第一段的三个句子都几乎以同一个主语开始的，即Verrazano, he, Verrazano/ his name。第二段的句子开头也不例外，前三句话的开头主语都是本文描写的这座斜拉桥，the Verrazano Bridge, it, the bridge，毕竟描写事物要先写整体；接下来是细节性描述，第二段的第④⑤句主语是the towers，第⑥⑦句的主语是the platforms，第⑧⑨句的主语又回到the towers。除了主语保持一致的写法之外，我们在第二自然段还能看到类似成语接龙一样首尾呼应的写法，比如第⑤句结尾是platforms (made of steel and concrete)，第⑥句开头就是The platforms...；第⑥句结尾是under the sea，第⑦句在插入说明桥墩的修建时间之后，第⑧句开头写above the surface of the water，极好的呼应了under the sea。第⑨句结尾是cables (from which...)，正好第⑩句开头写到each of the four cables。

    其实，这种要么用同一个主语统领句子或段落，要么首尾相连的行文方式符合英文写作中主位—述位推进的理论。当然，对于翻译学习而言，就没有必要追根溯源啦，建议各位考生记住并学会灵活运用这两种对于主语的处理思维即可。（想要进一步研究的学霸们可以点击链接进行深度学习https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1079122.pdf）

    我们现在再来一起看看原文和译文，是不是发现对于主语的处理，显得太薄弱了呢？

       原文：当前，世界更加看好中国，不少外国人羡慕中国人的好日子。

       译文：Nowadays, the world is more optimistic about China, and many foreigners admire the Chinese people for their good life.

    对于上述译文，应当如何进行修改呢？

       方法一：用同一个主语统领句子

         参考译文：Currently, the world is increasingly complimenting China and envy it for the well-being of its people.

       方法二：用首尾相呼应的方式行文

       参考译文：Nowadays, the world is more optimistic about China, which also gains great admiration for the prosperous life of its people.

       这两招你学会了吗？下一次提笔翻译的时候，对于主语的选择，请一定三思而行哦！