翻译一段话 What Switz

问题描述

What Switzerland is to watches and France is to beauty products, Australia is to immigration systems: a national guarantee of quality.

请问这句话可以怎么翻译？

老师答疑

刘老师：

What Switzerland is to watches and France is to beauty products, Australia is to immigration systems: a national guarantee of quality.

【翻译】澳大利亚的移民制度正如瑞士的手表和法国的美容产品一样：国家级的质量保证。

（这句话的含义是：比喻澳大利亚的移民制度健全、完美、可靠。）

【分析】这个句子的结构跟下面的句子结构是一个类型：

1. Air is to man what water is to fish. 空气对于人类的关系，就象水对于鱼的关系。

本句中，air是主语，is是系动词，what water is是表语从句。介词短语to man和to fish分别表示“对......而言”。这个句子表达了一种“同比关系”：

（1）A对......而言，犹如B对......而言。

（2）A对......的关系，就是B对......的关系。

（3）A对......的关系，就像B对......的关系。

（4）A对......的关系和B对......的关系同等重要。

2. 问题中的句子跟上面的句子，不同之处在于：把表语从句提前了。

What Switzerland is to watches and France is to beauty products, Australia is to immigration systems.

正常语序为：

Australia is to immigration systems what Switzerland is to watches and France is to beauty products.