法律英语翻译之长难句3

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

此句摘自《权利法案》（United States Bill of Rights, 1979），句子不长，共计52个单词。没有生僻或特殊词汇，句法结构也不是很复杂，可以看作and连接的两个并列句。但本句附加成分比较多，少有不慎，很可能译错。

首先找出句子主干：The right..., shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue...

再来看and连接的前半句：The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated,

前半句主干为the right shall not be violated. “权利不得侵犯”。

句中的of the people，to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and affects和against unreasonable searches and seizures，均作定语修饰right。其中：

of the people，介词of表从属关系，作定语修饰the right，表示“人民的权利”

to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and affects不定数短语作定语，修饰the right，表示“保护其人身、住所、文件和财产的权利”

against unreasonable searches and seizures，against介词短语作定语，修饰the right，表示“不受无理搜查和扣押的权利”

整理一下语序，前半句可译为：人民有保护其人身、住所、文件和财产，不受无理搜查和扣押的权利，不得侵犯。

接下来继续看后半句：and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized

but upon probable cause，介词短语作状语，表示条件“除非有可能成立的理由”。

supported by Oath or affirmation，过去分词短语作定语，修饰cause。

describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized，现在分词短语作定语，修饰cause。

后半句可译为：除有合理之根据，以暂言或声明保证，并详细说明搜查地、被捕人或扣押物外，不得发出搜查令逮捕状或扣押状

整句话可合译为：人民有保护其人身、住所、文件和财产，不受无理搜查和扣押的权利，不得侵犯。除有合理之根据，以暂言或声明保证，并详细说明搜查地、被捕人或扣押物外，不得发出搜查令逮捕状或扣押状。

参考

《实用法律英汉翻译》，张福林

United States Bill of Rights, 1979

来源：译问