Abstract：English double negative ntence is a kind of very special ntence pattern in English. There have been a lot of studies on the general attitude towards double negative ntence on its formation, translation, usages, effect and so on. Through different ntence patterns, they can manifest particular functions that cannot be found in general ntence or affirmative ntence. The way of expressing a negative concept in English is quite different from that in Chine. Bad on the analysis of the double negative ntences, for example, through their formations, translations, usages and effects and by some typical examples of the negative ntences, the author intends to make a further analysis on the usage and translation of this kind of ntences in physical field and tries to summarize the reasons why the ntences are ud so frequently in this field.
Key words：English double negative ntence; usage; translation; physical field
Usage and Translation of English Double Negative Sentence in Physical Field 物理领域英语双重否定句的翻译
1. Introduction
Negation and affirmation are totally opposite twin concepts. The idea of negation is a part of linguistics universal for almost all the languages in the world, but languages differ in ways to accomplish negation.
Complexity of forms in English to express negative meaning, disagreement between negation meaning and negative form, difference from idiomatic expression and pattern between Chine and English result in the difficulties in understanding translation and negative phenomenon in English. For the reasons, when we translate an English material for Science and Technology Purpo, we can never be too careful in translating it. Through the meaning they conveyed, negative ntence could be generally divided into two kinds: complete negation and partial negation. From the structure they formed, negative ntence could mainly be divided into two types: common negative ntence and special negative ntence. And special negative ntence contains many different sorts, too. They are double negative ntence, transfer negative ntence, implicit negative ntence, complete negative ntence, partial negative ntence, continued negative ntence, suppressive negative ntence, and so on. All the negations I mentioned above can make the translator confud easily when they come to understand or translate them, so, in this paper I will pay special attention to one of tho special negative ntences-----double negative ntence. And this paper will concentrate on the usage and translation of English double negative ntence in physical field.
2. General Information of English Double Negative Sentence
2.1 Introduction about Double Negative Sentence：
2.1.1 Definition：
Just as Chen Hongwei mentioned in 《英汉翻译基础》, double negative ntence is a kind of special negative ntence which contains two negative words or a negative word and a word or a phra that has a negative meaning. To u negation twice in a ntence has an effect on counteracting the negative meaning, but at the same time the mood of the whole ntence turns to be strong affirmation.[1]
The phenomenon of double negation exists both in Chine and English. The primary function of this structure is to strengthen the mood of speaking. Compared with the common affirmative ntence, double negative ntence can add the mood of the affirmation, so, according to what Chen Hongwei said, in my opinion, actually, double negative ntence is negation plus negation. The basic meaning of this structure can be considered as one negation
negates another negative word or another negative phra. The innate character of the ntence meaning is affirmative, so, we can understand it in another way in which the double negative ntence has a mild tone of affirmation. During the process of translation, the structure can be translated into double negative ntence or affirmative ntence under different circumstances. In E
nglish, the negative words and grammars are expresd quite different from each other. Thus, when we translate the documents that belong to English for Science and Technology Purpo, particular attention should be paid. Due to the fact that there are so many kinds of negative forms, we should be very clear about their structures, and then we can express them correctly.
2.1.2 Characteristics：
When we say double negative ntences belong to special negative ntence, to some extent, they are quite different from other negative forms. We should know its characteristics first. Double negative ntence is bad on an affirmative meaning of the ntence, and using the negation twice in a negative structure. We can say that double negative ntence is an affirmative ntence that shows a positive meaning with a negative form. From this we know, that two negations appear in one negative structure at the same time is the necessary conditions to form a double negative ntence. Of cour, it conveys a positive meaning. It is required that the two negative parts must have logical negative relation between each other but not just join the two parts together.
2.1.3 Types：
We know different types of ntences have different functions. According to the mood the ntences
conveyed, double negative ntences can mainly be divided into three types: Affirmative Double Negative Sentence, Emphatic Double Negative Sentence and Euphemistic Double Negative Sentence.[2]
2.1.4 Effects and Functions：
As we known, different kinds of double negative ntence show a different mood and express a rather different effect compared with the common negative ntence. There are mainly three major effects. Now let‟s e the following three phenomena respectively.
The first one is affirmative double negative ntence. Negation plus Negation means affirmation with strengthening effect. It is no doubt that an affirmative ntence ca n convey a positive content. For example, “热能每逢转换成某种能量时，总是有些损耗.” We can translate it into a common affirmative ntence as “When heat converted into a certain energy, it will lo some energy.”But if this ntence is expresd by “Heat can never be converted into a certain energy without something lost.”We can have different feelings from the two expressions. We will find the former expression is quite dull and flat, while the latter one is very affirmative and the mood is quite strong. Now let‟s e some more double negative ntences: Y ou cannot make an omelet without breaking eggs. (= Y ou
have to break eggs if you want to make an omelet.)有失才有得。/ 不打破鸡蛋做不成蛋卷。(=要做蛋卷，就得打破鸡蛋.) Nothing can live without water. (= All things live with water.) 万物无水不能生长。(=万物生长需要水。) There are also quite a lot of double negative ntences in English for Science and Technology purpo, such as: The sun is our energy source and without it we would not be able to survive. / No flow of water occurs unless there is a difference in pressure. / There can never be force acting in nature unless two bodies are involved. / An alloy will not change into a state called austenite until it is heated
above its critical temperature. We can find lots of expressions in the physical field formed by double negative ntence. The main reason is that the phenomenon rearched in physical field is so objective that we can never convey it indefinitely.
The Second one is emphatic double negative ntence. Negation plus Negation equals emphasis negation. Let‟s e the following two ntences: worked and worked, and I did n‟t know how much I had not done. 我夜以继日的工作，不知道多少活。In the old society, our family had no food, no cloths, no nothing. 在旧社会里我们家无衣无食，一无所有。Due to there are two negations in its structure, so, the meaning are always counteract, there is a possibility that one of the two negations makes a negative emphasis on the other one. In the Emphatic Double Negative Sentence, usually it
is the cond negative word shows a negative emphasis effect on the first negative word but los its original meaning and mood at last. To some extent, the meaning of the ntence can be replaced by its antonym. Obviously, this kind of expression has a strong negative mood.
The last one is euphemistic double negative ntence. Now take the following ntences as examples: Hardly a year now pass without Shanghai losing its traditional dominance in another field or product.上海几乎每年都要失去其在一个领域或在一种产品上的传统优势。They left without hardly a word. 他们几乎一个字也没有说就离开了。In this kind of ntences, the first negation usually is a common negation or an absolute negation, while the latter one usually is a mi-negative word, such as few, ldom, rarely, little, hardly, barely, scarcely, etc. Obviously, the meaning of the absolute negation is very definite and extreme. While it is the cond negative word that offt the mood of the first one, and this kind of ntences can be translated into “几乎不……”. The mood of the ntence will be much milder.
2.2 Using in Physical Field and Its Reasons：
2.2.1 Facts and Reasons：
We have just mentioned the major effects and functions of double negative ntence. Now let‟s e
an interesting phenomenon: Today, when we read newspapers, magazines, or journals, we can find that double negative ntences are ud more and more in some specific fields. Take the physical field for example: meanings tend to be shown or to be expresd by different forms of double negative ntence. Why? Generally speaking, there are two reasons. On the one hand, the rearch in this field is so rious and objective that the records or the results must be elaborated or shown objectively and surely. In this way, readers will believe what he/ she had read or heard, may be people‟s desire on learning will be inspired due to this reason. On the other hand, the fact that the kinds of ntences are ud frequently in physical field provides us large number of examples, and they can help us to summarize fixed patterns to different kinds of double negative ntences on their translation. Physics, as we known, is a subject that focus on the study of the objective phenomenon in our univer. Through this subject we can understand our objective world, also we can know the innate character of many natural phenomena, so, the ntence expression and mood ud in physical documents are quite confirmative and strong. Maybe in this way, people‟s belief on physical rearch will be gained.
2.2.2 Usage in Different Forms：
Why could the information conveyed in physical field be so affirmative and strong? The reason is the
usage of double negative ntence. In physical documents, there are a great number
of double negative ntences. There are more than ten kinds of differe nt forms of double negative ntences. Now I will give a brief introduction on the different forms we find in physical documents.
a). without…no(not)…
（1）The sun is our energy source and without it we would not be able to survive.
太阳是我们的能源，没有太阳，我们就无法生存。
（2）Without gravity there would be no sound of any kind.
没有重力的作用（地心吸引力），就不会有任何响声。
b). no…not…
（3）There is no steel not containing carbon.
没有不含碳的钢。/ 钢都含有碳。
（4）Now no spaceship can be loaded with man.
现在没有任何宇宙飞船不能载人了。/现在所有的宇宙飞船都可以载人。
c). Negation plus Negation / a word with negative meaning.
（5）No machine ever runs without some friction.
从来没有一台机器运转时没有摩擦。
（6）No flow of water occurs unless there is a difference in pressure.
没有压差，水就不会流动。
（7）There can never be force acting in nature unless two bodies are involved.
在自然界中除非牵涉两个物体，就不能有作用力。
（8）No machine can be completely frictionless.
没有摩擦作用的机器是制造不出来的。
d). not …unlike…
（9） A radar screen is not unlike a television screen.
雷达荧光屏跟电视荧光屏一样。
（10）The changing of a condenr from a battery is not unlike the filling of that from a rervoir.
电池给电容器充电就像油库给油箱加油一样。
e). no / not plus but
（11）There is no material but will deform more or less under the action of force.
各种材料在力的作用下多少会有些变形。
