1-5. 受動態

Question 1

The following results of this experiment were obtained.
In this experiment, the following results were obtained.
弱弱しく、虚弱な雰囲気が漂っている
受け身の場合は、書いたことに対して、責任を回避しているという印象を与える

Answer 1

We obtained the following results in this experiment..
This experiment yielded the following results:
The results of this experiment are as follows:

Question 2

It is thought that scientist may be considered to be under the abosloute obilgation never to forget environemental issues.
のどこが問題か？

Answer 2

受け身の問題は、虚弱なこと。文法的には完ぺきだが、その文体は弱腰である
I think scientists must never forget environemental issues.
I believe that scientists are under the absolute obligation never to forget environemtal issues.

Question 3

The effect of direct sunlight on these trees, which for the most part lie in the shade of tall buildings, was ignored.のどこが問題か？

Answer 3

受け身の問題は、主語と述語が離れすぎてしまうこと
たとえば、次のような例もそう。
The possibility of building a new hospital with funds provided by both private donation and governemental assistance under the new law was investigated.
これは、
We investigated the possiblity fo building a new hosipital…
The committee invesigated the possilbility of building a new hospital…

Question 4

The potential public response to his proposal, both positive and negative, domestic and foreign, was calculated.

Answer 4

We calculated the potential public response toのほうが、しっかりした印象を与える

Question 5

Finally the source of the error in the new system which was causing so many problems was determined.

Answer 5

このようなひねくれたものは、

We finally determined the source of the error which was causing so many problems in the new system.

Question 6

ひねくれ中のひねくれ
In 1952, the invention of a perpetual motion machine, which has been the dream of inventors for centuries, by a farmer in Gumma Prefecture using sake lees as a lubricant, was reported.

Answer 6

In 1952, a Gumma Prefecture farmer reporeted his invention, using sake lees as a lubricant, of a perpetual motion machine, which has been the dream of inventors for centuries.
となおせばよい

Question 7

The received wisdom is that the project is doomed to end in failure.

Answer 7

the received wisdomeはエレガントな響き。タキシードを着たような感じ。一方、the accepted wisdomは、会社のグレーの制服を着ているイメージ

Question 8

Japanese universities have changed greatly in the last twenty years, Especially, changes stemming from mid-metroplitan area campuses’ moving to the suburbs have been conspicuous.

Answer 8

「特に・とりわけ」問題
冒頭にくるEspeciallyはない。
なおすなら、
In particular, changes stemming from mid-metropolitan area campuses’ moving to the suburbs have been conspicuous.
さらに磨きたければ、In particularは一体何を指すのかを考える
Changes stemming from mid-metropolitan area campuses’ moving to the suburbs have been particlarly conspicuous.
Changes stemming, in particular, …
Conspicuous have been those changes, in particular…
形容されるものが、明確になっていないとだめ。

Question 9

It has been determined possible with our approach to employ CDs rather than floppy disks for the data base. Accordingly, by using this, the total system, even employing otherwise conventional hardware, will have a convenient data access failure.の何が問題か？

Answer 9

一番目のセンテンスは良い。
二番目は、
The total system, then, promises more convinient data access even with otherwise conventional hardware.
by using this, は当り前で、読者の知的水準を侮辱しているように聞こえるので削除
employingをwithに変えたのは、英語らしさを与えるため
accordinglyは、in agreement with …と一致して、に応じて、に相当してという意味が強い
This instrument is fragile and should be handled accordingly.
The food served at the university dining hall is only barely edible. Visitors are accordingly advised either to bring their own lunches or to make arrangements to eat off campus.
のほうがふさわしい。