由于思维方式的不同，英语中有些从正面表达的东西在汉语中习惯从反面来表达;而有些从反面来表达的东西在汉语中则习惯从正面来表达。因此，英译汉时常常有必要进行转换。这就是通常所说的"正说反译、反说正译"法。英语正面表达这里指的是不带否定词no, not , never否定前缀non-, in-, im-, ir-, dis-和否定后缀-less等的句子，汉语正面表达则是指不带"不"、"没"、"非"、"未"、 "否"、 "无"、 "莫"、"勿"、"别"等否定词语的句子;反之则是反面表达。

英语正面表达转换为汉语反面表达

frost-free refrigerator无霜冰箱

Freeze! 别动!

Wet paint! 油漆未干!

mortally ill 不治之症

(1) The proposal was carried by a very narrow margin. 这项建议差点通不过。

(2)We believe that the younger generation will prove worthy of our trust. 我们相信，年轻一代将不会辜负我们的信任。

(3) He went to an outdoor phone booth and dialed Chicago, then New York, then San Francisco. Silence. Silence. Silence. 他到一个户外公用电话亭，先给芝加哥、又给纽约、旧金山打了电话。

(4) As a place to live, it left much to be desired. As a secret training base for a revolutionary new plane, it was an excellent site, its remoteness effectively masking its activity. 作为居住的地方，这里有许多不足之处，但作为改革性的新飞机秘密训练基地，却是非常理想的。因为它地处边陲，人们不易发觉其中的活动。

(5) The pictures that linger in his mind, called up in a moment by such sensations as the smell of roses or of new-mown hay, are of a simpler nature. 然而，萦绕心头的画面，那些一经嗅到玫瑰花香或新鲜干草的气息便会倏地闯入记忆的情景，其实并不复杂。

(6) As he sipped his coffee, he opened a still damp morning paper; and began reading. 他一面喝咖啡，一面翻开油墨未干的晨报，看了起来。

(7) Father's attitude toward anybody who wasn't his kind used to puzzle me. 以前我总不懂父亲为什么对那些脾气跟他不一样的人采取那么个态度。

(8) Sadly, Edward died before he could see the new church, but his beautiful tomb is still there, with the tombs of the Kings and Queens of England who came after him. 遗憾的是，爱德华未能看见新教堂就去世了，但是他那幽雅的坟墓和嗣后的英国国王和王后的坟墓还都留在那里。