翻译技巧4

第五节省略法（Omission）

省略是指原文中有些词不译出来，因为译文中虽无其词却已有其义，或者在译文中是不言而喻的。省略是删去可有可无的词，有了反倒累赘的词，违背译文语言习惯的词。但省略决不是删去原文的某些思想内容。

一、从语法角度看

（一）省略代词

1．省略作主语的人称代词

（1）根据汉语习惯，前句出现一个主语，后句仍为同一主语，不必重复出现。

1）Ｈe was tired and weary and he looked miserable.

他疲惫不堪，（他）看上去一副可怜相。

2) But it’s the way I am, and try as I might, I haven’t been able to change it.

不过我就是这个脾气，（我）虽然想改(…)，（我）终未能改变(…)。

（2）泛指人称代词作主语时，即便是第一个主语，也往往省略掉。

1) We eat to live, but not live to eat.

(我们)为生存而吃饭，而不应该为吃饭而生存。

2．省略作宾语的代词

1）If you have read these stories, tell them in your own words.

如果你读过这些故事，请用自己的话复述（这些故事）。

3．省略物主代词

1) I wash my face and brush my teeth in the morning.

我早上洗（我的）脸、刷（我的）牙。

2) He shrugged his shoulders, s, shook his head, cast up his eye but said nothing.

他耸了耸（他的）肩，摇了摇（他的）头，（他的）两眼看天，一句话也没说。

4．省略非人称it或强调句it

（1）非人称用it

1) He glanced at his watch; it was 9:00.

他一看表，9点了。

（2）强势用it

1) It was only then that I realized my mistake.

只是在那时我才意识到我错了。

（二）省略连接词

1. 省略并列连接词

1）Your parents or your wife or your son or your best friends might be expecting you back home safe and sound.

也许你父母，你妻子，你儿子，你最好的朋友都正盼望你安全回家呢。

2. 省略表示原因的连接词

1) We know that summer is coming, as we can see a swallow.

我们看见了燕子，知道夏天就要来了。

3. 省略表示条件的连接词

1) If winter comes, can spring be far behind?

冬天来了，春天还会远吗？（雪莱：《西风颂》）

4.省略表示时间的连接词

1) When the train pulled in the station, he stood up.

火车进站，他站起身来。

2) We are busy with our studies after the summer vacation.

暑假结束，我们又投入到紧张的学习之中。

（三）省略冠词

1．A teacher should have patience.

教师必须要有耐心

2. When I got to the cinema, the film had already begun.

我到电影院时，电影已经开始了。

必须指出的是，下列情况冠词不可在翻译时省略：

1．不定冠词指“一”、“每一”“同一”时；

1) He left without saying a word.

他一句话不说就走了。

2) We would do it a unit a week.

我们将每周学习一个单元。

3) The children are of an age.

这些孩子同岁。

2．定冠词the强调“这”、“那”时。

1）He caught the fish.

这条鱼是他抓住的。

2）I lost my watch yesterday. I bought the watch in Hiroshima.

我的手表昨天丢了。那块表是我在广岛买的。

（四）省略介词

一般说来，表示时间和地点的英语介词，出现在汉译句句首大都可省，在句中、句尾大都不省。1. 省略表示时间的介词

1) The People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949.

一九四九年中华人民共和国成立。

（比较：中华人民共和国成立于一九四九年。）

2. 省略表示地点的介词

1) Smoking is prohibited in public places.

公共场合不准抽烟。（比较：不准在公共场合抽烟。）

二、从修辞角度看

（一）重复出现的短语汉译时可适当省略

Among the applicants, those who have working experiences receive preference over those who don’t.

求职者中，有工作经验者（比没有工作经验的）将优先录用。

（二）根据汉语习惯译文中可省略可有可无的累赘词汇，以求精炼。

1）In 12 Yan’an Years, Mao and his comrades had fitted themselves to the land, the rhythm of its seasons, the mood of its peasants.

十二年的延安岁月，毛泽东和他的同志们已经适应了当地的风土,适应了

当地的季节（循环），也适应了农民的气质。

2） A teach er’s priority in his teaching is to teach his students how to learn instead of teaching them what to learn.

教师(在教学工作中)的首要任务是教（他的）学生怎样学，而不是（教他们）学什么。

（三）英语比较句式中后面出现的用代词所指代的内容时，汉译时可以省略,特别是口语话句子。

1）The population of Shandong Province is even larger than that of the U.K.

山东省的人口比英国(的人口)多。

第六节正反、反正表达法(negation)

英语、汉语中均有从正面或反面来表达一种概念的现象。翻译时，英语中正面表达的词或句子，译文中可从反面表达；英语中反面表达的词或句子，译文中可从正面表达。这里所谓正面表达和反面表达，主要是指在英语中是否用“no, not,never,”或“de-, dis- , non-, im- , in- ,un- ,-less,”等否定性词缀的词；在汉语中是否用“不、非、无、没、没有、未、否、别、休、甭、孬、莫、勿、毋”等否定意义的字。含这些成分的为反说，不含的为正说。但有些英语词，如dismiss,虽有否定性前缀，但去掉前缀的动词与原词并不是反义词，所以不能算作反面表达的词。英语中还有一些词，翻译时，正、反表达都行得通，如correct, 既可译为“正确”（正面表达），也可译为“没错、没毛病”（反面表达）。要根据上下文选用一种能更有利于准确表达原文思想内容的说法。

一、英语从正面表达，译文从反面表达

（一）动词

１．Te first bombs missed the target.

第一批炸弹没有击中目标。

2．Excuse me.

对不起。

(二) 副词

1. We may safely say so.

我们这样说万无一失。

2. A: The boy is quite clever. B: Exactly.

甲：这孩子真聪明。乙：一点不错。

(三) 形容词

1. He is not stupid, merely ignorant.

他并不愚笨，仅仅是无知而已。

2. The plan is not final.

计划并不是不可改变的。

（四）介词

１．What you’ve said is above me.

你所说的我不懂。

２．It was beyond his power to do so.

他无权这样做。

３．另：After you!

您先请！（尽管在译句中没出现否定性词汇，可是“先”与

After相反。）

(五）连接词

1．The soldiers would fight to death before they surrender.

战士们宁可战斗到死，而决不投降。

(六) 名词

1．This failure was the making of him.

这次不成功是他成功的基础。

（七）短语

1. She kept to her room all day.

她一整天没出房门。

（八）句子

1. He is nearly 60,but he carried his years lightly.

他已年近花甲，可并不显老。

2.The decision has to come.

决定尚未作出。

二、英语从反面表达，译文从正面表达

（一）动词

１．He disappeared right away in the crowd.

他在人群中立刻消失了。

２．Did the child displease you?

孩子让你生气了吗？

（二）副词

１．Many agreed that he resigned dishonorably.

许多人认为他的下野是丢面子的事。

（三）形容词

1. All the articles are untouchable in the museum.

博物馆里的所有展品禁止触摸。

(四) 名词

1.He manifested his strong dislike for his father’s business.

他对他父亲的行业表示出强烈的厌恶。

(五) 短语

1．Don’t lose time in posting the letter.

赶快把这封信寄出去。

（五）句子

1.Jim was no end upset because he couldn’t drive a car.

吉姆因不会开车总是心中烦恼。

第七节分句法(division)、合句法(combination)

翻译英语句子时，有时我们可以把原文的句子结构整个保存下来或稍微加以改动即可；但在不少情况下则必须将原句结构作较大改变。分句法和合句法是改变原文句子结构的两种重要方法。所谓分句法是指把原文的一个简单句译成两个

或两个以上的句子；所谓合句法是指把原文两个或两个以上的简单句或一个复合句在译文中用一个单句来表达。

一、分句法

(一)把原文中的一个单词译成句子，使原文的一个句子分成两个或两个以上的句子。

1.副词

1）The Chinese seem justifiably proud of their economic achievements.

中国人似乎为他们的经济成就而自豪，这是合乎情理的。

2.形容词

1）Chairman Mao might have spoken with understandable pride of his policy of “self-reliance”.

毛泽东主席在谈到他的“自力更生”方针时，也许有些自豪感，这是可以理解的。

3. 名词

1）A movie of him leaving the foxholewould look like a shell leaving the rifle.

他离开那个掩体速度之快，要是拍成电影的话，会象出膛的子弹。

(二)把原文中的一个短语译成句子，使原文的一个句子分译成两个或两个以上的句子。

1.分词短语

1）They were at home in the homes of the villagers, moving confidently without any fear.他们在村民家中感到轻松自在，行动起来心里塌实，无忧无虑。

2.名词短语

1) The writer wrote 3 stories in one month, a record never touched before.

这位作家一个月内写了三个短篇小说，打破了以往的记录。

3.介词短语

1) He arrived in Yan’an at a ripe moment internationally.

他来到延安，就国际形势来说，时机正合适/恰是时候。

（三）拆原句一句为两句或更多句。

1）But another Gulf War in the region would clearly make the international situation even more tenser.

但是，假若海湾地区再次发生战争，势必使国际局势更加紧张。

二、合句法

（一）把原文中两个或两个以上的简单句译成一个单句。

1）He is honest. He is straightforward.

他为人纯朴而坦诚。

（二）把原文中的复合句译成一个句子。

1) When we praise her, we are not merely being polite.

我们对她的赞扬不仅仅出于礼貌。

2) In 1844 Engels met Marx, and they became life-long friends.

一八四四年，恩格斯与马克思相遇并成为终身朋友。

could not afford to feed it and he dared not give it away.

You can never tell.

Please excuse me but I have to.

In her letter, she told me about her college life.

Outside it was pitch dark and it was raining heavily.

It was with some difficulty that she found her way home.

She looked gloomy and troubled.

Because departure is not easy, we must make it brief.

I would not have said so if I had known it.

A tiger is a dangerous animal.

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

The battle began at 11:00 p.m.

Rumors spread widely in the college.

At that time, he was not the only person who looked down upon me, many others looked upon me.

There was no snow yet, but leaves were gone from the trees, the grass was dead.

天未下雪，但叶落草枯。

His sister is an actress.

Such a chance was denied (to) me.

This summer is predictably hotter.

She felt miserable.

Your judgment is correct.

It seems against nature.

I will not go unless I hear from him.

His hesitation led to his failure.

The explanation is far from being satisfactory.

Would you please undress your overcoat before going in to the room?

He carelessly finished his homework.

The American Marine Corps is an unusual army.

I watched with disbelief as the little boy climbed the big tree.

Students, with no exception, are to have physical examinations.

What you have done can’t escape notice.

He, not surprisingly, did not come at all.

That guy was the most identifiable fox.

He shook his head and his eyes were wide, then narrowed in indignation.

She sat with her hands cupping her chin, staring at a corner of the room.

Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, a universally accepted law.

Their power increased with their number.

He had made several attempts to help them escape without success.

She was born in a very small town. The town is in the north of China near the sea. It was midnight, and there were few people on the street.

could not afford to feed it and he dared not give it away.

此时这位大臣宁愿没被赐给这头大象，（这位大臣）养不起（这头大象），（这位大臣）又不敢打发掉（这头大象）。

You can never tell.

很难说。

Please excuse me but I have to.

请原谅（我），不过我不得不这样做。

In her letter, she told me about her college life.

在（她的）信中，她给我谈了她的大学生活。

Outside it was pitch dark and it was raining heavily.

外面漆黑一片，大雨滂沱。

It was with some difficulty that she found her way home.

她费了好大劲才找到回家的路。

She looked gloomy and troubled.

她看上去忧愁不安。

Because departure is not easy, we must make it brief.

告别是件难事，因此必须简短。

I would not have said so if I had known it.

早知这样，我就不会说那话了。

A tiger is a dangerous animal.

老虎是危险的动物。

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

太阳升于东而落于西。

The battle began at 11:00 p.m.

夜晚十一点，战役打响了。（比较：战役在夜晚十一点打响。）

Rumors spread widely in the college.

学校里谣言四起。（比较：谣言盛传在学校各个角落。）

At that time, he was not the only person who looked down upon me, many others looked upon me.

那个时候，看不起我的不只是他一个人，而是还有许多其他人（也看不起我）。

There was no snow yet, but leaves were gone from the trees, the grass was dead.

天未下雪，但叶落草枯。

(比较：天还没下雪，但树上的叶子落了，草也枯死了。)

His sister is an actress.

他妹妹是个（女）演员。

Such a chance was denied (to) me.

我没有得到这样一个机会。

This summer is predictably hotter.

不出所料，今年夏天更热。

She felt miserable.

她感到心里不舒服。

Your judgment is correct.

你的判断没错。

It seems against nature.

这似乎违反自然规律。

I will not go unless I hear from him.

如果他不通知我，我就不去。

His hesitation led to his failure.

他的不果断导致了他的失败。

The explanation is far from being satisfactory.

这一解释远不能令人满意。

Would you please undress your overcoat before going in to the room? 请你进房间之前脱掉外衣。

He carelessly finished his homework.

他马马虎虎地做完了作业。

The American Marine Corps is an unusual army.

美国海军陆战队是一支特殊部队。

I watched with disbelief as the little boy climbed the big tree.

当那个小孩爬上大树时，我怀疑地看着。

Students, with no exception, are to have physical examinations.

今天下午学生统统要进行体检。

What you have done can’t escape notice.

你所做的一切都会被发现的。

He, not surprisingly, did not come at all.

他根本就没来，这在预料之中。

That guy was the most identifiable fox.

那个人十分狡猾，大家可以非常容易地看出来。

He shook his head and his eyes were wide, then narrowed in indignation.

他摇了摇头，双目圆睁，接着又眯成一条缝，脸上露出愤怒的神色。

She sat with her hands cupping her chin, staring at a corner of the room.

她坐在哪儿，双手托着下巴，眼睛凝视着房间的一角。

Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, a universally accepted law.

能量既不可被创造，也不可被毁灭，这是一条普遍公认的规律。

Their power increased with their number.

他们人数增加了，力量也随之增强。

He had made several attempts to help them escape without success.

他已试了好几次，要帮他们逃出去，但总没成功。

She was born in a very small town. The town is in the north of China near the sea.她出生在中国北方一个沿海的小镇。

It was midnight, and there were few people on the street.

午夜时分，街上行人稀少。