翻译课程 第7讲 省略词语

广西师范学院《英汉互译（一）》课程教案

编号: 15-7 开课单位：外语系授课教研室：翻译写作

课程名称：《英汉互译（一）》授课教师：唐旭光

教材：《新编英汉互译教程》，授课对象：06级英语专业2、3、5班

《英汉互译（一）》第七讲省略词语（Omission of Words）

1. Introduction to omission of words

This translation technique means that some words in the original are left out in the version because though they are not contained in the version, their meaning is implied or obvious enough in it. In other words, omission means omission of some words that are found in the original but need not necessarily be retained in the version, or omission of some words that are needed in the original but found superfluous if they are kept in the version.

2. 省略原文的解释性词语

有时英文或中文文本对某个意义使用两个或两个以上的词语表示，而在对应的中文或英文中只有一个，这时只能省略一个。英汉语中都有对偶同义词，通常采用省略法处理。

1. Burning or combustion is the process of uniting a fuel or combustible with the oxygen in the air.

燃烧就是将燃料和空气中的氧气混合的过程。

2. The medfly (Mediterranean fruit fly) is one of the world's most dangerous pests, being a threat to 400 types of vegetables and fruits.

地中海果蝇是世界上最危险的害虫之一，对400多种蔬菜、水果构成威胁。3. Neither party shall cancel the contract without sufficient cause or reason.

双方均不得无故解除合同。

3. 省略原文重复的词语

4. Although in some cases no religious inauguration rites were performed, the sacred nature of the relationship was fully implied in the term jiebai xiongdi or jiebai zimei, meaning sworn brothers or sisters, for the members contracted a bond with each other with the sanctification of the deities.

虽然有时候结拜兄弟或结拜姊妹的人并不为这件事举行宗教仪式，但是这种情谊已经充分包含在结拜这个词语里面了，因为他们已经指天为誓，义结金兰。

4. 根据译语表达习惯省略原文中的某些词语

有的句子成分可有可无，完全直译反而显得罗嗦，还是省略为好。

5. Their respective destinies are becoming increasingly interdependent.

他们的命运日益休戚相关。

（不必译成“他们各自的命运日益休戚相关。”）

6. He had held out his arms, but they had fallen again to his sides; for she had not come forward, standing still in the opening of the doorway.

他已伸出了双臂，却又只好垂了下来，因为她还站在门口，没有走上前来。（如果译成“却又只好垂下来放在两侧”则显得罗嗦。）

7. So Mr. Osborne, having a firm conviction in his own mind that he was a

woman-killer and destined to conquer…

奥斯本先生自信是风月场上的能手，注定要征服那些小姐太太们……（若译成：奥斯本先生在他自己的脑子里有一个坚定的信心……则会十分臃肿。）

5. 省略原文中过于详细的细节

8.I felt a trifle shy at the thought of presenting myself to a total stranger with the announcement that I was going to sleep under his roof, eat his food and drink his whisky, till another boat came in to take me to the port for which I was bound.

我要去见一个素不相识的陌生人，向他宣布我得住在他家，吃他的，喝他的，一直等到下一班船到来，把我带到我要去的港口为止。当我想到这种情景时，我真有点不好意思了。

9. She curtseyed again, and would have blushed deeper, if she could have blushed deeper than she had blushed all the time.

她又行了一个屈膝礼，她的脸一直涨得绯红，所以不可能涨得更红了。

6. 省略英语冠词

英译汉时，英语冠词在许多情况下不必翻译。

10. Is the president of the United States a Republican?

美国总统是共和党党员吗？（不可译作“这美国的这总统是一名共和党党员吗？”）

The latest monthly figures show a growing surplus in China's overseas trade.

最新的月度统计数字表明中国外贸顺差进一步增长。

The fox may grow gray, but never good.

狐狸会变老，但是不会变好。

英语冠词有特指的意义，翻译成汉语时一般不省略。

但值得注意的是，如果英语不定冠词表达“一”这个意思，则不能省略。Rome wasn't built in a day.

罗马不是一天建成的。

I have two brothers and a sister.

我有两个兄弟，一个姊妹。

7. 省略原文并列连词

You'd better put on your sweater, for it's rather cold outside.

你最好把毛衣穿上，外面相当冷。

One more step and you are a dead man.

再走一步，你就死定了。

The camera work is perfect and the cast is good.

电影拍摄好极了，演员也很棒。

Modesty helps one to go forward, whereas conceit makes one lag behind.

谦虚使人进步，骄傲使人落后。

当然，上述四句的并列连词表示的逻辑意义也可翻译出来，但是省略这些并列连

词，译文更好，更加符合汉语习惯。

8. 省略原文从属连词

英语各类状语从句都必须由从属连词引导，汉语各类状语分句则不一定，所以，英语状语从句翻译为汉语时，其从属连词通常省略。此外，汉语的关联词往往成对出现，如“因为……所以”，“虽然……但是”，译成英语时要省略其中一个。If winter comes, can spring be far behind?

冬天来了, 春天还会远吗？

If I had known this beforehand, I would not have gone back.

早知如此，我就不回去了。

While there is life, there is hope.

有生命就有希望。

When a girl leaves her home at eighteen, she does one of two things.

一个十八岁的姑娘离家出门，她的遭遇不外乎两种。

I stepped aside so that he could go in.

我让到一旁让他进去。

9. 表示时间的介词常常省略

I left this city on the afternoon of July the 6th.

七月六号下午我离开了这座城市。

On the early morning of the 10th, there was a big fire here.

十日清晨，这里发生了一场大火灾。

These are our chief tasks at the present stage.

这些就是我们现阶段的主要任务。

“In that case, sir, Adele ought to go to school; I am sure you will perceive the necessity of it.”

“那样的话，先生，阿黛勒该上学了。我想你肯定会意识到这样做是必要的。”

10. 表示地点的介词有时省略

He was born in a small town in southern Germany.

他出生在德国南部的一个小镇。

The post office is at the fourth intersection from here.

邮局在从这里数起的第四个十字路口。

Rumors had already spread along the streets and lanes.

大街小巷早就传遍了各种流言蜚语。

但表地点的介词在谓语动词后面往往不可省略。

She hid behind the door.

她躲在门背后。

11. 表其他意义的介词的省略

In the excessive competition among enterprises, the losers can hardly be eliminated, and the allocation of the resources can hardly be optimized.

企业过度竞争，失败者难以被淘汰，资源难以实现优化配置。

Our institute employed an English teacher. He looked very strange –– red-faced, golden-haired, with a thick growth of whiskers that reached all the way to the nose.

学院请来一位洋教师，长得挺怪––––红脸、金发、连鬓胡子欣欣向荣，郁郁葱

葱，挨近鼻子了。

上述两句的译文的译者灵活地处理了原文的介词短语，将有关介词省略了。

12. 省略用作主语的人称代词

Laura wished now that she was not holding that piece of bread-and-butter, but there was nowhere to put it and she couldn…t possibly throw it away.

这时劳拉宁愿手里没有这块涂上黄油的面包，拿着又没有地方放，又不可能扔掉。

13. 省略作宾语的代词

The more he tried to hide his warts, the more he revealed them.

他越是要掩盖他的烂疮疤，就越是会暴露。

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

如果你读过这些故事，就用自己的话讲出来。

Ice is a solid. If we heat it, it melts and becomes water.

冰是固体。如果加热，冰就会融化成水。

If you study English very hard and practise it constantly, you will be able to use it freely.

如果你努力学习英语，并经常练习不断实践，你就能应用自如。

14. 省略物主代词

He put his hands into his pockets and then shrugged his shoulders.

他将双手放进衣袋里，然后耸了耸肩膀。

One guy goes to a doctor and says, “Doctor, my wife has recently lost her voice. What should I do to help her get it back?” The doctor replies, “Try to come home at 3 in the morning!”

有个人去看医生，问道：“医生，我老婆最近失声，我该怎么帮她恢复声音？” 医生回答：“设法凌晨3点回家！”

15. 省略作形式主语或形式宾语的it, 非人称it和强调句中的it

It is quite possible that there is life out there in the universe.

在外层宇宙空间有生物是非常可能的。

Arabs consider it bad manners to start talking business immediately.

阿拉伯人认为立即就开始谈正事是一种不礼貌的做法。

We think it a pity that a man like him should not work harder.

像他那样的人，不更加努力工作，我们觉得可惜。

It was raining cats and dogs outside.

外面大雨倾盆。

It is only when we cannot see perfectly that we realize how important our eyes are.

只有当我们看不清楚时，我们才知道眼睛是多么重要。

16. 省略引导词和关系代词

英语中引导主语从句、宾语从句和同谓语从句的引导词that在英译汉时必须省略。用来引导限制性定语的关系代词在译文中亦通常省略。

He said that the release of the men gave the green light to terrorism.

他说，释放这些人就是给恐怖主义分子开绿灯。

We demanded a guarantee that no similar incident would occur again.

我们要求保证不再发生类似事件。

The plan gives the government a useful tool with which to allocate resources optimally.

这项计划为政府优化资源配置提供了有效手段。

There was a hooker who met an old man, and said,“Give me twenty dollars. I?ll do anything you want.” “Okay,” he said, taking out a twenty-dollar bill. “Paint my house”.

有一个妓女遇到一位老人，并对他说：“给我20美元，我愿做任何你想要的事。” “好啊，”他掏出一张20美元的纸钞，说道：“油漆我的屋子。”

17. 省略原文某些修辞成分

中文句子还常常用叠词，有时我们无法将同一意思并列反复表达，这时需要省略词语。中文和英文的拟声词并不完全对应，有时也习惯上省略词语。各种非生物的声音在英语中通常由专词表达，而在汉语中却往往被简单笼统地加以表达。

They heard the muffled booming of artillery from afar.

他们听见远处大炮隐隐约约地响着。

The squeaking of the radio was disturbing everybody.

收音机的响声在扰乱大家。