英汉翻译实务第13讲--技巧篇.doc

本文档系作者精心整理编辑，实用价值高。英汉翻译实务第13讲 Omission 减词法课时：2节教学目的要求：通过对以前所学习的英语和汉语句法结构的区别的回顾，在把英语翻译成汉语的过程中，把握如何删减不必要的词语，使译文表达通顺、自然，减词不减意。教学重点：英汉翻译中代词的省略。教学难点：形合和意合的理解及在翻译中的运用。教学内容：I. What is OmissionOmission: Amplification to leave out some unnecessary words.One of the differences in syntax between English and Chinese is the disparity in wording. What is regarded as a natural or indispensable element in one language may be regarded as superfluous or even “a stumbling block” in the other. For the sake of succinctness, functional words in English such as the article, the preposition are usually omitted in translation.See examples:1） The time-keeping devices of electronic watches are much more accurate than those of mechanical ones.电子表比机械表准确得多。2） He took off his coat and shoes. Then he put on his slippers，went to the sofa and began to watch TV. After a moment, he asked his wife to bring him a cup of tea.他脱了大衣和鞋子，然后穿上拖鞋，走到沙发前，开始看电视。过了一会儿，他叫妻子给他端杯茶来。3) A difference over the height of the fence arose between the neighbors.邻居之间为了篱笆的高度惹起了一场争论。邻居为篱笆的高低有过争论。II. Omission of pronoun1. 在英语中，代词充当主语的情况相当多。为了使译文前后的句子意思紧凑，避免重复用词，汉语习惯采用无主句，其主语就是前面的代词。1） He was thin and haggard and he looked miserable.他消瘦而憔悴，看上去痛苦不堪的样子（一副可怜相）。2）He was well-favoured, bright, a good dancer, a fair shot and a fine tennis player. He was an asset at any party. He was lavish with flowers and expensive boxes of chocolate, and though he entertained little, when he did it was with an originality that pleased.他很聪明，舞跳得不错，枪打得也可以，网球也打得挺好，深得（女孩子）喜爱。他是宴会中的宝贝儿，任意购买鲜花和高价巧克力送人。尽管他不大请客，请起来也别有一番创意，让人开心不已。2.英语中的泛指人称代词作主语时，常常可以省略，翻译成无主句。1） As you come into the room, youll notice a piano.一进房间门，就会看见一台钢琴。2） One can never be too careful in ones work.工作越仔细越好。3） Fight when you can win; move away when you cannot win.打得赢就打，打不赢就走。4）We have 7 days a week and 24 hours a day.一周有七天，一天有24小时。Please translate the following sentences:1) The significance of a man is not in what he attains but rather in what he longs to attain.人生的意义不在于已获取的，而在于渴望获得什么样的东西。2) Knowledge is a comfortable and necessary retreat and shelter for us in an advanced age; and if we do not plant it while young, it will give us no shade when we grow old.知识是人到老年舒适而又必须的归宿。如果年轻时不种下知识之树，老年时就得不到树阴的遮蔽。3） Even as the doctor was recommending rest, he knew that this in itself was not enough, that one could never get real rest without a peaceful mind.尽管医生建议休息，他也知道休息本身是不够的，如果心情不平静，是休息不好的。4）We live and learn.活到老，学到老。3. 作宾语的代词,翻译时也可以省略.1） Please take off the old picture and throw it away.请把那张旧画摘下来扔掉。2） Gathering facts, confirming them, suggesting theories, testing them, and organizing findings this is all work of science.收集事实并加以论证，提出理论并加以检验，以及归纳整理研究成果这全都是科学工作的内容。4. 物主代词在英语中出现的频率非常高，翻译时完全可以省略他们。1） So the train came, he pinched his little sister lovingly, and put his great arms about his mothers neck and then was away.火车来了，他爱抚地捏了一下小妹妹，用两条巨大的胳膊搂了一下母亲的脖子，然后走了。2） Halliday put his pipe down, crossed his hands behind his neck, and turned his face towards the window.哈利德放下烟斗，两手交叉放在脖子后面，转过头去看窗户。3）Her dark hair waved untidy across her broad forehead, her face was short, her upper lip short , showing a glint of teeth, her brows were straight and dark, her lashes long and dark, her nose straight.她的黑发蓬松地飘拂在宽宽的前额，脸是短短的，上唇也是短短的，露出亮亮的牙齿；眉毛又直又黑，睫毛又长又黑，鼻子笔直。5. “It” 作代词时，也常常可以省略。1）It is not entirely right to say that if there is food, let everyone share it. 说有饭大家吃并不完全正确。2）Outside it was pitch dark and it was raining cats and dogs.外面漆黑一团，下着瓢泼大雨。3）Be a place what it may, one gets to like it, if one lives long in it.无论怎样的地方，要是住得久了，总会渐渐喜欢起那地方的。It” 用于强调句中，没有实际意义，也要省略。It is only shallow people who judge by appearances.只有浅薄的人才会以貌取人。It was only then I began to have doubts whether my story would ever be told.只是那时我才开始怀疑我的经历究竟能不能公之于众。It was with some difficulty that he found the way to his own home.他费了不少劲才找到家。III. Omission of conjunction英语重形合Hypotaxis，词与词，短语之间，句子之间的关系，主要通过连词表达；而汉语重意合Parataxis，词与词之间靠顺序体现，句子之间的关系也往往通过句序体现。翻译时，可以根据实际情况省略连词。 1） He did not sleep much, but when he did he dreamed of beautiful princesses, splendid castles, and gold and silver.他没睡多久，要是一入睡便梦到如花似玉的公主，梦到富丽堂皇的城堡，梦到黄金，梦到白银。2） He was lazy, peevish, and a bon-vivant; the appearance of a lady frightened him beyond measure; hence it was but seldom that he joined the paternal circle in Russell Square, where there was plenty of gaiety, and where the jokes of his good-natured old father frightened his amour-propre(self-esteem).他生性懒惰，脾气浮躁，又爱吃，又爱喝，一看见女人就吓得半死。勒塞尔广场家里人多热闹；他的父亲性情随和，很爱开玩笑，说的话常常扫他的面子，害得他不敢多回老家。3） It was a keen disappointment when I had to postpone the visit which I had intended to pay to China in May. I was delighted when, as a result of the effort of your company, it proved possible to reinstate the visit so quickly.原打算五月份访华，后不得不推迟，深感失望。由于贵公司的努力，访问这么快得以重新安排，非常高兴。 4）If winter comes, can spring be far behind? (Shelly, Ode to the West Wind)冬天来了，春天还会远吗？5） As the desert is like a sea, so is the camel like a ship.沙漠如海，骆驼似舟。6）However, such change is not easy and can be accomplished only when leaders of both sides have no illusions, talk with candour, and meet differences head-on. 然而，要实现这种改变并非易事，只有双方领导抛弃幻想，开诚布公，正视差异才能实现。7）Those who say that we are in a time when there are no heroes, they just dont know where to look.有些人说这是一个没有英雄的时代，那是因为他们不懂得如何发现。IV. Omission of the Articles1）The article is the hallmark of English. However, we do not have the articles in Chinese.The moon was slowly rising above the sea.月亮从海边慢慢升起。2）Winter is the best time to study the growth of trees. Although the leaves are gone and the branches are bare, the trees themselves are beautiful.冬天是研究树木生长的最好季节，虽然树叶落了，树枝光了，但树本身却是美丽的。3）Any substance is made of atoms whether it is a solid, a liquid, or a gas.任何物质，无论是固体、液体还是气体，都由原子组成。4）A teacher should have patience in his work.当老师的应当有耐心。5）Things of a kind come together; people of a mind fall into the same group.物以类聚，人以群分。6）The horse is a useful animal.不可省略：Jack often drives at 90 miles an hour.We enclose a cheque for US $ 10,000.V. Omission of prepositionSmoking is prohibited in public places.公共场所禁止吸烟。Now complaints are heard in all parts of that country.该国各地怨声载道。Rumours had already spread along the streets and lanes.各种流言传遍了大街小巷。但是，动词后的介词一般不省略。He stood by the desk.She hid behind the door.VI. Omission of verbsWhen the pressure gets low, the boiling point becomes low.气压低，沸点就低。Solids expand and contract as liquids and gases do.如同液体和气体一样，固体也能膨胀和收缩。With regard to their products, they have the same concerns of the interrelationship of design, materials and manufacturing process.关于产品，他们同样要考虑设计、材料和制造工艺三者之间的相互关系。VII. Omission of synonyms 1）To our knowledge, advertisement and commercials do many important things for society; they convey business information, facilitate communication and help keep the business world moving.据我们所知，广告在社会中起着重要的作用：传递商品信息，促进交流，使商界正常运作。2）The undersigned sellers and buyers have agreed to close the following transactions according to the terms and conditions stipulated below.兹经买卖双方同意成交下列商品，特签定如下条款。3）Neither party shall cancel the contract without sufficient cause or reason.双方均不得无故解除合同。VIII. Omission of redundant words1）Part-time job hunters who have worked at a job will receive preference over those who have not.寻找业余工作者，有工作经验者优先聘用。2）There was no snow, the leaves were gone from the trees, the grass was dead.没有下雪，但已叶落草枯。Exercises 1. These developing countries cover vast territories, encompass a large population and abound in natural resources.2. Scientific exploration, the search for knowledge has given man the practical result of being able to shield himself from the calamities of nature and the calamities imposed by others.3. There was no haste or restlessness in his manner but a poised friendliness.4. Never trouble yourself with trouble till trouble troubles you. 5. The true joy of joys is the joy that joys in the joy of others.6. In order survive, to feed, clothe and shelter himself and his children, man is engaged in a constant struggle with the nature.7. Peter has always enjoyed claiming that it was he and not George, who was the first to reach the summit of the mountain.8. In ancient Rome, we have patricians, knights, plebeians, slaves9. If you want to kill a snake, you must hit it first on the head and it you want to catch a band of robbers you must first catch their leader.10. He was a non-smoker and a teetotaller. （绝对禁酒者）11. Since he lost his job, hes been a loner.12. He had surfaced with less visibility in the policy decisions.13. He spoke with firmness, but his face was very sad and his eyes at times were dim.14. We never know the value of water till the well is dry.15One must make painstaking effort before one could succeed in mastering a foreign language. Key to the exercises 2. These developing countries cover vast territories, encompass a large population and abound in natural resources.这些发展中国家幅员辽阔，人口众多，资源丰富。（地大物博，人口众多）2. Scientific exploration, the search for knowledge has given man the practical result of being able to shield himself from the calamities of nature and the calamities imposed by others.人类对科学的探索，对知识的探求，其结果是使自己具有了躲避天灾人祸的能力。15. There was no haste or restlessness in his manner but a poised friendliness.他举止不慌不忙，十分友好。（从容不迫，和蔼可亲）16. Never trouble yourself with trouble till trouble troubles you. 别自找麻烦。17. The true joy of joys is the joy that joys in the joy of others.与人同乐才是真正的快乐。18. In order survive, to fe