笔译技巧：省略法.doc

笔译技巧：省略法一、从语法角度来看（一）省代词1省略作主语的人称代词根据汉语习惯，前句出现一个主语，后句如仍为同一主语，就不必重复出现。英语中通常每句都有主语，因此人称代词作主语往往多次出现，这种人称代词汉译时常常可以省略。（1）省略作主语的人称代词I had many wonderful ideas, but I only put a few into practice.我有很多美妙的想法，但是只把少数付诸实践了。He was thin and haggard and he looked miserable.他瘦弱憔悴，看上去一副可怜相。（2）英语中，泛指人称代词作主语时，即使是作第一个主语，在汉语译文中往往也可以省略。We live and learn.活到老，学到老。When will he arrive?-You can never tell.他什么时候到？-说不准。The significance of a man is not in what he attained but rather in what he longs to attain.人生的意义不在于已经获取的，而在于渴望得到什么样的东西。2省略作宾语的代词英语中有些作宾语的代词，不管前面是否提到过，翻译时往往可以省略。The more he tried to hide his mistakes, the more he revealed them.他越是想要掩盖他的错误，就越是容易暴露。Please take off the old picture and throw it away.请把那张旧画取下来扔掉。3省略物主代词英语句子中的物主代词出现的频率相当高。一个句子往往会出现好几个物主代词，如果将每个物主代词都翻译出来，那么汉语译文就显得非常罗嗦。所以在没有其他人称的物主代词出现的情况下，在翻译时物主代词大多被省略。I put my hand into my pocket.我把手放进口袋。She listened to me with her rounded eyes.她睁大双眼，听我说话。4. 省略反身代词How does atoms arrange themselves in a solid?原子在固体中是如何排列的？We should concern ourselves here only with the structure of atoms.这里我们只论述原子的结构。Friction manifests itself as a force that opposes motion.磨擦表现为阻碍运动的力。Although pure science usually has no apparent connection with technology, it does lend itself to the development of applied science.理论科学虽然通常与技术没有明显的联系，但确实有助于应用科学的发展。（二）代词it的省略it起着代词的作用，在译文中，当它被用作非人称或没有意义的时候，往往可以省略。Outside it was pitch dark and it was raining cats and dogs.外面一团漆黑，大雨倾盆。He glanced at his watch; it was 7:15.他一看表，是七点一刻了。It took me a long time to reach the hospital.我花了很长时间才到了医院。It is the people who are really powerful.人民才是最强大的。（三）省略连接词汉语词语之间连接词用得不多，其上下逻辑关系常常是暗含的，由词语的次序来表示。英语则不然，连接词用得比较多。因此，英译汉时在很多情况下可不必把连接词译出来。He looked gloomy and troubled.他看上去有些忧愁不安。（省略并列连接词）As it is late, you had better go home.时间不早了，你最好回家去吧。（省略表示原因的连接词）If sinter comes, can spring be far behind?冬天来了，春天还会远吗？（省略表示条件的连接词）If I had known it, I would not have joined in to.早知如此，我就不参加了。（省略表示条件的连接词）John rose gloomily as the train stopped, for he was thinking of his ailing mother.火车停了，约翰郁郁地站了起来，因为他想起了病中的母亲。（省略表示时间的连接词）（四）省略冠词1英语有冠词，汉语没有冠词；因此，英译汉时往往可将冠词省略。A teacher should have patience in his work.当教员的应当有耐心。（省略不定冠词A）The horse is a useful animal.马是有益的动物。（省略定完词The）It is out of the question to fly to the moon in the past.在过去，飞往月球是绝对办不到的事情。（省略定完词The）The moon was slowly rising above the sea.月亮慢慢从海上升起。（省略定冠词The）2英译汉时，省略原文中的冠词是一般情况。但在某些场合，冠词却不能省略，可以翻译为一个，每一，这个，那个等。例如：He left without saying a word.他一句话不说就走了。Egbert said he was getting a dollar a mile.埃格伯特说，他（开车）每天一英里就赚一块钱。This is the book you wanted.这就是你要的那本书。（五）省略介词1省略表示时间的前置词一般说来，表示时间和地点的英语介词，译成汉语如出现在句首，大都可以省略，出现在句尾大都不省略。The Peoples 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。（介词译成汉语在句首时可以省略，在句尾就没有省略）On July 1, 1997, Hongkong returned to the Peoples Republic of China.一九九七年七月，香港回归了中华人民共和国。2省略表示地点的前置词Smoking is prohibited in public places.公共场所不准吸烟。In winter, it is much colder in the North than it is in the South.冬天，北方的天气比南方冷得多。然而，表示地点的英语介词在译文句首往往可以省略，但放在动词后面却一般不省略，如：He stood by the desk.他站在桌旁。I stayed in my brothers house.我住在弟弟家里。（六）省略动词英语句子中一般必须有谓语动词。而汉语的谓语并不一定非由动词充当，形容词和名词等同样可以作谓语。英译汉时可根据汉语的习惯适当省略原文中的某些动词。主要有两类：一些连系动词和一些与具有动作含义的名词等搭配使用的动词。When the pressure gets low, the boiling-point becomes low.气压低，沸点就低。Delivery must be effected within the time stated on the purchase order.必须在购货单规定的时间交货。二、从修辞角度看（一）英语句子中有些短语重复出现，或者具有相同意义的词重复出现，英译汉时可按情况作适当省略。University applicants who had worked at a job would receive preference over those who had not.报考大学的人，有工作经验的优先录取。分析：如果不作省略，译成“报考大学的人，有工作经验的，比没有工作经验的，优先录取”，就显得累赘。Neither party shall cancel the contract without sufficient cause or reason.双方均不得无故解除合同。分析：如果译成“.没有原因和理由”的话，就不够精炼。The late Mr. James had passed to her Maker somewhere about 1930.詹姆士先生升天大约是在1930年。比较：已故的詹姆士先生升天大约是在1930年。（二）根据汉语习惯，译文中可以省略一些可有可无的词。There was still the faith that ordinary men are greater than the powers of nature or the mechanisms of mans hands and will master them all in the end.人们仍然相信，普通的人要比自然的力量或人类造出来的机器更伟大，而且最终会控制它们。分析：这里，The mechanisms of mans hands不必译为“人类的手造出来的机器”。As it happens, we did not meet there.我们并未在那里碰头。China is also a country of people with a passionate love of flowers and trees and intense dedication to the welfare of children and to the work ethic.中国人还热爱鲜花和树木，专心致志献身于造福儿童的事业，并恪守工作道德。比较：中国也是这个一个国家，它的人民For our part, we fully realized that, to avoid the possibility of any further cease-fire violations, the troops must be withdrawn.我们充分认识到，要避免继续违反停火的可能，必须实现撤军。She curtseyed again, and would have blushed deeper, if she could have blushed deeper than she has blushed all the time.她又行了个屈膝礼，由于她的脸一直涨得通红，所以现在不可能涨得更红了。There was no snow, the leaves were gone from the trees, the grass was dead.天未下雪，但叶落草枯。分析：试比较：树叶从树上落下来，草也枯死了。前者简明洗炼。小结1. 省