英汉互译5-omission.doc

Unit 5 OmissionOmission is a technique opposite to amplification. True, a translator has no right to subtract any meaning from the original work. But it does not follow that he should refrain from omitting any words at all in translation. In fact, one of the marked 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. . Omission in English-Chinese TranslationGenerally speaking, omission in English-Chinese translation is used to achieve the effect of succinctness, especially in the cases of English pronouns and functional words such as the article, the preposition, the conjunction, etc.1. Omitting the PronounPronouns are more frequently used in English than in Chinese. Therefore, when translated into Chinese, many English pronouns may be omitted so as to conform the rendering to the accustomed usage of Chinese expression.He put his hands into his pockets and then shrugged his shoulders.他将双手放进口袋，然后耸了耸肩。 For two weeks, he had been studying the house, looking at its rooms, its electric wiring, its path and its garden. 两周以来，他一直注意观察房子的情况，查看各个房间，留心电线的走向，通道和花园的布局。They went in to dinner. It was excellent, and the wine was good. Its influence presently had its effect on them. They talked not only without acrimony, but even with friendliness. 他们进入餐室用餐。美酒佳肴，顿受感染，言谈间不但没有恶言恶语，甚至还充满友好之情。2. Omitting the ArticleThe article is the hallmark of English nouns. When translated into Chinese, it is usually omitted except when the indefinite article is intended to indicate the numeral “one”, or “a certain”.The moon was slowly rising above the sea. 月亮慢慢从海上升起。Any substance is made up of atoms whether it is a solid, a liquid, or a gas.任何物质，不论是固体，液体或气体，都由原子组成。The direction of a force can be represented by an arrow. 力的方向可以用箭头表示。3. Omitting the PrepositionChinese is characterized by its succinctness and the preposition appears less frequently in Chinese than in English, and therefore omission of prepositions is a common practice in English-Chinese translation.Smoking is prohibited in public places. 公共场所不许吸烟。The difference between the two machines consists in power. 这两台机器的差别在于功率不通。Hydrogen is the lightest element with an atomic weight of 1.008. 氢是最轻的元素，原子量为1.008.4. Omitting the ConjunctionChinese is considered an analytic language and many conjunctions that are indispensable in English may seem redundant in Chinese.He looked gloomy and trouble. 他看上去有些忧愁不安。If I had known it, I would not have joined in. 早知如此，我就不参加了。Like charges repel each other while opposite charges attract.同性电荷相斥，异性电荷相吸。5. Omitting the VerbAs Chinese is a language of parataxis (意合连结), its grammar is not so strict as that of English, and predicative verbs in Chinese sometimes may also be omitted.When 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。For this reason television signals have a short range. 因此，电视信号的传播距离很短。6. Omitting the Impersonal Pronoun “it”This often occurs when “it” stands for time, weather, distance, or formal subject/object of a sentence.Outside it was pitch-dark and it was raining cats and dogs. 外面一团漆黑，大雨倾盆。This formula makes it easy to determine the wavelength of sounds.这一公式使得测定声音的波长十分简单。It was not until the middle of the 19th century that the blast furnace came into use.直到19世纪中叶，高炉才开始使用。. Omission in Chinese-English TranslationOmission in Chinese-English translation is usually used to avoid unnecessary repetition. It is generally employed in three circumstances: 1. Redundant words in original Chinese, such as unnecessary repetition and wordy expressions; 2. the original meaning that has already been implied in the context of the English version; and 3. the original meaning obviously shown in the English version without further elaboration.1. Omitting Redundant Words 质子带正电，电子带负电，而中子既不带正电，也不带负电。A proton has a positive charge and an electron a negative charge, but a neutron has neither. 我已经提前完成了交给我的工作，他也提前完成了交给他的工作。I have fulfilled my assigned work ahead of schedule, so has he. 我们说，长征是历史记录上的第一次，长征是宣言书，长征是宣传队，长征是播种机。We answer that the Long March is the first of its kind in the annals of history that is a manifesto, a propaganda force, a seeding-machine. 匪军所至，杀戮人民，奸淫妇女，焚毁村庄，掠夺财物，无所不用其极。 Where the bandit troops went, they massacred and raped, burned and looped, and stopped at nothing.2. Omitting Words of Conceptual CategorySometimes, omission is used in Chinese-English translation when the original Chinese indicates not a specific case but a conceptual category, especially such nouns as “任务，工作，情况，问题，事业，局面” and so on. For example: 我们党结束了那个时期的社会动荡和纷扰不安的局面。Our party has put an end to the social unrest and upheaval of that time. 这些都是人民内部矛盾问题。 All these are contradictions among the people. 她的朋友们听到她家中的困难情况后，都主动伸出援助之手。After her friends heard about her family difficulties, they offered her a helping hand.3. Omitting Meticulous DescriptionsOccasionally, omission is used to simplify the sentence structure, especially when the original Chinese is too meticulous in description. 200公里行道上遍布着无数险滩。险滩上江流汹涌，回旋激荡，水击礁石，浪花飞溅，声如雷鸣。Numerous shoals scattered over the 200 km course give rise to many eddies. Pounding on the midstream rocks, the river roars thunderously. 花园里面是人间的乐园，有的是吃不了的大米白面，穿不完的绫罗绸缎，花不完的金银财宝。 The garden was a paradise on earth, with more food and clothes than could be consumed and more money than could be spent.Reflections and PracticeDiscuss the following questions.1. What is the technique of omission in translation?2. When and where is omission needed in English-Chinese translation? Cite an example to elaborate your statement.3. When and where is omission needed in Chinese-English translation? Cite an example to elaborate your statement.4. What is the similarity or the difference between omission used