08-翻译第7讲1

08-翻译第7讲1

08 翻译第7讲

Simplification and Addition

Simplification, some people may use the term of

condensation, is to condense a phrase into a word, a clause into

word-group, a complex or compound sentence into a simple

sentence, or two or more simple sentences into one simple

sentence, to make our translation concise or contracted. As we

know, one of the most important differences between Chinese

and English in linguistics is that the comparison between

Hypotaxis and Parataxis. Hypotaxis means “the dependent or

sub ordinate relationship of clauses with connectives”. Parataxis

means “the juxtaposition并列of clauses or phrases without the

use of coordinating or subordinating conjunctions”.

Simplification

Simplification (condensation) of phrases and clauses

Sentence 1

He used poetry as a medium for writing in prose.

A. 他以诗歌作为写散文的媒介。

B. 他用诗歌来写散文。

C. 他以诗歌的形式来写散文。

Sentence 4

If you take this medicine, your illness will surely be cured.

A.你要是服这个药，你的病肯定能治好。

B.这药吃了准好。

C.吃这种药，病准能好。

Sentence 8

The system of strong public services and social solidarity has

deep root in French history. A. 法国历史中有很强的公共服务和社会团结的体制。

B. 强调公共服务和社会团结一直是法国的历史传统。

C. 良好的公共服务和安定的社会环境是法国的历史传统。

We finally got to the root of the problem.

我们最终抓住了问题的实质。

Sentence 9

People were variously impressed, intrigued, outraged,

frightened, and perplexed by my arguments.

A. 我的观点使有的人印象深刻，有的深感兴趣，有的气愤之极，有的惊恐万状，有的困惑不解。

B. 大家对我的观点印象各不相同，有的印象深刻，有的深感兴趣，有的气愤之极，有的惊恐万状，有的困惑不解。

Sentence 10

We passed two neighbors. Havel nodded to both wishing

them a good day.

A. 我们走过两个邻居，哈维尔向他们点头，以示问候。（遇到）

B. 我们经过两位邻居家时，哈维尔向他们点头，以示问候。

More examples:

1 As he approached the village he met a number of people

but none of whom he knew, which

somewhat surprised him.

快到村庄时，遇见了许多人都很陌生，这使他感到有些惊讶。

2 As we lived near the road, we often had the traveler or

stranger visit us to taste our gooseberry wine.

我们住在路旁，常有旅客和异乡人来访，品尝我们家酿制的醋栗酒。

3 When anyone among the people breaks the law, he too

should be punished.

任何人违法，都要受惩罚。

4 The chief functions of the heart are to send blood to the lungs, so that they can receive oxygen from inhaled air, and then

to pump this oxygenated blood all over the body.

心脏的主要功能是将血液送入肺部，使肺接受吸入的氧气，然后把含氧的血液输送到全身。

5 No one has told them about the British custom of lining up

for a bus so that the first person who arrives at a bus stop is the

first person to get on the bus.

6 When we praise the Chinese leadership and the people, we

are not merely being polite.

我们对中国领导人和中国人民的赞扬绝不是出于虚假的礼貌。

7. The acting of plays was something to which the

educational theory of the Renaissance attached high importance.

(= The acting of plays was granted high importance in the

educational theory of the Renaissance.)

演戏这件事很受文艺复兴时期教育理论的推崇。

8. It is this emphasis which it lays upon the unity of a work of

art that the classical conception seems principally opposed to the

romantic. (= The principal difference between the classical

conception of a work of art and the romantic one seems to lie in

whether emphasis is laid upon its unity.)

古典派文艺思想和浪漫主义文艺思想主要的不同似乎就在于是否强调艺术作品的统一性。

9 We effectively warded off t he impact of the global financial

crisis, maintained steady and rapid economic development and

fulfilled the major objectives and tasks of the 11th Five-Year Plan,

and the economy scaled new heights. Major breakthroughs were

attained in cutting-edge science and technology such as the

manned space mission, the lunar exploration program and

supercomputers. Addition

Addition means supplying necessary words in translation, making the version grammatically correct, semantically clear,

rhetorically sound, and logically acceptable. There are structural

addition, semantic addition, and rhetorical addition. Structural

addition means supplying words omitted or substituted in the

original, supplying words necessary in the structure or

collocation of the target text. Semantic addition often supplies

supplementary nouns to make the meaning concrete and clear,

supplies supplementary verbs to explain the meanings of nouns

or supplies summarizing words.

Structural addition

They have our interest at heart as we have theirs.

他们关心我们的利益，我们也关心他们的利益。

Meantime the market kept growing; and the demand rising.

同时，市场总是在扩大，需求总是在增加。

By birth he was an Englishman; by profession, a sailor; by

instinct and training, a rebel.

就出生来说，他是英国人；就职业来说，他是海员；就本性和所受的教育来说，他则是叛逆者。

More examples:

1 Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics

subtle; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric

able to contend.

历史使人明智，诗歌使人聪颖，数学使人敏锐，哲学使人深刻，伦理使人庄重，逻辑与修辞使人善辩。

2 Reading makes a full man; conference a ready man; and

writing an exact man.

读书使人充实，讨论使人机智，写作使人准确。