第八讲 增词省词法及长句的译法

第八讲增词省词法及长句的译法由于英汉两种语言在语法、词义、修辞、逻辑和文化等方面存在着某些差异，在英译汉时有时无法将原文中的每一个词都转换成汉语中的对等词，因而就有必要做些增减，使译文更加通顺流畅，符合汉语的行文习惯。

但无论增词法还是减词法，增减的是词，而不是意。

例1．Using nuclear power to make electricity was new.例2．If winter comes, can spring be far away?例3．Some people don’t like soft drinks.一．增词法：又称增译法，是根据结构、语义、修辞的需要在译文中增加一些原文中虽无其词但有其意的词，以确保译文全面准确地表达原文的意思，使译文在语法和语言形式上符合汉语习惯。

1．结构性增词例：A．You needn’t stay, but Bill must.B．He likes，and I hate, smoking.C．Take this prescription to your local pharmacy.D．The problem is both psychological and physiological.2. 语义性增词例：1．She has been talking in French for two hours without any mistakes. 2．From the contemptuous and rough treatment he received from hisjailers, he was sure that he would be executed the next day.3．I’m good at knitting.4．Each day they asked the doctor for a delay, praying that their son’s legs would somehow heal and he would become well again. 5．What a leader he was!6． A stream was winding its way through the valley into the river. 7．The first electronic computers came into use in 1958. 8．Inflation was and still is the No. 1 problem for the country.3. 修饰性增词：修饰性增词大都是出于汉语行文上的考虑，为进一步增强汉语的语言表达效果所增加的不改变原文意思的语气词、强调性副词、修辞上所要的重叠词汇。

例:1.Don’t take it seriously. It’s only a joke.2.As he sat down and began talking, words poured out.3.White clouds float over the blue sky.4.Her room is always kept clean and tidy though she is busy all day. 二．减词法: 又称减译法，是将原文需要而在译文中显得多余的词省去，使译文更加精炼，符合汉语习惯。

英语中有些词是因为语法上需要而存在的，如冠词、代词、介词和连词。

汉语中这几种词用的较少，所以往往可以省略不译。

例：1．A fast railroad train, traveling 96 kilometers an hour, takes more than 48 hours to cross the country.2. Man is different from other animals.3. Most substances expand when heated and contract when cooled.4. He isn’t here because he is ill.5. You cannot build a ship, a bridge or a house if you don’t know how to make a design or how to read it.6. In winter, it is much colder in the North than it is in the South.练习题：Shortly after I arrived back at my office from my visit with you, I was told by our Administrative Vice-President that I was being promoted to the position of manager of computer services. It is an excellent opportunity (which came as a complete surprise) and one that I feel I cannot pass up. Therefore, I must decline your generous offer.三．长句的翻译：翻译长句时，首先要克服畏惧心理，其次要认真分析句子结构和逻辑关系，然后根据汉语的表达习惯，着笔翻译。

这样可以避免译文的意思支离破碎，逻辑不清，使读者不知所云在翻译长句时，不必拘泥于原文的形式。

分析和理解长句是十分必要的。

现将句子按照意群“分解”，找出主干部分，然后理清各个部分之间的关系，力求全面彻底地梳理清楚句子的逻辑关系。

然后，根据汉语的表达习惯，重新组织句子的语序。

就英语长句的翻译而言，一般可以采用四种方法即顺译法、逆译法、分译法和综合法。

1．顺译法：当原文的逻辑关系、表达顺序与汉语基本一致时，可以按照英语原文的顺序翻译成汉语。

例：1．He worried that his dog wouldn’t get another bone because Billy had hidden the bones in the house before going back to the hospital, and now he couldn’t remember where he put them.A. 他担心他的狗再也找不到骨头了，因为比利在回医院前把骨头在家里了，而且现在他记不住他把它们放到哪儿了。

B．比利担心他的狗再也找不到骨头吃了，因为他在回医院前把骨头藏在了家里什么地方，可是现在却想不起到底藏在哪儿了。

2．逆译法：英语有些长句的表达次序与汉语表达不同，甚至完全相反。

这是必须从后面开始翻译，逆着原文的顺序翻译。

如：1) 汉语多前置定语，而英语多后置定语或定语从句，所以翻译时定语从句常翻译成汉语的“的”字结构，作前置定语；例如: Long after the 1998 World Cup was won, disappointed fans were still cursing the disputed refereeing decisions that denied victory to their team.译文: 尽管98年世界杯已成为过去，失望的球迷仍在责骂那些有争议但确实使他们的球队没能获胜的判罚。

（定语从句前置）2) 关于状语从句，英语习惯是先主句后从句，而汉语则习惯于先从后主，所以翻译是常用逆序法。

例如: In general, the tests work most effectively when the qualities to be measured can be most precisely defined and least effectively when what is to be measured or predicted cannot be well defined.译文: 一般地说，当所要测定的特征能精确的界定时测试最为有效；而当所要测定或预测的东西不能明确的界定时测试的效果则最差。

（时间状语从句先译）3. 分译法有时英语长句中主语或主句与修饰词的关系并不十分密切，翻译时可以按照汉语多短句的习惯，把长句的从句或短句划分成短句子，分开叙述。

有时为了使语意连贯，需要适当增加词语。

例如:1．Can we anticipate a day when secretaries will be an even mix of men and women – or when the mention of a male nurse will no longer raise eyebrows?译文: 我们能否预见到这么一天，那时做秘书工作的人员男女各占一半，或者有人提起男人当护士时，人们不再感到诧异?（限定性定语从句分译）2．The idea of a fish being able to generate electricity strong enough tolight small bulbs, even run an electric motor, is almost unbelievable.译文：鱼能发电，其强度足可以点亮小灯泡，甚至能开动电机，这简直令人难以置信。

4. 综合法上面我们讲述了英语长句的顺译法、逆依法和分译法，事实上，在翻译一个英语长句时，并不只是单纯地使用一种翻译方法，而是要求我们把各种方法综合起来使用，这在我们上面所举的例子中也有所体现。

尤其是在某些英语长句单纯采用上述任何一种方法都无法译出时，就需要我们仔细分析，或按照时间的先后、或按照逻辑顺序、顺逆结合，主次分明地对全句进行综合处理，以便把英语原文翻译成通顺忠实的汉语句子。

例如：1．Many years later, after I graduated from Harvard with honors and became a layer and CEO of my own company, my mother reflected that, when I was a child, no one would have predicted a successful future – no one except a mother, that is.译文：多年之后，在我以优异的成绩从哈佛大学毕业，当上了律师，担任自己公司的首席执行官时，妈妈回忆说，小时候，没有人——确地说除了一位母亲之外——，会预言我有成功的一天。