91EN 关注英语教育

二、从修饰角度进行减省
有些词语在英语里是必不可少的，但在汉语中却并非如此，如直译成汉语则
往往显得累赘噜嗦。为了使译文简洁晓畅、”文约而意丰”，这样的词语必须省去
或是精简。例如：
(1) I felt a trifle shy at the thought of presenting myself to a total stranger with the
announcement that I was going to sleep under his roof, eat his food and drink his
whisky, till another boat came in to take me to the port for which I was bound.
我要去见一个素不相识的陌生人，向他宣布我得住在他家、吃他的、喝他的，一
直等到下一班船到来，把我带到我要去的港口为止──想到这儿，我真有点不好
意思了。(这里，如把 “sleep under his roof, eat his food and drink his whisky”直译
为”睡在他的屋顶下、吃他的食物、喝他的威士忌”，会使语言极为繁冗，不够精
练。译文采用减省译法处理原文，既准确地传达了原意，又使行文简洁，气韵十
足，一气呵成。)
(2) Her dark eyes made little reflected stars. She was looking at him as she was
always looking at him when he awakened.
她那双乌黑的眼睛就像亮晶晶的星星在闪烁，他平素醒来的时候，她也是这样望
着他。(此句中有两个 “she was looking at him”，如不作省略而译为”她像平常那
样望着她一样望着他”，汉语就显得噜嗦繁复，诘屈聱牙。)
(3) 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。
(4)There was no snow, the leaves were gone from the trees, the grass was dead.
天未下雪，但叶落草枯。
(5) There was not a sound in her—and around us nothing moved, nothing lived,
not a canoe on the water, not a bird in the air, not a cloud in the sky.
船上悄然无声，四周一片静谧，死一般沉寂，水面不见轻舟飘动，天空不见小鸟
浮云。
(6) The problem of alternative fuels of vehicle is one problem we shall approach.
车辆的代用燃料是我们将要研究的一个问题。
(7) There are some things that I have happily seen of the wondrous way of the
spider.
蜘蛛的奇异动态，我曾有幸目睹。
(译文省去 “there are some things that”后，文字简约，表达生动，意思明确。)
(8) In actual fact, the United States is pursuing a policy of encouraging the
aggressor…
实际上，美国在推行一种鼓励侵略者的政策……
(9) He was smooth and agreeable.
他待人处事，八面玲珑。
(10) Standing as it does on a high hill, the church commands a new view.
教堂建在高山上，向下眺望，风景优美。

二、为了意义上的需要
英译汉有时有必要增加合适的动词、形容词或副词，使译文意思明确，例如：
(1) When I came to I was in the water, swimming automatically, though I was
about two thirds drowned.
当我清醒过来时，发觉自己在水里，虽然浸得半死，却本能地浮着。（增补动词）
(原文虽然没有”发觉”，但译者根据上下文增补了它，使译文意思更加明确、表
达通顺。)
(2) He doubtlessly expected hugs, tablefuls of food, tears, laughter, and
conversation followed by more conversation, then hugs and more hugs all over again,
without end.
毫无疑问，他以为会有热烈的拥抱，满桌的食物，激动的泪水，欢乐的笑声，一
段接一段的谈话，一次又一次的拥抱，没完没了。（译文中增加了三个相应的形
容词，形象地描绘出他想象中的欢乐场景，使意思更加明确，表达更加生动。）
(3) In the evening, after the banquets, the concerts and the table tennis
exhibitions, he would work on the drafting of the final communique.
晚上在参加宴会、出席音乐会、观看乒乓球表演之后，他还得起草最后公报。
(4) These soon told her,… how easy it was and how little it interfered with life’s
affairs to go and see one’s grave.
这些人不久便告诉她…去看自己亲人的坟墓是多么容易，几乎一点儿也不妨碍日
常生活。
(5) The sky is clear blue now the sun has flung diamonds down on meadow and
bank and wood.
此时已是万里蓝天，太阳把颗颗光彩夺目的钻石洒向草原，洒向河岸，洒向树林。

有时为了意思明确还必须增加合适的名词或是重复同一名词，例如：
(1) These early cars were slow, clumsy, and inefficient.
这些早期的汽车速度缓慢，行动笨拙，效率不高。（译文中在形容词前分别加上
了三个名词，既使译文意思明确，又使它形成四字词组，匀称整齐。）
英语中有一些由动词或形容词派生来的抽象名词，翻译时也可根据上下文在其后
增加适当的名词，使译文意思明确、符合汉语的表达习惯。例如：
darkness 漆黑一团
madness 疯狂行为
complacency 自满情绪
backwardness 落后状态
(1) After all preparations were made, the planes were flown across the U.S. to
San Francisco.
一切准备工作就绪以后，飞机就飞越美国去旧金山。
(2) Recourse to arms is not the best solution to a quarrel between countries.
国与国之间的争端诉诸武力，并不是最好的解决方法。
有时也有必要增加适当的连词，例如：
(3)Without a sense of your fault, how can repentance and amendment be
expected？如果对自己的错误都不认识，怎么能悔恨和改正呢？（增补”如果”使
得原含蓄条件句中的隐性含义明白无误。）