首先請試譯下列句子:
1. It is snowing.
2. Dr John resumed his experiment as soon as he came into the laboratory.
3. We took this opportunity to inform you that we are now in a position to make a prompt shipment of the merchandise.
譯文一:它正在下雪。(×)
杭州翻譯公司分析:譯文一字字對應譯出,貌似“忠實”,但完全不合漢語表達習慣,實是錯誤譯法。
譯文一:約翰博士一到實驗室,他就繼續做實驗。(×)
杭州翻譯公司分析:譯文一將主從句的主語都譯出,貌似“忠實”,但產生歧義,可能讓人以為“他”和”約翰博士”是兩個人。
譯文一:我們借此機會告知你們現在我們可以立即裝運那批貨物。
杭州翻譯公司分析:譯文二省卻了 “take this opportunity”和“in a position”等詞語,還省譯了三個人稱代詞,使譯文更加符合漢語涉外文書的行文習慣。
省略法(omission),也叫減省譯法,是指在翻譯中,原文中有些詞在譯文中可以省略,不必翻譯出來。因為譯文中雖然沒有這個詞,但是已經具有了原文這個詞所表達的意思,或者這個詞在譯文中的意義是不言而喻的。省略的目的在于使譯文更加通順流暢,更符合譯文習慣。
但需要注意的是,省略并不是把原文的某些思想內容刪去,省略不能改變原文的意義。現從語法角度舉例探討省略法:
(一)省代詞
1.省略作主語的人稱代詞
根據漢語習慣,前句出現一個主語,后句如仍為同一主語,就不必重復出現。英語中通常每句都有主語,因此人稱代詞作主語往往多次出現,這種人稱代詞漢譯時常�?梢允÷浴�
(1)省略作主語的人稱代詞
He was thin and haggard and he looked miserable.
(2)英語中,泛指人稱代詞作主語時,即使是作第一個主語,在漢語譯文中往往也可以省略。
When will he arrive?-You can never tell.
The significance of a man is not in what he attained but rather in what he longs to attain.
2.省略作賓語的代詞
英語中有些作賓語的代詞,不管前面是否提到過,翻譯時往往可以省略。
Please take off the old picture and throw it away.
3.省略物主代詞
英語句子中的物主代詞出現的頻率相當高。一個句子往往會出現好幾個物主代詞,如果將每個物主代詞都翻譯出來,那么漢語譯文就顯得非常羅嗦。所以在沒有其他人稱的物主代詞出現的情況下,在翻譯時物主代詞大多被省略。杭州翻譯公司舉例:
She listened to me with her rounded eyes.
4. 省略反身代詞
We should concern ourselves here only with the structure of atoms.
Friction manifests itself as a force that opposes motion.
Although pure science usually has no apparent connection with technology, it does lend itself to the development of applied science.
(二)代詞it的省略
it起著代詞的作用,在譯文中,當它被用作非人稱或沒有意義的時候,往往可以省略。
He glanced at his watch; it was 7:15.
It took me a long time to reach the hospital.
It is the people who are really powerful.
(三)省略連接詞
漢語詞語之間連接詞用得不多,其上下邏輯關系常常是暗含的,由詞語的次序來表示。英語則不然,連接詞用得比較多。因此,杭州翻譯公司提示,英譯漢時在很多情況下可不必把連接詞譯出來。
As it is late, you had better go home.
If winter comes, can spring be far behind?
If I had known it, I would not have joined in to.
John rose gloomily as the train stopped, for he was thinking of his ailing mother.

