首先请试译下列句子:
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.
译文一:它正在下雪。(×)
杭州翻译公司分析:译文一字字对应译出,貌似“忠实”,但完全不合汉语表达习惯,实是错误译法。
译文一:约翰博士一到实验室,他就继续做实验。(×)
杭州翻译公司分析:译文一将主从句的主语都译出,貌似“忠实”,但产生歧义,可能让人以为“他”和”约翰博士”是两个人。
译文一:我们借此机会告知你们现在我们可以立即装运那批货物。
杭州翻译公司分析:译文二省却了 “take this opportunity”和“in a position”等词语,还省译了三个人称代词,使译文更加符合汉语涉外文书的行文习惯。
省略法(omission),也叫减省译法,是指在翻译中,原文中有些词在译文中可以省略,不必翻译出来。因为译文中虽然没有这个词,但是已经具有了原文这个词所表达的意思,或者这个词在译文中的意义是不言而喻的。省略的目的在于使译文更加通顺流畅,更符合译文习惯。
但需要注意的是,省略并不是把原文的某些思想内容删去,省略不能改变原文的意义。现从语法角度举例探讨省略法:
(一)省代词
1.省略作主语的人称代词
根据汉语习惯,前句出现一个主语,后句如仍为同一主语,就不必重复出现。英语中通常每句都有主语,因此人称代词作主语往往多次出现,这种人称代词汉译时常常可以省略。
(1)省略作主语的人称代词
He was thin and haggard and he looked miserable.
(2)英语中,泛指人称代词作主语时,即使是作第一个主语,在汉语译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.省略作宾语的代词
英语中有些作宾语的代词,不管前面是否提到过,翻译时往往可以省略。
Please take off the old picture and throw it away.
3.省略物主代词
英语句子中的物主代词出现的频率相当高。一个句子往往会出现好几个物主代词,如果将每个物主代词都翻译出来,那么汉语译文就显得非常罗嗦。所以在没有其他人称的物主代词出现的情况下,在翻译时物主代词大多被省略。杭州翻译公司举例:
She listened to me with her rounded eyes.
4. 省略反身代词
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)代词it的省略
it起着代词的作用,在译文中,当它被用作非人称或没有意义的时候,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)省略连接词
汉语词语之间连接词用得不多,其上下逻辑关系常常是暗含的,由词语的次序来表示。英语则不然,连接词用得比较多。因此,杭州翻译公司提示,英译汉时在很多情况下可不必把连接词译出来。
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.