Topic 12 Omission

Topic 12 Omission 教学目的：让学生了解常用翻译技巧“省略”教学重点：省略什么东西? 教学难点：如何在翻译实践中中应用这一技巧教学方法：技巧分析与翻译练习相结合教学参考书：郭著章的《英汉互译翻译教程》、张培基的《英汉翻译教 程》、吕瑞昌的《汉英翻译教程》和彭长江的《英汉－汉英翻译教 程》教学时间：2节课 1．Omission in English—Chinese Translation Generally speaking，omission in English-Chinese translation is used to achieve the effect of succinctness，especially in dealing with excessive use of English pronouns and such functional words as the article, the preposition, the conjunction. 1. Omission of the Pronoun Pronouns are more frequently used in English than in Chinese．Therefore, when translated into Chinese，many English pronouns may be omitted so as to conform the rendering to accustomed usage of Chinese expression． 1. He put his hands into his pockets and then shrugged his shoulders． 他将双手放进衣袋，然后耸了耸肩。 2. For two weeks，he had been studying the house，looking at its rooms，its electric wiring，its path and its garden． 两周以来，他一直注意观察房子的情况，查看各个房间，留心电线的走向、通道和花园的布局。 2. Omission of the Article The article is the hallmark Of English nouns. When translated into Chinese, it is usually omitted except when the indefinite article is intended to indicated the numeral “one” or “a certain”． 1. The moon was slowly rising above the sea． 月亮慢慢从海上升起。 2. Any substance is made up Of atoms whether it is a solid，a liquid，Or a gas. 任何物质，不论是固体、液体或气体，都由原子组成。 3. Omission of the Preposition 1. Smoking is prohibited in public places. 公共场所不许吸烟。 2. The difference between the two machines consists in power 这两台机器差别在于功率不同。 4. Omission of the Conjunction Chinese is considered an analytic language and many conjunctions that are indispensable in English may seem redundant in Chinese．Therefore, omission of the conjunction is a common practice in English-Chinese translation． 1. He looked gloomy and troubled. 他看上去有些忧愁不安。 2. If I had known it, I would not have joined in it． 早知如此，我就不参加了 5. Omission of the Impersonal Pronoun “it” This often occurs when‘‘it’’is meaningless or empty． lt was not until the middle of the 19th century that the blast furnace came into use. 直到19世纪中叶，高炉才开始使用。 2. Omission in Chinese-English Translation Omission as a translation technique is also used in C-E translation, and in most cases it is generally employed in three circumstances: 1. redundant words in original Chinese, such as unnecessary repetition and wordy expressions; 2. the original meaning that has already been implied in the context of the English version; 3. the original meaning obviously shown in the English version without further elaboration. 1. Omission of Redundant Words 我已经提前完成了交给我的工作，他也提前完成交给他的工作。 I have fulfilled my assigned work ahead of schedule, and so has he. 匪军所至，杀戮人民，奸淫妇女，焚毁村庄，掠夺财物，无所不用其极。 Wherever the bandit troops went, they massacred and raped, burned and looted, and stopped at nothing. 2. Omission of Words of Conceptual Category. Sometimes, omission is used in C-E translation when the original Chinese indicates not a specific case but a conceptual category. 我们党结束了那个时期的社会动荡和纷扰不安的局面。 Our party has put an end to the social unrest and upheaval of that time. 她的好朋友们听到她家中的困难情况后，都主动伸出援助之手。 After her friends heard about her family difficulties, they offered their help. 3. Omission of Meticulous Description Sometimes, omission is used for the sake of simplification, especially when the original Chinese is too meticulous in description. 二百公里航道上，遍布着无数险滩。险滩上，江流汹涌，回旋激荡，水激礁石，浪花飞溅，声如雷鸣。 Numerous shoals scattered over the 200 kms course give rise to many eddies. Pounding on the midstream rocks, the rive