考題實(shí)例：While there are almost as many definitions of history as there are historians, modem practice most closely conforms to one that sees history as the attempt to recreate and explain the signific

考題實(shí)例：While there are almost as many definitions of history as there are historians, modem practice most closely conforms to one that sees history as the attempt to recreate and explain the significant events of the past. （1999）

幾乎每個(gè)歷史學(xué)家對(duì)歷史都有自己的定義，但現(xiàn)代實(shí)踐與一種定義最接近，即認(rèn)為歷史就是試圖重現(xiàn)和解釋過去的重大事件。

The existence of the giant clouds was virtually required for the Big Bang, first put forward in the 1920s, to maintain its reign as the dominant explanation of the cosmos. （1998）

巨大的宇宙云的存在，實(shí)際上是使二十年代首創(chuàng)的大爆炸論得以保持其宇宙起源論的主導(dǎo)地位所不可缺少的。

一般來說，漢語較英語簡(jiǎn)練，因此時(shí)，許多在原文中必不可少的詞語要是原原本本地譯成漢語，就會(huì)成為不必要的冗詞，譯文會(huì)顯得十分累贅。省略法在英漢翻譯中使用得非常廣泛，其主要目的是刪去一些可有可無、不符合譯文習(xí)慣表達(dá)法的詞語。請(qǐng)看下面一例翻譯試題：

In the 1880s the United States was a land sharply divided between the immensely wealthy and the poor.

the 1880s即the eighties of the nineteenth century（19世紀(jì)80年代），land此處意為country，不能理解為“土地”；between the immensely wealthy and the poor照字面翻譯為“在巨大的財(cái)富和貧窮之間”。如果照英語原文結(jié)構(gòu)翻譯，勢(shì)必造成譯文的不順。為了清楚地表達(dá)英語原文的意義，同時(shí)也符合漢語習(xí)慣表達(dá)法，可以考慮省略介詞between，同時(shí)增添“兩極”二字。

參考譯文：在19世紀(jì)80年代，美國是一個(gè)巨富與赤貧兩極嚴(yán)重分化的國家。

省略技巧的常用情況

1．代詞的省略

英語中各類代詞的使用十分頻繁，要是在譯成漢語時(shí)，如不省略讀起來就會(huì)很別扭。

(1) He put his hands into his pockets and then shrugged his shoulders.

他將雙手放進(jìn)衣袋，然后聳了聳肩。

(2) After getting up，I wash my face，brush my teeth，and comb my hair.

起床后，我洗臉，刷牙，然后梳頭。

(3) They went in to dinner. It was excellent, and the wine was good. Its influence presently had its effect on them.

他們進(jìn)入餐室用餐。美酒佳肴，頓受感染。

2. 冠詞的省略

漢語中沒有冠詞，英語中的定冠詞a, an如果不具有量詞one的含義，便可以省略，不定冠詞the如果不具備指示代詞this, that, these, those的含義，也應(yīng)當(dāng)省略。

1) Any substance is made of atoms whether it is a solid, a liquid, or a gas.

任何物資，不論是固體、液體或氣體，都由原子組成。

2) Any substance is made of atoms whether it is a solid, a liquid, or a gas.

任何物資，不論是固體、液體或氣體，都由原子組成。

3) The direction of a force can be represented by an arrow.

力的方向可以用箭頭表示。

3. 介詞連詞的省略

英語詞句之間的連接依靠介詞和連詞來完成，而漢語講究不言而喻，故將英語譯成漢語時(shí)，可盡量省略介詞和連詞。

(1) The difference between the two machines consists in power.

這兩臺(tái)機(jī)器的差別在于功率不同。

(2) If I had known it, I would not have joined in it.

早知如此，我就不參加了。

(3) Like charges repel each other while opposite charges attract.

同性電荷相斥，異性電荷相吸。

4. 動(dòng)詞的省略

英語凡是句子就少不了動(dòng)詞，而漢語不要?jiǎng)釉~句子也能成立。

(1) When the pressure gets low, the boiling point becomes low.

氣壓低，沸點(diǎn)就低。

(2) Solids expand and contract as liquids and gases do.

如同液體和氣體一樣，固體也能膨脹和收縮。

(3) For this reason television signals have a short range.

因此，電視信號(hào)的傳播距離很短。

5. 非人稱代詞“It”的省略

如果it在句中表示時(shí)間、距離、天氣或作形式主語賓語，在譯漢語時(shí)應(yīng)省略。

(1) Outside it was pitch-dark and it was raining cats and dogs.

外面一團(tuán)漆黑，大雨傾盆。

(2) This formula makes it easy to determine the wavelength of sounds.

這一公式使得測(cè)定聲音的波長(zhǎng)十分簡(jiǎn)單。

(3) It was not until the middle of the 19th century that the blast furnace came into use.

直到十九世紀(jì)中葉，高爐才開始使用。

練習(xí)：代詞的省略

1 We have 7 days in a week.

2 You can never tell!

3 They say it‘s so.

4 Is it a he or a she?

5 As it is, we got there at 10.

6 In ancient Rome we have patricians, knights, plebeians, slaves…

7 I threw the ball to Tom and he threw it to Mary.

8 How strongly an airplane is built depends on its type and purpose.

1. 一個(gè)星期有七天。 2. 誰也沒法預(yù)料！ 3.據(jù)說是這樣。 4. 生的是男孩還是女孩？ 5. 事實(shí)上，我們10點(diǎn)鐘就到了那里。 6.在古羅馬，有貴族、騎士、平民、奴隸…。7.我把球傳給湯姆，湯姆又把球傳給瑪麗。 8. 制造飛機(jī)應(yīng)堅(jiān)固到什么程度，是由飛機(jī)的類型和用途來決定的。