| 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。
(11) To learn is not an easy matter and to apply what one has learned is even harder.
学习不容易使用更加不容易。 | 
英文翻译技巧19