增詞
英漢兩種語言由于表達方式不盡相同,翻譯時常常有必要在譯文的詞量上作適當的增加,使譯文既能忠實地傳達原文的內容和風格,又能符合譯入語的表達習慣。但是增詞必須是根據具體情況增加非增加不可的詞語。增詞一般用于以下三種情況:最常見是為了語法上的需要;其次是為了意義上的需要;最后為了修辭上的需要。
a. A stream was winding its ways through the valley into the river.
一彎溪水蜿蜒流過山谷,匯到江里去了。
b. But just as all nations can benefit from the promise of this new world, no nation is immune to its perils.
正如世界各國都能得益于這個嶄新世界所帶來的美好期望,同樣,也沒有一個國家能免遭其負面作用的危害。
c. In every Chinese city, we got into the streets, shops, parks, theatres and restaurants.
在中國,我們每到一個城市就遛大街、逛商店、游公園、看演出、吃名菜。
d. He is a complicated man—moody, mercurial, with a melancholy streak.
他是一個性格復雜的人—喜怒無常,反復多變,有些猶豫寡歡。
e. I was extremely worried about her, but this was neither the place nor the time for a lecture or an argument.
我真替他萬分擔憂,但此時此地既不宜教訓她一番,也不宜與她爭論一通。
f. The spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday promotes life, friendship, closeness and family unity.
感恩節(jié)的宗旨就是提升生活,增進友誼,凝聚關系和團結家庭。
g. The problems are enormous, but many experts believe that the situation is not helpless.
這些問題極為嚴重,但很多專家認為情況還沒有到絕望的地步。
英語中常用省略句,翻譯時要根據漢語的表達習慣,作些適當的增補。例如
h. She ate little. Food sickened her, and I think much of life too.
她吃得很少;她厭惡食物,我覺得她也厭惡生活。
i. Courage in excess becomes foolhardiness, affection weakness, thrift avarice.
勇敢過度,即成蠻勇;疼愛過度,即成溺愛;儉約過度,即成貪婪。
(增補被省掉的in excess becomes)