增词译法

第三章词法翻译

四、增词译法(Amplification)

英汉两种语言，由于表达方式不尽相同，翻译时有可能要在词量上加以增减。增词法就是在翻译时按照意义上（或修辞上）和句法上的需要增加一些词来更忠实通顺的表达原文的思想内容。

不是无中生有的随意增词，而是增加原文中虽无其词但有其意的词。

一、根据句法上的需要增词

（一）增补原文答句中的省略部分

1. Is this your book? Yes, it is.

这是你的书吗？是我的。

(Yes, it is. = Yes, it is mine.)

2. Do you love him? Yes, of course I do.

你爱他吗？我当然爱他。

(Yes, of course I do. = Yes, of course I love him.)

（二）增补原文句子中所省略的动词

1. He remembered the incident, as had his wife.

他记得这件事，他的妻子早就记起来了。

2. I believed it too. But I don’t now.

过去我也是相信的。可是现在，我不相信了。

3. We don’t retreat, we never have and never will.

我们不后退，我们从来没有后退过，将来也决不后退。

4. I fell madly in love with her, and she with me.

我狂热地爱上了她，她也狂热地爱上了我。

5. Reading makes a full man; conference a ready man; writing an exact man.

读书使人充实，讨论使人机智，写作使人准确。

6. An eagle and a fox had long lived together as good neighbors; the eagle at the summit of a high tree, the fox in a hole at the foot of it.

一只鹰和一只狐狸长期友好的住在一起，鹰住在一棵高高的树顶上，狐狸住在树下一个洞里。

7. Many people can bear adversity, but few contempt.

很多人能够忍受逆境，但很少人能忍受被人轻视。

（三）增补原文比较句中的省略部分

1. The footmen were as ready to serve her as they were their own mistress.

仆人们愿意服侍她，就像他们愿意服侍他们的女主人一样。

2. Better be wise by the defeat of others than by your own.

从别人的失败中吸取教训比从自己的失败中吸取教训更好。

3. The Chinese way of co-operations is more inventive than others.

中国的合作方式比别国的合作方式更有特色。

（四）增补原文含蓄条件句中的省略部分

1. We didn’t admit it (escape) was impossible. To do so would have been to surrender one of our few hopes.

我们并不认为越狱是不可能的。如果承认越狱不可能，那就等于把仅存的一点希望也放弃了。

2. At the tim e of Kennedy’s assassination, Kissinger felt that a second term would have led either to greatness or to disaster.

肯尼迪遇刺时，基辛格认为，如果肯尼迪再任一届总统的话，大概不是立大功，就是闯大祸。

3. In agreeing to what was already the status quo, he would have had far more to gain than to lose.

假如他已经同意接受现状的话，对他来说就会是得多失少了。

4. He could accept a passive opposition from his loyalists, but an open one would have dire consequences.

忠于他的那些人在消极反对他，这点他可以接受。但是如果他们公然反对，那后果就可怕了。

二、根据意义上、修辞上或逻辑上的需要增词

（一）增加动词

1. In the evening, after the banquets, the concerts and the table tennis exhibitions, he still had to work on the drafting of the final communique.

晚上在参加宴会、出席音乐会和观看乒乓球表演之后，他还得起草最后公报。

2. In spite of yesterday’s rainstorm the crops lay lush and green in the early light.

尽管昨天遭受了暴风雨的袭击，庄稼在晨曦中还是显得郁郁葱葱。

（二）增加形容词

1. With what enthusiasm the Chinese people are building socialism!

中国人民正在以多么高的热情建设社会主义啊！

2. There are friends and friends.

朋友有多种。有益友，有损友。

3. All one needed was one lucky break and the doors would open.

一个人只要交上一次好运，从此幸运的大门就会打开。

（三）增加副词

1. The crowds melted away.

人群渐渐散开了。

2. As he sat down and began talking, words poured out.

他一坐下来就讲开了，滔滔不绝地讲个没完。

3. In the fairy tales, all too often it was the same one: the prince meets the princess; they fall in love; marry each other and live happily together.

在童话故事里，总是老一套：王子和公主始而相遇，继而相爱，最后结婚并幸福的生活在一起。

4. Poor people, when they are suffering from acute hunger and severe cold, are not more unhappy than rich people: they are often much happier.