Unit 5 Omission
Omission is a technique opposite to amplification. True, a translator has no right to subtract any meaning from the original work. But it does not follow that he should refrain from omitting any words at all in translation. In fact, one of the marked differences in syntax between English and Chine is the disparity in wording. What is regarded as a natural or indispensable element in one language may be regarded as superfluous or even “a stumbling block” in the other.
Ⅰ. Omission in English-Chine Translation
Generally speaking, omission in English-Chine translation is ud to achieve the effect of succinctness, especially in the cas of English pronouns and functional words such as the article, the preposition, the conjunction, etc.
1.Omitting the Pronoun
Pronouns are more frequently ud in English than in Chine. Therefore, when translated i
nto Chine, many English pronouns may be omitted so as to conform the rendering to the accustomed usage of Chine expression.
·He put his hands into his pockets and then shrugged his shoulders.
他将双手放进口袋,然后耸了耸肩。
· For two weeks, he had been studying the hou, looking at its rooms, its electric wiring, its path and its 大学生野战视频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。
·They went in to dinner. It was excellent, and the wine was good. Its influence prently had its effect on them. They talked not only without acrimony, but even with friendliness.
他们进入餐室用餐。美酒佳肴,顿受感染,言谈间不但没有恶言恶语,甚至还充满友好之情。
2. Omitting the Article
The article is the hallmark of English nouns. When translated into Chine, it is usually omitted except when the indefinite article is intended to indicate the numeral “one”, or “a certain”.
·The moon was slowly rising above the a. 月亮慢慢从海上升起。
·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。
·The direction of a force can be reprented by an arrow. 力的方向可以用箭头表示。
天长地久周启生3. 南水北调西线工程Omitting the Preposition
Chine is characterized by its succinctness and the preposition appears less frequently in Chine than in English, and therefore omission of prepositions is a common practice in English-Chine translation.
话头·Smoking is prohibited in public places. 公共场所不许吸烟。
·The difference between the two machines consists in power. 这两台机器的差别在于功率不通。
·Hydrogen is the lightest element with an atomic weight of 1.008.
氢是最轻的元素,原子量为1.008.
4. Omitting the Conjunction
Chine is considered an analytic language and many conjunctions that are indispensable in English may em redundant in Chine.
·He looked gloomy and trouble. 他看上去有些忧愁不安。
·If I had known it, I would not have joined in. 早知如此,我就不参加了。
·Like charges repel each other while opposite charges attract.
同性电荷相斥,异性电荷相吸。
5. Omitting the Verb
As Chine is a language of parataxis (意合连结), its grammar is not so strict as that of English, and predicative verbs in Chine sometimes may also be omitted.
·When the pressure gets low, the boiling point becomes low. 气压低,沸点就低。
·Solids expand and contract as liquids and gas do.
如同液体和气体一样,固体也能膨胀和收缩。
·For this reason television signals 保持平衡英文have a short range. 因此,电视信号的传播距离很短。
6. Omitting the Impersonal Pronoun “it”
This often occurs when “it” stands for time, weather, distance, or formal subject/object of a ntence.
·
Outside it was pitch-dark and it was raining cats and dogs. 外面一团漆黑,大雨倾盆。
·This formula makes美容英文 it easy to determine the wavelength of sounds.
这一公式使得测定声音的波长十分简单。
·It was not until the middle of the 19th century that the blast furnace came into u.
直到19世纪中叶,高炉才开始使用。
Ⅱ. Omission in Chine-English Translation
Omission in Chine-English translation is usually ud to avoid unnecessary repetition. It is generally employed in three circumstances: 1. Redundant words in original Chine, such as unnecessary repetition and wordy expressions; 2. the original meaning that has already been implied in the context of the English version; and 3. the original meaning obviously shown in the English version without further elaboration.
1.Omitting Redundant Words
▪质子带正电,电子带负电,而中子既不带正电,也不带负电。
糖尿病人吃什么水果A proton has a positive charge and an electron a negative charge, but a neutron has neither.
▪我已经提前完成了交给我的工作,他也提前完成了交给他的工作。
I have fulfilled my assigned work ahead of schedule, so has he.
▪我们说,长征好看的二次元头像是历史记录上的第一次,长征是宣言书,长征是宣传队,长征是播种机。
We answer that the Long March is the first of its kind in the annals of history that is a manifesto, a propaganda force, a eding-machine.