外国语简谈翻译技巧之增译法与减译法学士学位论文

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2.2.2

Chinese--- English Translation

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Chapter3

S

imilarities between the Two Translation Techniques

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Conclusion

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Notes

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Bibliograph y

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Acknowledgement

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摘

要

本文以 翻译技巧

------

增译法和减译法为核心，详细论述了两种 翻译技巧在翻译中的具

体运用和作用。

全文分为三个部分：

首先，简单介绍了较为重要的八种翻译技巧，

并着重指

出增译法与减译法的重要性；

其次，

详细地阐述了增 译法与减译法在翻译中的具体运用和作

用；最后，通过分析比较，归纳总结出增译法和减 译法的共性。

关键词

增译法；减译法；翻译技巧；原文；译文

Abstract

The

thesis,

centering

on

the

two

kinds

of

translation

techniques------ Amplification and Omission, makes a careful and detailed analysis of

their

application

and

function

in

translation.

The

thesis

is

divided

into

three

parts:

Firstly, it gives a brief introduction to the eight translation techniques, and stresses the

importance of Amplification and Omission. Secondly, it expounds and demonstrates

their usages in translation. Thirdly, it draws a conclusion about the similarities of the

two translation techniques through analysis and comparison.

Key Words

Amplification

omission

translation

techniques

original

text

translation

version

Introduction

Throughout the world, there are many books about translation techniques, all of

which have their own demonstrations and explanations. However, as English learners,

it is very difficult to understand or get a clear idea about the translation techniques,

not speaking of proper use in practice. Translation is a creative language action, and it

is

an

art.

The

core

in

translation

is

to

express

the

original

text

mood

exactly

and

completely

is

the

core

in

translation.

On

the

prerequisite

of

faithfulness

and

smoothness,

it

is

needed

to

shake

off

the

yoke

of

the

language

translated

into,

and

make

the

version

accord

with

the

language

translated

into

more

idiomatically.

To

understand and express the original meaning correctly, it is necessary to master some

translation

techniques.

In

this

thesis,

the

author

makes

a

careful

analysis

of

some

types of translation techniques, basing on the great numbers of examples in reference

books. What

’

s more, the

author makes an

emphasis on the two

most important

and

popular translation techniques: Amplification and Omission.

Chapter 1

Brief Introduction

1.1

The Definition of Translation

The

communication

between

people

speaking

different

languages

must

depend

on translation, without which the communication cannot be carried through effectively.

Then, what is translation?

Some people believe it is a science, others take it as an art, a bilingual art; and

yet many consider it as a craft, or rather, a skill. Of these varied opinions, which one

holds the truth? Translation means the conversion of an expression from one language

into another. To say it plainly, translation is an art to reproduce the author

’

s ideas by

means of a language different from the original text. From the definition above, it is

known that the original thought of the text must be kept as far as

possible. Nothing

should be added to or taken away from the original work. A translator

’

s responsibility

is simply to convert the vocabulary, not the thought. In translation, therefore, there are

two essential elements: accuracy and expressiveness. Accuracy is to make the thought

definite and exact, while expressiveness is to make the translation vivid and attractive,

and make the translation clearer and more readable to the readers.

1.2

The

Definition

and

Importance

of

the

Two

Translation

Techniques

There

are

in

the

main

eight

translation

techniques

and

principles

in

translation,

either

from

English

to

Chinese

or

vice

versa.

They

are:

repetition,

amplification,

omission,

conversion,

inversion,

division,

negation

and

the

change

of

the

voices.

Among

them,

amplification

and

omission

are

the

two

most

commonly

used

techniques.

By

amplification

it

means

to

supply

necessary

words

in

the

translation

work to make the version correct and clear, to make it appear more like the language

translated

into.

Words

thus

supplied

should

be

indispensable

either

syntactically

or

semantically.

While

omission

is

a

technique

opposite

to

amplification,

it

means

to

omit some original words in the version. Some of the words are indispensable to the

original, but to the version, they are quite unnecessary. So it is necessary to omit them

to make the translation concise, smooth and natural.

For the next part, a better understanding about amplification and omission will

be given.

Chapter 2 Amplification and Omission

2.1

Amplification

Generally speaking, a good translation, is a bit longer than the original text (it does

not

mean

that

a

good

translation

must

be

longer

than

the

original

text)

primarily

because translators must faithfully turn the obvious form of the original language into

the target language, and at the same time, must convey what is implied in the original

context, especially closely connected with the background of the original culture and

history into the target language.

“

The difficulties for the readers of translation lie in what

’

s implied in the original,

and then translators should make some adaptations in the light of specific conditions

to enable readers to understand the translations more easily, which is similar to a boa

that twines itself around an animal and squeezes it hard to make it longer and thinner

before it can swallow the animal more easily. Nothing is lost in the animal itself but

the shape of the animal is changed by being squeezed and pressed.

”

(Zhou Fangzhu,

P87,2000)

A

translator

must,

sometimes,

add

something

(that

is

implied

but

not

obviously expressed in words) to the original in his translation to give explanations,

and translation is thus lengthened, form changed, but the meaning of the original text

remains unchanged, and it is only adapted to the capability of readers.

The

words

added

in

translation

must

be

indispensable

(absolutely

necessary)

either syntactically or semantically.

The precondition of amplification is to keep the original meaning, and at the same

time to

keep the version more precise and

smooth.

Yan Fu said:

“

If the

idea of the

original

text

is

profound

and

cannot

be

easily

understood.

It

is

necessary

to

take

alterations or amplifications so as to make the idea clear. All of this is done for the

purpose

of

expressiveness.

To

be

expressive

means

to

be

faithful.

”

(Sun

Ping

P62,

2004) When translating English into Chinese, amplification is often used to represent

the original meaning so as to be more faithful and more idiomatically in accord with

Chinese

grammar.

In

the

following

parts,

amplification

shall

be

demonstrated

from

eight aspects.

2.1

.

1 Structural Amplification

This kind of amplification is used when the grammatical structures of the two languages

concerned are quite different. Look at the following cases:

2.1.1.1 Amplifying a Subject

As for subject, sometimes there are no subjects in both the English and Chinese languages.

Then when translating, it is required to add subjects to make the version clearer.

(1)

恐怕他不会来了。

I

am afraid he will not come.

(2)

The journey which has brought me to Peking has been a long one. Long

when measured in miles. Long when measured in time.

我来北京的旅途是漫长的。用里程衡 量，

它

是漫长的。用时间衡量，

它

也是漫长的。

From the two examples above, it is known that how it is used in both the languages.

If not, the version may make the reader confused.

2.1.1.2 Amplifying a Predicate Verb

In Chinese, sometimes some words

don

’

t

belong

to

predicate verbs, but

they

can

represent the action. When translating from Chinese into English, it is required to add

verbs to the sentence. So does the translation from English into Chinese.

(3)

她面色苍白，手冰冷。

Her face

is

pale and her hands

are

cold.

(4)The dean had a lot of work to do before the meeting

.

主任在

会议之前还有很多的工作要做。

Of these two sentences,

if they don

’

t

supply the predicate verbs, the versions are

also acceptable, but it seems that they are not understandable

.

2.1.1.3 Amplifying an Object

(5)

你越讲空洞的大道理，人家就越感到讨厌。

The more you elaborate on empty theories, the more people disgust

them

.

(6) After my conversion I soon became sufficiently known as a socialist orator

to have no further need to seek out public debates: I was myself sought after.

在我改变

信仰

以后，很快就以社会主义演说家而闻名。名气足以使我不

必再去寻求公开辩论会，我自己成了寻求的对象。

For the two sentences, it is clear that if objects are not added, the meaning of the

sentences

is

not

clear.

The

readers

may

be

confused.

For

the

example

(6),

if

the

object “

信仰

”

were not added to the version, the readers may not understand what it

means.

2.1.1.4 Amplifying an Attributive

In

translation,

sometimes,

attributive

can

be

supplied

to

make

the

translation

version more acceptable.

(7)

她闭上眼睛，把手放在他的手 里。

She closed

her

eyes and put

her

hands into his.

(8)As an Oriental, I cannot but be proud of your historic achievement.

作为一个东方人，我不得不为你们

所取得

的历 史性成就感到骄傲。

For this part, the attributive can make the sentences more clear. For the example (7),

if the

attributive “her” is omitted

, the sentence is also acceptable. But the meaning is

unclear. For the example (8),without the words

“

所取得

”

, the Chinese version seems

smoothly in meaning, however, it can not reach the function of amplification.

2.1.1.5 Amplifying an Adverbial

(9)

The

big

sites,

which

had

the

important

politic,

economic

and

religious

things going on, are almost all gone.

那些大遗址，

过 去

曾是重要的政治，经济和宗教活动的场所，

现在

几

乎荡然无存了。

2.1.1.6 Amplifying a Connective

(10)

不努力就不会成功。

One will not succeed

unless

one works hard.

(11)

The

best

lubricant

cannot

maintain

oil

films

between

the

surfaces

of

engineering gears.

即使

最好的润滑油，在机械的齿合处也保不住油膜。

As

for

the

example

(9),

in

translation,

if

the

adverbials

“

过去

and

现在

”

are

added to the version, a sharp contrast would be given. As for the example (10)

and

(11),

the

connectives

“

unless

”

and

“

即使

”

can

make

the

sentences

more

coherent and dense.

2.1.2 Semantic Amplification

While translating, it is easy to meet with the case in which the original meaning of

a sentence is complete and clear, but it is rather difficult to translate it into a sentence

with complete and clear meaning. In this case, it is necessary to add something to the

translation so as to make up the semantic inadequateness of the version. For example:

(1)

谁都知道那里很艰苦。

Everyone knows that

life

there was rather difficult.

(2)

Today

the

school- leaving

age

is

16,

many

girls

stay

at

school

after

that

age. < /p>

如今，允许离校的年龄定在

16

岁，许多 女孩过了这个年龄还要继续

在学校

读书学习

。

For

the

two

sentences,

if

the

words

“

life

”

and

“

读书学习

”

are

not

added

for

the

supplement of the meaning, the two sentences is unclear in semantic.

2.1.3Rhetorical Amplification

It seems that there is such a kind of feeling: what

’

s translated is not as vivid as that

of

the

original

text,

or

it

seems

that

the

version

is

not

so

precise.

In

that

case,

if

something rhetorical is added to the version, the original mood of emotion can be well

expressed.

(1) At thirty-five, she had first learned what it is to be a mother

.

她到

35

岁的时候，

才生平

第一次尝到了 做母亲的滋味。

(2) It is a bit fishy that the old man should have given away a villa like that.

那么

好端端

的一座别墅，那个老人竟然

白白地

送了人，个中颇有 蹊跷。

With

the

rhetorical

words

“

才生平

”

,

“

好端端

”

and

“

白白地

”

,

they

make

the

two

sentences more vivid. Without them, the two sentences are monotonous.

2.1.4Exteriorized Amplification

“

The so-called

“

exteriorize

”