英語閱讀難句分析之省略句

　　英國大文豪莎士比亞在他的名著《哈姆雷特》里寫過這么一句名言：Brevity is the soul of wit.(言以簡潔為貴。)寫文章也好，說話也好，都要求生動活潑，簡單明了，因此，“簡潔”乃是一篇好文章的基本要求之一。

　　文章要做到簡潔，省略法(Ellipsis)是必用的。

　　英語句子中的某些成分因上下文已提供了充分明確的信息而不必出現(xiàn)，或前面已出現(xiàn)的某些成分，為了避免不必要的重復，可以不再出現(xiàn)而不致引起誤解或歧義，這種語言現(xiàn)象就叫作省略。例如：Glad to see you. 這是個簡單句，主語I和謂語am可以省略。再如：London is on the Themes,and Paris on the Seine. 這是一個并列復合句，后半句省略了謂語動詞is，因為前面已經出現(xiàn)過，后面不必重復。英譯漢時，為了使譯文明確達意，符合漢語習慣，要在正確理解原文的基礎上，對原文中省略的部分或保留或補全，或對其進行靈活處理。

　　有人將英語句子中的省略現(xiàn)象歸納為21種，本章只涉及在英語閱讀中常遇到的比較復雜的省略現(xiàn)象。

　　1. The transcription needs a certain amount of editing,as even if the computer can tell thedifference between words of similar sounds such as write and right,it is still not yet able to dothe work as well as an intelligent secretary.

　　第一層：The transcription 主 needs 謂 a certain amount of 定 editing,賓 as even if thecomputer can tell the difference between words of similar 狀語從句

　　sounds such as write and right， it is still not yet able to do the work as well as anintelligent secretary.

　　第二層：(狀語從句)as 引 even if the computer can tell the difference between words ofsimilar sounds such as write and right,狀語從句1 it 主 is 系 still not yet 狀 able 表 to do the work賓 as well as an inte- lligent secretary . 狀語從句2

　　第三層：(狀語從句1)even if 引 the computer 主 can tell 謂 the difference 賓 between wordsof similar sounds 定 such as write and right 同位語

　　(狀語從句2)as well as 引 an intelligent secretary 主

　　要點 本句中as引導原因狀語從句，其中該句還帶有一個由even if引導的讓步狀語從句;介詞短語between words of similar sounds修飾difference，such as write and right修飾words，as well as……為同等比較狀語從句，其中省略了與主句相同的部分。intelligent：有才智的;理解力強的。

　　譯文 譯稿需要一定量的編輯工作，因為，即使計算機能夠區(qū)別同音異義詞，如 write和right，它仍不可能把這項工作做得像有思維能力的秘書那樣好。

　　2. If a needle is thrown at random on a sheet of paper ruled with lines whose distanceapart is exactly equal to the length of the needle,how often can it be expected to fall on a lineand how often into a blank space?

　　第一層：If a needle is thrown at random on a sheet of paper ruled with lines whosedistance apart is exactly equal to the len- 狀語從句 gth of the needle,how often 狀 can 謂 it 主be expected 謂 to fall on a line 賓 and 連 how often 狀 into a blank space?狀

　　第二層：(狀語從句)If 引 a needle 主 is 系 thrown 表 at random 狀 on a sheet of paper 狀ruled with lines 定 whose distance apart is exactly equal to the length of the needle 定語從句

　　第三層：(定語從句)whose 引 distance apart 主 is 系 exactly 狀 equal 表 to the length of theneedle 賓

　　要點 這是復合句。在if引導的狀語從句中，ruled with lines 是過去分詞，作paper 的定語，whose……needle 是 lines 的定語從句，whose distance apart 的意思是“它們之間的間隔”。主句中and 后面是個省略句，省去了 can it be expected to fall.翻譯時可將英文的被動語態(tài)譯成漢語的主動語態(tài)。length：長度。rule paper with lines：在紙上劃平行線。

　　譯文 如果把一根針隨機地投到一張紙上，紙上畫了許多平行線，它們之間的間隔等于針的長度，那么針落在線上的幾率是多少?落在空白處的幾率又是多少?

　　3. All that a man has to say or do that can possibly concern mankind,is in some shape orother to tell the story of his love - to sing,and if he is fortunate and keeps alive,he will beforever in love.

　　要點 本句是由and連接在一起的并列句。前一個分句的主干是All……is……to tell the story…… - tosing. all后面有兩個that引導的定語從句，第一個that從句修飾all，第二個that指代其前的that從句，翻譯時可表條件。to sing放在破折號之后，用以加強語氣，其后可視為省略了賓語the story of his love,to tell和to sing是并列關系。

　　譯文 一個人應該說的或做的，只要關系到人類，那么都是以這樣或那樣的形式來講述乃至謳歌自己的愛的故事;而且，如果他是幸運的、有活力的，他將永遠是充滿愛的。

　　4. As families move away from their stable community,their friends of many years,theirextended family relationships,the informal flow of information is cut off,and with it theconfidence that information will be available when needed and will be trustworthy andreliable.

　　要點 本句位并列句，前一個分句帶一個As引導的狀語從句，狀語從句中 move away from 后為并列平行結構their ……，their……，their…… 在and后的分句中， the confidence 省略了is cut off，it指的是信息被切斷的情況。

　　譯文 隨著家庭成員與他們穩(wěn)定的社區(qū)、多年的老友和大家庭的親屬關系相分離，非正式的信息渠道被切斷了，而那種在需要時就能得到真實可靠信息的信心也丟失了。

　　5. And by the help of further reasoning,which if drawn out would have been exhibited intwo or three other syllogism,you arrive at your final determination,I will not have that apple.

　　要點 這是復合句。主句是you arrive at your final determination.by the help of …… 是介詞短語作狀語，which引導的定語從句修飾reasoning.if drawn out 是省略句，用作表示條件的狀語從句，完整的句子是if the reasoning can be drawn out.翻譯時采用順序法，定語從句采用分句法。syllogism：三段論;演繹推理。

　　譯文 借助于進一步的推理，這種推理如果加以引申，還可表現(xiàn)為其他兩三種演繹推理，你便會做出最終決定：“我不吃那個蘋果了。”

　　6. It is quite unnerving not to be able to see or to establish contact with the otherperson,even though we have learnt to have conversations with people we cannot see,as on thetelephone.

　　要點 這是復合句。主句中 it是形式主語，真正的主語是不定式短語not to be able to see or toestablish contact with the other person.在狀語從句中as是連詞，意思是“正如…一樣”，as 后面省去了we have conversations.翻譯時采用逆序法，把even though引導的讓步狀語從句放到句首。unnerving：使人不知所措;使人失去自信。

　　譯文 即使我們適應了像打一樣在互相看不見的情況下談話，這種看不見或接觸不到對方的談話也會使人感到很不自在。

　　7. Actually we know of no type of astronomical body in which the conditions can befavorable to life except planets like our own revolving round a sun.

　　要點 這是復合句。in which引導定語從句，修飾astronomical body.介詞except引起的短語作狀語。在介詞短語like our own后面省略了planet.revolving為現(xiàn)在分詞短語作定語，修飾our own planet.翻譯時根據(jù)漢語習慣，將狀語提前譯出。

　　譯文 事實上，除了像地球這樣圍繞太陽旋轉的行星以外，我們不知道是否在其他類型的天體上也有適合生命存在的條件。

　　8. The increase in the numbers of married women employed outside the home in thetwentieth century had less to do with the mechanization of housework and an increase inleisure time for these women than it did with their own economic necessity and with highmarriage rates that shrank the available pool of single women workers.

　　要點 這是主從復合句。其主句的謂語動詞是had less to do with…… than……，意為“主要與…有關，而不是與…有關”，因為句子結構比較清晰，省略了句子的并列部分，如在had less to do with themechanization of housework and (with)an increase in leisure time省略了with;在……than it didwith their own economic necessity and ( it did )with high marriage rates省略了it did.句中that引導的定語從句修飾high marriage rates.翻譯時采用融合法，把重要的部分放在句首。

　　譯文 20世紀已婚女性走出家門參加工作人數(shù)的增加主要是因為她們自己的經濟需要，還與高結婚率使可參加工作的單身女工人數(shù)減少有關，而與家務機械化、婦女空閑時間增多關系不大。

　　9. The European Union is an imperfect creature,with some of its actions based on fineprinciples of political economy and some on poor ones.

　　要點 這是簡單句。句中with some of its actions based on fine principles是獨立主格結構，作狀語。因為與前一部分結構相同，句子后一部分省略了(with)some (of its actions based)on poor ones括號中的詞。翻譯時采用順序法，對省略部分也要進行相應省略，以使句子表達簡潔。

　　譯文 歐盟是不完善的機構，它的一些舉措是基于正確的政治經濟原則之上的，而另一些卻遠非如此。

　　10. To Americans,being on one's own suggests that one is a fully independent andfunctioning part of the whole capable and willing to make choices.

　　要點 這是復合句，that引導賓語從句，其中capable and willing to make choices可以被看作賓語從句中的并列表語(其前省略了is)。翻譯時采用順序法。

　　譯文 對美國人而言，依靠自己的力量就是指這個人作為整體的一部分是完全獨立并能起作用的，他有能力也愿意做出選擇。