Unit 4 Amplification (增译法) By PYSH

Look at the following example! In April, there was the “ping” heard around the world. In July, the ping “ponged”. 四月里，全世界听到“乒”的一声；七月里，乒又“乓” 了。 四月里，全世界听到中国“乒”的一声把球打了出去；到了七月，美国“乓”的一声把球打了回来。

Test yourselves to see if the translation is faithful! Their host carved, poured, served, cut bread, talked, laughed, proposed healths. 他们的主人又切又倒又服务又切面包；又说又笑又祝健康。 热情的主人又是切肉，又是斟酒，又是上菜，又是切面包；说啊，笑啊，敬酒啊，忙个不停。

Definition of Amplification Amplification means supplying necessary words in our translation on the basis of accurate comprehension of the original. As a matter of principle, a translator is not supposed to add or subtract any meaning from the original work. This does not mean, however, that a translator should refrain from supplying necessary words to make the version semantically accurate and idiomatic in the target language. Precisely, it is for the purpose of “faithful representation” of the thought of the author that we often resort to “amplification”. This is because English and Chinese are two entirely different languages and each has its own historical and cultural background. Besides, many ideas, idiomatic expressions and shortened words, etc. that are well understood by the natives can hardly make sense to people abroad. Therefore, it is unimaginable for a translator to stick to the original pattern without alteration. Definition of Amplification

增 译 由于英汉两种语言文字之间存在巨大差异，在翻译过程中很难做到字词句上完全对等。因此，为了准确地传达出原文的信息，往往需要对译文增译。所谓增译，就是在原文的基础上添加必要的单词、词组、分句或完整句，从而使译文在句法和语言形式上符合汉语的习惯并使译文在文化背景、词语联想方面与原文保持一致，以达到译文与原文在内容、形式和精神方面对等的目的。这里的增加不是无中生有随意增加，而是增加原文中虽无其词却有其意的一些部分。

Classifications ◆Lexical Amplification ◆Syntactical Amplification ◆Cultural Amplification ◆Rhetorical Amplification

◆I. Lexical Amplification Verbs Nouns Adjectives Adverbs Numerals Plural forms of nouns Generalization words Words indicating the tense

1 Adding Verbs 增加动词 Tom Canty, born in rags and dirt and misery, what sight is this! (Mark Twain: The Prince and the Pauper) 汤姆·康第，生在破烂、肮脏和苦难中，现在这番景象却是多么显赫啊！ 汤姆·康第原来生在可怜巴巴的人家，穿得破破烂烂，邋里邋遢，现在换了这身装束，啊，是何等的气派！

She felt the flowers were in her fingers, on her lips, growing in her breast. 她觉得手里和唇上都是花， 胸中也是花。 她觉得她好像手里拿着花， 嘴里吻着花，就连胸中也开出了花来。 She played the piano, the violin and in her later years, the recorder. 她弹钢琴，拉小提琴，晚年时还吹直笛。

2 Adding Nouns 增加名词 Adding nouns after abstract nouns在抽象名词后面增加名词 Adding nouns after concrete nouns 在具体名词后面增加名词 Adding nouns before adjectives 在形容词前面增加名词 Adding nouns after intransitive verbs 在不及物动词后面增加名词

A. Adding nouns after abstract nouns在抽象名词后面增加名词 evaporation fault-finding gracefulness necessity modernization indifference transformation segregation light-heartedness 蒸发作用 吹毛求疵的作法 优雅气质 必要性 现代化 冷漠态度 转化过程 隔离政策/隔离措施 轻松愉快的心境

B. Adding nouns after concrete nouns在具体名词后面增加名词 The molecules of hydrogen get closer and closer with the pressure. b) 在具体名词后面增加名词，避免译文含混，使译文符合汉语习惯。 Many great writers were not appreciated fully while they were alive.

D. Adding nouns after intransitive verbs 在不及物动词后面增加名词 When he learned it was to borrow, not to give, that the messenger had come, his tone changed. 当他知道使者是来借钱而不是来送礼后，说话的口气马上就变了。 The horse is in the grassland eating. 马正在草原上吃草。 英语中的某些不及物动词虽然没有宾语， 但宾语实际上是隐含在动词后面的。

6. Adding Certain Words with the Concept of Plurality 增加表达复数的词

A．Amplification by Repetition 增加重叠词表示复数 All roads lead to Rome. 条条大道通罗马。 Flowers bloom all over the yard. 朵朵鲜花开满了整个庭院。

7. Adding Words of Generalization 增加概括词

Like most wildlife，tigers reproduce，grow，and store fat in the summer and fall when there is plenty of nutritious food available. 与大多数野生动物一样，老虎在营养丰富、食物充足的夏秋两季，繁殖、生长储存脂肪。

8. Adding Words for Different Tenses 增加表达时态的词

强调时间上的对比 She makes a good teacher, as she was a good student. 她原先是个好学生，现在是个好老师。 Man, was, is and always will be trying to improve his living conditions. It was said that his father was a fisherman. Maybe he was as poor as we are.

◆ II. Syntactical Amplification Adding the omitted verbs 增补原文中省略的动词 Adding the omitted sentence elements 增补原文比较句中的省略部分 Adding the omitted answers 增补原文回答句中的省略部分 Adding the implied subject in participles 增补分词形式中隐含的主语 Adding the logical words and phrases 增补表示逻辑关系的词语

1. 增补原文中省略的动词 这里所说的原文中省略的动词，指的是在并列关系的复句中在后句中省略的动词。在翻译成汉语的时候，出于句法上的需要，有时还需要将动词补出。另外，在某些英语句子当中由于一个谓语动词连接几个宾语或表语，在译文中往往要重复这个动词。

5. 增补表示逻辑关系的词语 有时候英语原文中并没有表达逻辑关系的词语，但根据上下文可以判断出其隐含的逻辑关系，如转折、假设、让步、因果关系等，在翻译成汉语的时候，要适当地在句中或句子之间补充关联词和承上启下的词。

Summary 增译和省译往往是译者在推敲译文或校对译文的过程中进行的，可见这类调整与译者的母语语感很有关系，从本质上说这是一个译文的可读性问题(readability)，其关键在求得译文与原文在深层结构上的对应，而不求双语在词语形式上的机械对应。