Amplification and Omission Lecture VII Amplification and Omission

1. Definition Translation is the transfer of information or meaning from the source text to the target text. There is generally a loss of information or meaning in translation process because of the difference between the source language or culture and target language or culture. Amplification is used to compensate the loss of information or. Amplification refers to making explicit or expressing in the target text what is implicit in the source text. It is adopted for grammatical, semantic, rhetoric and textual purposes, hence grammatical amplification, semantic amplification, rhetorical amplification and textual amplification.

2. Grammatical Amplification 1) making explicit implicit grammatical meaning or information of the source text by lexical means, such as time, tense, aspect, passive voice, plurality 2) compensate the grammatical meaning that has been omitted in the source text.

1) Children, neglected by their parents, turned in some instances to drugs and crimes. There are more than 700 murders a year in cities like New York, Detroit, Los Angeles and Houston, and most of these deaths are of blacks killed by blacks. 没有父母的关怀，有些孩子走上了吸毒和犯罪的道路。时至今日，在纽约、底特律、洛杉矶和休斯顿等城市，每年要发生七百多起谋杀案，死者和凶手大多为黑人。

2) “Mr. Copperfield,” said Steerforth; “he wants to know you.” “Well then, he shall! I thought he looked as if he did!” returned Miss Mowcher, waddling up to me, bag in hand, and laughing on me as she came. “考波菲先生，”史朵夫说。“他想要跟你认识认识。” “那么好啦，他就认识认识吧！我刚才看他的神气，就知道他想要跟我认识了，”冒齐小姐回答说；同时，手里提着袋子，一拽一拽地走到我跟前，一面走一面冲着我大笑。 3) Although a computer can think in a certain sense, the human brain with its billions of nerve cells was and still is a much more remarkable mechanism than any computer. 虽然计算机在某种意义上也能思想，但是具有几十亿神经细胞的人脑，过去是而且现在仍然是比任何计算机出色得多的机制。

3. Semantic Amplification Semantic amplification is used to make the target text clear, definite, smooth, natural and easy to understand by different means, such as the use of categories, the use of words with definite or specific meaning, subordinate words,, and so on.

4) Jacobson remarked that for both sexes a favorable orientation towards retirement appeared to reflect constraints or resignation rather than choice. 杰克伯逊指出，无论是男是女，工人们在退休问题上所表现的赞同倾向，看来并不表明退休是他们的自愿选择，而是反映了他们所受到的种种限制及无可奈何的心态。 5) The bank or credit-card company settles the client’s bills, invoicing him monthly and charging interest on any outstanding debts. Their profit comes from the high rate of interest charged, the card-holder’s subscriptions, and the fees paid by some organizations that accept cards. 银行或信用卡公司给客户付账（支付客户的账单），按月给客户开列其消费清单，并收取欠款透支（所有有待偿还债务）的利息。这些金融机构的利润源自（来源于）所收取的高额利息、持卡人认购费以及允许使用信用卡消费的单位缴纳的代理费。

与此相同，如果今天还说以车代步的生活方式和使用一次性物品的生活习惯，或者代沟问题纯粹是美国人的事，那就不符合情理了。 6) Similarly, to talk about a car culture, a throw-away culture, or the generation gap as exclusively American concerns makes little sense today. 与此相同，如果今天还说以车代步的生活方式和使用一次性物品的生活习惯，或者代沟问题纯粹是美国人的事，那就不符合情理了。 7) Hyperion’s curls, the front of Jove himself, An eye like Mars to threaten and command, A station like the herald Mercury New-lighted on a heaven-kissing hill 太阳神的卷发，天神的前额，像战神一样威风凛凛的眼睛，象降落在高吻穹苍的山巅的神使一样矫健的姿态。

8) HAMLET But two months dead; nay, not so much, not two: So excellent a king; that was, to this, Hyperion to a satyr; 梁实秋：死了才两个月！不，还不到两个月；那样贤明的一位国王；比起现在这个，恰似太阳神和羊怪之比； 朱生豪：刚死了两个月！不，两个月还不满！这样好的一个国王，比起当前这个来，简直是天神和丑怪；

若干服装设计师为了赶时髦舍弃了优雅别致的式样，而一味追求伤风败俗的奇装异服。 9) In line with latest trends in fashion, a few dress designers have been sacrificing elegance to audacity. 若干服装设计师为了赶时髦舍弃了优雅别致的式样，而一味追求伤风败俗的奇装异服。 10). The discovery of electron-positron annihilation is most startling and exciting to high-energy physicists. 发现正负电子对撞而消失的现象令高能物理学家十分惊奇和鼓舞。

4. Textual Amplification 11) Largely since the Second World War, more and more American social and cultural habits have taken hold in Europe, from cornflakes and the televised news for breakfast to the evening barbecue or grill party. 主要自二战以来，越来越多的美国社会文化习俗扎根欧洲土壤，从早餐时吃麦片、看电视新闻到晚上举行烧烤聚会，比比皆是。 12) It is particularly in the evening that Piccadilly Circus is thronged with people going to the theatre or the cinema, or perhaps to a restaurant. 尤其在夜晚，皮卡迪利广场上熙来攘往，上剧院的，去电影院的，或者也许是去餐馆的，络绎不绝。

13) From me, whose love was of that dignity That it went hand in hand even with the vow I made to her in marriage; and decline Upon a wretch whose natural gifts were poor To those of mine! 梁实秋：我对她的爱情是和结婚时我向她发的誓约一般的庄严，而她竟被诱得悖了我去嫁给那个才能远不及我的坏蛋！ 朱生豪：我的爱情是那样纯洁真诚，始终信守着我在结婚的时候对她所作的盟誓；她却会对一个天赋的才德远不如我的恶人降心相从！

14) Hamlet: Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears Had left the flushing in her galled eyes, She married 梁实秋：顶虚伪的眼泪还没有在她哭痛的脸上停止留下 红痕，她居然改嫁。 朱生豪：她那流着虚伪之泪的眼睛还没有消去红肿，她 就嫁人了。 15) POLONIUS This must be known; which, being kept close, might move More grief to hide than hate to utter love. 梁实秋：这事必要宣扬；如果稳秘起来，会要引起更大的悲伤，还不如把这段情事宣布，顶多招他一场厌恨罢了。 朱生豪：这种事情是不能蒙蔽起来的，要是隐讳不报，也许会闹出乱子

16) All the credit organizations charge interest on a monthly basis which may work out as high as 25 percent a year, yet judicious using a card can mean that you obtain up to seven weeks’ interest-free credit. 所有信用卡机构都要受到利息，按月计算，年息可高达百分之二十五，但只要你明智地使用信用卡消费，你便可以享受到长达七星期的无息赊欠。

5. Rhetoric Amplification 1）making the target text balanced, orderly, rhythmical and vivid 2) reproduce or reconstruct the figures of speech used in the source text

17) Whereas a country like Britain exhibits considerable variation in climate and landscape, the differences across the continental U. S. are extreme. 再比如说，像英国这样的国家，气候万千，地貌各异，其变化可谓相当可观了，而横跨美国大陆，各地气候、地貌却是尽态极形，其差异已然登峰造极。

18) It was a day as fresh as grass growing up and clouds going over and butterflies coming down can make it, it was a day compounded from silences of bee and flower and ocean and land, which were not silences at all, but motions, stirs, flutters, risings, fallings, each in its own time and matchless rhythm. 绿草萋萋，白云冉冉，彩蝶翩翩，这日子是如此清新可爱；蜜蜂无言，春花不语，海波声歇，大地音寂，这日子是如此安静。然而并非安静，因为万物各以其特有的节奏，或动，或摇，或震，或起，或伏。

19) Husband have been killed, babies deformed, wives left deserted, children crippled in accidents, homes burned to the ground – I’ve looked and heard and wept and thought this is too much for anyone to bear … and then I’ve been astounded at how happiness of a kind can be regained out of the hell of grief. 丈夫被杀、婴儿畸形、妇人背弃、儿童致残、房屋焚毁---我目睹、我耳闻、我哭泣、我尝想：如此灾难，在这个世上，何人能承受！--然而，接下去，我之所见，让我震惊，人们如何一步步走出悲恸的地狱，获得了那样的幸福。

6. Omission Omission serves to produce a natural, concise and expressive, target text, but any damage or omission of the meaning of the source text is not encouraged. 1) omission of definite or indefinite articles 2) omission of personal pronouns, possessive pronouns, and self-reflex pronouns 3) omission of “it” 4) omission of prepositions, conjunctions and verbs 5) omission of synonyms 6) omission of redundant words or ideas.

20) Since ICs feature high density and low consumption，they are widely used in modern electronic industry. 集成电路因具有高密度、低功耗的特点而广泛用于现代电子工业中。 21）Whether the laws are good or bad，they cannot complain，they cannot question，they cannot suggest changes. 无论法律是否公正，他们无法抱怨、无法质疑、无法建议修改。

许多小型劳务公司不去分析劳务总成本，因而也无法为服务项目定出有利可图的价格。 22) Many small service firms fail to analyze their services’ total cost，and therefore fail to price them profitably. 许多小型劳务公司不去分析劳务总成本，因而也无法为服务项目定出有利可图的价格。 23) According to their ability to conduct electric current，all materials may be classified into three major categories：conductors, semiconductors and insulators. 根据导电性能的不同，所有材料均可分为三大类：导体、半导体、绝缘体。

理论科学虽然通常与技术没有明显的联系，但确实有助于应用科学的发展。 24) Although pure science usually has no apparent connection with technology, it does lend itself to the development of applied science. 理论科学虽然通常与技术没有明显的联系，但确实有助于应用科学的发展。 25) Bacteria，even great in number, are invisible to the unaided eye，but they can easily be distinguished by the microscope. 细菌即使为数甚多，肉眼也是看不见的，借助于显微镜却容易辨认出来。

26) I should like to make a brief statement regarding some of the considerations leading to our affirmative vote. 我想简要地阐述一下我们投赞成票的理由。 27) In the case of a possible accident，the machine comes to a halt immediately upon the operator’s direction. 在可能发生事故的情况下，操作人员一发指令，机器就会立刻停下来。

28) With regard to their products，they have the same concerns of the interrelationship of design，materials，and manufacturing process. 关于产品，他们同样要考虑设计、材料和制造工艺三者之间的相互关系。 29) To our knowledge，advertisements and commercials do many important things for society：they convey business information，facilitate communication and help keep the business world moving. 据我们所知，广告为社会起了许多重要作用：传递商品信息，促进相互交流，促使商界正常运作。

30)我们要加强与世界各国在经济、文化等领域的交往。 We must enhance our economic and cultural exchanges with other countries in the world. 31) 在政府这个层面上，世界大部分的工业化国家，已在1997年所签订的京都议定书中，宣誓将做到气体排放减量。 On the governmental level, most of the industrialized nations have pledged to cut gas emissions under the Kyoto Agreement in 1997.