Amplification in Translation (增译法)

A book，tight shut，is but a block of paper. 译文一：—本书，紧紧合上，只是—叠 纸。 译文二：—本书，如果紧紧合上不读， 只是—叠纸。 译文三：一本书，如果紧紧合上不读， 只是一叠废纸。 译文四：闲置之书只是一叠废纸。

Nothing happened in the night． 译文一：夜间什么事也没发生。 译文二：这一夜风平浪静，什么事也没发生。 Away flies the arrow! 译文一：箭飞走了! 译文二：箭嗖的一声飞走了! 或：嗖—，箭飞走了!

Definition of Amplification 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应。因此，为了准确地传达出原文的信息，往往需要对译文作一些增减。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，从而使译文在语法、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起来的目的。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。

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

◆Lexical Amplification verbs nouns adjectives adverbs numerals plural forms of nouns generalization words words indicating the tense

1 增加动词 Tom Canty, born in rags and dirt and misery, what sight is this! (Mark Twain: The Prince and the Pauper) 译文一：啊，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！ 译文二：汤姆·康第原来生在可怜巴巴的人家，穿得破破烂烂，一身邋里邋遢，现在换了这身装束，啊，是何等气派！

She felt the flowers were in her fingers, on her lips, growing in her breast. 译文一：她觉得手里和唇上都是花儿，胸中也是花儿。 译文二：她觉得她好像手里拿着花，嘴里吻着花，连胸中也生出了花。

She played the piano, the violin and in her later years, the recorder. 她弹钢琴，拉小提琴，晚年时还吹八孔直笛。 The whole town worried about her being alone. 城里的人都担心她过孤独的生活。

These weeks’ events in the Soviet Union captured head lines all across the United States. 几星期以来苏联（发生的）事件成为美国（各报的）头条新闻。 When he woke, Steven came to his old self and his old love again. 当斯蒂文醒来的时候，他恢复了常态，又回到了他原来的爱人身边。

The quarrels of friends are the opportunities of foes. In the evening, after the banquets, the concerts and the table tennis exhibitions, he would work on the drafting of the final communiqué.

2 增加名词 在抽象名词后面增加名词 在具体名词后面增加名词 在形容词前面增加名词 在不及物动词后面增加名词

A. 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

relativity precaution arrogance gayety correctness dependence commercialization abstraction 相对论 预防措施 傲慢态度 欢乐气氛 正确性 依赖性 商业化 抽象化

development processing preparation tension backwardness complexity madness remedy hostility jealousy 开发工程 加工方法 准备工作 紧张局势 落后状态 复杂局面 疯狂行为 补救方法 敌对情绪 嫉妒心理　

The arrogance of the aristocracy helped to lead to the French Revolution. From the evaporation of water people know that liquids can turn into gases under certain condition.

B. 在具体名词后面增加名词 a) 当具体名词表达某种抽象概念时, 在译文中常常需要根据上下文增加一些适当的名词。 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.

C. 在形容词前面增加名词 This new type of computer is indeed cheap and fine. He is a complicated man---moody, mercurial, with a melancholy streak. She was pale and fragile. Cowboys had to be skillful and strong.

D. 在不及物动词后面增加名词 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。 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的而不是送礼，说话的口气马上变了。 The horse is in the field eating. 马正在牧场里吃草。

Wash before meal. Mary washed for a living after her husband died of acute pneumonia. Ladies do not drink. First you borrow, then you beg. Steel and iron products are often coated lest they should rust.

3 增加形容词 With what enthusiasm the students are working on translation. The plane twisted, trailing flame and smoke.

4 增加副词 为了确切地表达原意，有些动词在一定场合可根据原文的上下文增加适当的副词。 To make sure that my parents understood, I declared that I wanted nothing else. 为了让父母切实了解我的心思，我特意宣布，别的我什么也不想要。 Time drops in decay, like a candle burnt out. In the films, all too often it was the same one: a boy meets a girl; they fall in love and live a happy life ever after.

5 增加量词 英语中数词与可数名词往往可以直接连用 不用加量词，而汉语往往要加量词。 A red sun rose slowly from the calm sea. Old age is like a plane flying through a storm. Once you are aboard, there’s nothing you can do. The first electronic computers went into operation in 1945. He stretched his legs which were scattered with scars. 

另外，英语中的某些动词或动名词，在翻译成汉语时往往需要增加一些表示行为、动作量的动量词 Yesterday they had a big quarrel. He had a rest after walking ten miles. Wait for me. I will be right back.

6 增加表达复数的词 汉语中的名词没有复数概念，也没有词形上的变化，很多情况下不必表达出来；而英语中的名词有词形的变化，但没有量词，所以在翻译成汉语的时候，可根据情况增加重叠词、数词或其他一些词来表达复数的概念，以达到修辞效果。

A． 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. Newsmen went flying off to Iraq.

B. 增加数词或其他词表示复数 The lion is the king of animals. Mr. Hobbs didn't talk over my suggestions with his brother until yesterday afternoon. The judge let him off with warnings not to cause trouble again.

7 增加概括词 概括词是英汉两种语言所共有的，但有时英语句子中并没有出现概括词，而翻译的时候却往往可以加入“两人”、“双方”、“等”、“等等”、“凡此种种”等概括词，同时省略掉英语中的连接词。

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。 The advantages of the hall are bright, spacious, fashionable and without echo. In the 1960s, the Soviets posed a serious challenge to America’s hegemonic position militarily, politically and economically.

8 增加表达时态的词 英语时态是靠动词的词形变化或助词来体现的。汉语中的动词没有时态的变化，要表达时态就必须靠时态助词和一些表示时间的词。所以，在表达过去的概念时往往加上“曾”、“已经”、“过”、“了”等字眼，在表达进行时态时往往用“在”、“正在”、“着”等字眼，在表达将来时态时往往用“将”、“就”、“要”、“会”、“便”等字眼。此外，为了强调时间概念或强调时间上的对比，往往增加一些其他的词。

强调某种时间概念 I had never thought I’d be happy to find myself considered unimportant. But this time I was. Christmas was coming. I wanted a doll. He is the son of a wealthy family, but he seems to have come down in the world.

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.

◆ Syntactical Amplification ◆ Syntactical Amplification Omission is very frequently used in English for rhetorical or syntactical purposes. When we translate English sentences with omission into Chinese, we have to supply in the target text what has been omitted in the source text. Otherwise, the meaning in the TL text would be neither complete nor smooth or idiomatic.

◆ Syntactical Amplification 增补原文中省略的动词 增补原文比较句中的省略部分 增补原文回答句中的省略部分 增补分词形式中隐含的主语 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，在译文总往往要重复这个动词。

Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. ------Francis Bacon Reading makes a full man; conference a ready man and writing an exact man. Matter can be changed into energy, and energy into matter. Courage in excess becomes foolhardiness, affection weakness, thrift avarice.

2. 增补原文比较句中的省略部分 This is true of nations as it is of individuals. Better be wise by the defeat of others than by your own. 3. 增补原文回答句中的省略部分 “Nothing but a doll?" My father asked. “Nothing, ”I said. “How shall l do it?” “Just as you wish.” 4. 增补分词形式中隐含的主语 If asked, I will be very proud to tell him that this is my hometown.

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。

The strongest man cannot alter the law of nature. I am in charge of the project, only I. People will hold me responsible but not you. More thorough testing might have caught the failure initially. Suppose the preparatory work should not be completed. Mistakes had been made, bad ones.

◆ Cultural Amplification 英汉语言除了在语词对应、使用频率、语连模式等方面存在着区别之外，文化的巨大差异也促使译者在译文中增加一些解释成分和反映文化背景的信息，以提高其可读性。

Every family is said to have at least one skeleton in the cupboard. Advice and correction roll off him like water off a duck’s back. Can the leopard change his spots?

◆ Rhetorical Amplification

He thought and thought, but could not come out with an answer. 他想啊，想啊，却想不出一个答案来。 Don’t take it seriously. It’s only a joke. As I snooze she talks – of anything, everything, all the things that women talk of: books, music, dress, men, other women. We think we have freed our slaves, but we have not. We just call them by a different name.

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。

Practice What about calling him right away? 马上给他打个电话，你觉得如何？ （增译主语和谓语） If only I could see the realization of the four modernizations. 要是我能看到四个现代化实现该有多好啊！（增译主句） Indeed, the reverse is true. 实际情况恰好相反。（增译名词和副词）

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