托福语法辅导：难长句精解与语法精要（第四章）

　　第四章省略

　　文章要做到简洁,省略法(Ellipsis)是必用的。

　　英语句子中的某些成分因上下文已提供了充分明确的信息而不必出现,或前面已出现的

　　某些成分,为了避免不必要的重复,可以不再出现而不致引起误解或歧义,这种语言现象就叫

　　作省略。例如：Glad to see you. 这是个简单句,主语I 和谓语am 可以省略。再如：London is

　　on the Themes, and Paris on the Seine. 这是一个并列复合句,后半句省略了谓语动词is,因为前

　　面已经出现过,后面不必重复。英译汉时,为了使译文明确达意,符合汉语习惯,要在正确理解原

　　文的基础上,对原文中省略的部分或保留或补全,或对其进行灵活处理。

　　有人将英语句子中的省略现象归纳为21 种,本章只涉及在英语阅读中常遇到的比较复杂

　　的省略现象。

　　1. The transcription needs a certain amount of editing, as even if the computer can tell the

　　difference between words of similar sounds such as write and right, it is still not yet able to do the

　　work as well as an intelligent secretary.

　　第一层：The transcription needs a certain amount of editing, as even if the computer can tell

　　主谓定宾状语从句

　　the difference between words of similar sounds such as write and right, it is still not yet able to do

　　the work as well as an intelligent secretary.

　　第二层： (状语从句) as even if the computer can tell the difference between words of

　　引状语从句1

　　similar sounds such as write and right , it is still not yet able to do the work as well as an inte-

　　主系状表宾状语从句2

　　lligent secretary .

　　第三层： (状语从句1) even if the computer can tell the difference between words of

　　引主谓宾定

　　similar sounds such as write and right

　　同位语

　　(状语从句2) as well as an intelligent secretary

　　引主

　　要点本句中as 引导原因状语从句,其中该句还带有一个由"even if"引导的让步状语从

　　句;介词短语"between words of similar sounds"修饰"difference","such as write and right"修饰

　　"words","as well as..."为同等比较状语从句,其中省略了与主句相同的部分。intelligent:有才智

　　的;理解力强的。

　　译文译稿需要一定量的编辑工作,因为,即使计算机能够区别同音异义词,如write 和

　　right,它仍不可能把这项工作做得像有思维能力的秘书那样好。

　　2. If a needle is thrown at random on a sheet of paper ruled with lines whose distance apart is

　　exactly equal to the length of the needle, how often can it be expected to fall on a line and how

　　often into a blank space?

　　第一层： If a needle is thrown at random on a sheet of paper ruled with lines whose distance

　　状语从句

　　apart is exactly equal to the length of the needle , how often can it be expected to fall on a line

　　状谓主谓宾

　　and how often into a blank space?

　　连状状

　　第二层： (状语从句) If a needle is thrown at random on a sheet of paper ruled with lines

　　引主系表状状定

　　whose distance apart is exactly equal to the length of the needle

　　定语从句

　　第三层： (定语从句) whose distance apart is exactly equal to the length of the needle.

　　引主系状表宾

　　要点这是复合句。在if 引导的状语从句中,ruled with lines 是过去分词,作paper 的定

　　语,whose...needle 是lines 的定语从句,whose distance apart 的意思是"它们之间的间隔"。主

　　句中and 后面是个省略句,省去了can it be expected to fall。翻译时可将英文的被动语态译成

　　汉语的主动语态。length:长度。rule paper with lines:在纸上划平行线。

　　译文如果把一根针随机地投到一张纸上,纸上画了许多平行线,它们之间的间隔等于针

　　的长度,那么针落在线上的几率是多少?落在空白处的几率又是多少?

　　3. All that a man has to say or do that can possibly concern mankind, is in some shape or other to

　　tell the story of his love - to sing, and if he is fortunate and keeps alive, he will be forever in love.

　　要点本句是由and 连接在一起的并列句。前一个分句的主干是All...is...to tell the story...

　　- to sing. all 后面有两个that 引导的定语从句,第一个that 从句修饰all,第二个that 指代其前的

　　that 从句,翻译时可表条件。to sing 放在破折号之后,用以加强语气,其后可视为省略了宾语the

　　story of his love, to tell 和to sing 是并列关系。

　　译文一个人应该说的或做的,只要关系到人类,那么都是以这样或那样的形式来讲述乃

　　至讴歌自己的爱的故事;而且,如果他是幸运的、有活力的,他将永远是充满爱的。

　　4. As families move away from their stable community,their friends of many years, their extended

　　family relationships, the informal flow of information is cut off, and with it the confidence that

　　information will be available when needed and will be trustworthy and reliable.

　　要点本句位并列句,前一个分句带一个As 引导的状语从句, 状语从句中move away

　　from 后为并列平行结构their ...,their..., their... 在and 后的分句中, the confidence 省略了"is

　　cut off", it 指的是信息被切断的情况。

　　译文随着家庭成员与他们稳定的社区、多年的老友和大家庭的亲属关系相分离,非正式

　　的信息渠道被切断了,而那种在需要时就能得到真实可靠信息的信心也丢失了。

　　5. And by the help of further reasoning, which if drawn out would have been exhibited in two or

　　three other syllogism, you arrive at your final determination, I will not have that apple.

　　要点这是复合句。主句是you arrive at your final determination。by the help of ... 是'F6介词

　　短语作状语,which 引导的定语从句修饰reasoning。if drawn out 是省略句,用作表示条件的状

　　语从句,完整的句子是if the reasoning can be drawn out。翻译时采用顺序法,定语从句采用分

　　句法。syllogism:三段论;演绎推理。

　　译文借助于进一步的推理,这种推理如果加以引申,还可表现为其他两三种演绎推理,你

　　便会做出最终决定："我不吃那个苹果了。"

　　6. It is quite unnerving not to be able to see or to establish contact with the other person, even

　　though we have learnt to have conversations with people we cannot see, as on the telephone.

　　要点这是复合句。主句中it 是形式主语,真正的主语是不定式短语not to be able to see

　　or to establish contact with the other person。在状语从句中as 是连词,意思是"正如⋯一样",as

　　后面省去了we have conversations。翻译时采用逆序法,把even though 引导的让步状语从句放

　　到句首。unnerving:使人不知所措;使人失去自信。

　　译文即使我们适应了像打电话一样在互相看不见的情况下谈话,这种看不见或接触不

　　到对方的谈话也会使人感到很不自在。

　　7. Actually we know of no type of astronomical body in which the conditions can be favorable to

　　life except planets like our own revolving round a sun.

　　要点这是复合句。in which 引导定语从句,修饰astronomical body。介词except 引起的

　　短语作状语。在介词短语like our own 后面省略了planet。revolving 为现在分词短语作定语,

　　修饰our own planet。翻译时根据汉语习惯,将状语提前译出。

　　译文事实上,除了像地球这样围绕太阳旋转的行星以外,我们不知道是否在其他类型的

　　天体上也有适合生命存在的条件。

　　8. The increase in the numbers of married women employed outside the home in the twentieth

　　century had less to do with the mechanization of housework and an increase in leisure time for

　　these women than it did with their own economic necessity and with high marriage rates that

　　shrank the available pool of single women workers.

　　要点这是主从复合句。其主句的谓语动词是had less to do with... than...,意为"主要与⋯

　　有关,而不是与⋯有关",因为句子结构比较清晰,省略了句子的并列部分,如在had less to do

　　with the mechanization of housework and (with) an increase in leisure time 省略了with;在...than

　　it did with their own economic necessity and ( it did ) with high marriage rates 省略了it did。句中

　　that 引导的定语从句修饰high marriage rates。翻译时采用融合法,把重要的部分放在句首。

　　译文20 世纪已婚女性走出家门参加工作人数的增加主要是因为她们自己的经济需要,

　　还与高结婚率使可参加工作的单身女工人数减少有关,而与家务机械化、妇女空闲时间增多

　　关系不大。

　　9. The European Union is an imperfect creature, with some of its actions based on fine principles

　　of political economy and some on poor ones.

　　要点这是简单句。句中with some of its actions based on fine principles 是独立主格结构,

　　作状语。因为与前一部分结构相同,句子后一部分省略了(with)some (of its actions based)

　　on poor ones 括号中的词。翻译时采用顺序法,对省略部分也要进行相应省略,以使句子表达简

　　洁。

　　译文欧盟是不完善的机构,它的一些举措是基于正确的政治经济原则之上的,而另一些

　　却远非如此。

　　10. To Americans, being on one's own suggests that one is a fully independent and functioning

　　part of the whole capable and willing to make choices.

　　要点这是复合句,that 引导宾语从句,其中capable and willing to make choices 可以被看作

　　宾语从句中的并列表语(其前省略了is)。翻译时采用顺序法。

　　译文对美国人而言,依靠自己的力量就是指这个人作为整体的一部分是完全独立并能

　　起作用的,他有能力也愿意做出选择。