英译汉中的省略研究-以《追风筝的人》为例_英语论文

A Study of the Ellipsis in the English-Chinese Translation: Exemplified by The Kite Runner

摘要

省略是语言中的语法及修辞现象，其使用有助于语言表达的简单、简洁和明了。它在翻译语域里也是如此，例如对英语语篇及话语的汉译。有鉴于此，本文首先界定“省略”的概念，然后解释英译汉中省略使用的诸多原因：例如英汉语的句法差异、信息结构差异、思维方式差异等。其三则是讨论省略策略使用的某些原则与效用，例如译本中不是必要的和用处不大的词语应该略去，这样可以达到译语不但连贯而且符合表达习惯之效果。接下来以小说《追风筝的人》为例，分析其汉语译本中的省略现象，例如对英语冠词、介词、代词、连词以及修辞手段的省略。论文结论是：翻译中的省略策略怎么强调都不过分，因为它可以重铸句子的表达，使其尽可能简短而明确。换言之，省略策略犹如“剃刀”，能够剃除句子的冗余成分。

关键词：省略；英译汉；翻译策略；《追风筝的人》

Abstract

Ellipsis, also omission, is a grammatical and rhetorical phenomenon in language. The use of it can make the linguistic expressions simple, concise and clear. The same is true in the register of translation, and a case in point is the Chinese translations of English discourses or texts. Hence this paper firstly defines the notion of ellipsis, and then explains some reasons why it is usually used in the field of E-C translation (English-Chinese translation) from the perspectives of syntactic differences, the differences of information structure, and the differences in thinking pattern between Chinese and English. Thirdly, some principles and effects in the use of ellipsis are discussed, and for example, the words that are unnecessary and useless in the translated version should be omitted, for they can achieve the effects that the translated versions are made coherent and corresponding to the expressing patterns of the target language. What follows then is the use of ellipsis in the Chinese translation of The Kite Runner. For instance, there are the ellipsis of English articles, prepositions, pronouns, conjunctions or rhetorical devices. It finally concludes that the role of ellipsis in translation can never be exaggerated, for it can re-shape the sentences and make them as brief and concise as possible. In other words, ellipsis is just like a razor that can cut off redundant constituents of sentences.

Key words: ellipsis; E-C translation; translation strategies; The Kite Runner

Contents

1 Introduction.1

2 Ellipsis Defined2

3 Some Justifications for the Use of Ellipsis3

3.1 Syntactic Differences.3

3.2 The Differences of Information Structure4

3.3 The Differences in Thinking Patterns5

4 Some Principles and Effects in the Use of Ellipsis5

  4.1 The Principles.5

  4.2 The Effects7   

5 The Use of Ellipsis in the Chinese Translation of The Kite Runner7

  5.1 The Ellipsis of English Articles7

  5.2 The Ellipsis of English Prepositions8

  5.3 The Ellipsis of English Pronouns.8

  5.4 The Ellipsis of English Conjunctions.10

  5.5 The Rhetorical Ellipsis11

6 Conclusion11

References.13