Translation Techniques of Amplification

1.   Definition of amplification

2.   Classification of Amplification

2.1   Lexical Amplification（从词汇上考虑的增词）

2.1.1   Verbs

2.1.2   Nouns

2.1.3  Generalization words are added

2.1.4       Adverbs are added

2.1.5  Plural words are added

2.1.6 Amplifying words in the TL text that can indicate the verb tenses in the SL text. (增加表达时态的词)

2.2  Syntactical Amplification (从句法结构上考虑的增词)

2.2.1. 增补原文中省略的动词

2.2. 2.增补原文比较句中的省略部分

2.2.3  增补原文回答句中的省略部分

2.2.4 增补表示逻辑关系的词语

2.2.5  增补/重复同位语结构中的先行词(antecedent)

2.3  Cultural Amplification  (从文化上考虑的增词)

2.3.1  增加比喻的喻意

2.4  Rhetorical Amplification  （从修辞上考虑的增词）

2.4.1 增加四字词组，四字对偶词组或叠词

3. Conclusion

1 .Definition of amplification

Amplification means supplying necessary words in translation, making the version grammatically correct, semantically clear, rhetorically sound, logically acceptable, and culturally appropriate. Words thus supplied must be indispensable syntactically, semantically, stylistically, and contextually.

所谓增译法，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地随意增加，而是增加原文中虽无其词却有其意的一些部分。例如：

——What kind of money do girls like the most ?

——Matrimony.

 译文1： “——姑娘们喜欢什么样的钱？”

 “——婚姻”。

 译文2：“——姑娘们喜欢什么样的钱，美元还是日元？”

         “——良缘。”

 

2. Classification of Amplification

2.1 Lexical Amplification（从词汇上考虑的增词）

This kind of amplification includes: amplification by supplying such kinds of words as verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, numerals, category words, generalization words, and the plural forms of nouns.

These kinds of words are amplified so that they can express the intended or implied lexical or contextual meanings of the SL text clearly and exactly, or in other words, they are amplified so as to make the implied lexical meanings in the SL text concrete, clear, and idiomatic.

2.1.1. Verbs

例如：

①Tom 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(who was born)生在可怜巴巴的人家(in misery)，穿得破破烂烂(in rags)，一身邋里邋遢(in dirt)，现在(what sight is this)换了这身装束，啊，是何等气派！

②She 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，胸中也生长着花儿。

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。

 

2.1.2        Nouns

例如:

①We were all greatly moved by his loftiness.

我们都被他那种崇高品质所深深感染 .

②He felt the patriot rise within his breast.

 他感到一种爱国热情在心中荡漾。

Loftiness,  patriot: 英语习惯运用抽象词汇，而汉语习惯运用具体词汇 将 “抽象概念变为具体概念”，examples:

gayety  欢乐气氛                    jealousy嫉妒心理  

dejection   沮丧情绪                transition 演变过程 

development   开发工程             processing 加工方法

       当具体名词表达某种抽象概念时，在译文中也常常需要根据上下文增加一些适当的名词。例如:

He allowed the father to be overruled by the judge, and declared his own son guilty。

他让法官的职责战胜父子的私情，而判决他儿子有罪。

He was wrinkled and black, with scant gray hair.

他满脸皱纹,皮肤黝黑,头发灰白稀疏。

2.1.3         Generalization words are added    
           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。 例如:

Henry Kissinger had slept there before，in July and again in October．

这之前，基辛格在7月和10月两度在那里下榻。

His diligence，earnestness，carefulness and brilliance make him praised by all．

他勤勉、踏实、细心、才华过人，凡此种种都使他受到众人夸奖。

2.1.4 Adverbs are added

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。例如:

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。

The crowds melted away.  人群渐渐散开了。

 

2.1.5   Plural words are added

英语名词单复数意义不同.例如:

a) water; 水              waters水域、河流

b) sand; 沙子             sands大面积沙滩、沙漠

c) food; 食物             foods各种食品

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。如:

flowers ; stars; birds; animals; the Americas; directions; governments; factors; steps taken; hills; rivers

无数/许多花; 群星、繁星;鸟类;动物界;南北美洲;东南西北;各国/各级政府;诸因素;已采取若干措施;一座座山;一条条河

All roads lead to Rome.  条条大道通罗马。

Flowers bloom all over the yard. 朵朵鲜花开满了庭院。

Newsmen went flying off the Mexico. 记者纷纷飞到墨西哥去了。

 

2.1.6   Amplifying words in the TL text that can indicate the verb tenses in the SL text. (增加表达时态的词)

As the Chinese language is the one whose verbs cannot manifest tenses while the English language is the one whose verbs themselves can well indicate tenses, in English-Chinese translation, adverbs are often supplied or amplified to indicate the tenses that are manifested by the verbs in the English text.

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。如:

The old man said, “They say his father was a fisherman. Maybe he was as poor as we are.”

老人说，“听人说，从前他爸爸是个打鱼的。他过去也许和我们现在一样穷。”

I had never thought I’d be happy to find myself considered unimportant. But this time I was.

以往我从未想过，当我发觉人们认为我是无足轻重时，我会感到高兴。但这次情况确是如此 。

 

2.2  Syntactical Amplification  (从句法结构上考虑的增词)

Omission is very frequently used in English for rhetorical or syntactical purposes. When we translate English sentences with omission into Chinese, however, in nine cases out of ten, 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.

 

2.2.1 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由于前后两句的结构相同且使用相同的谓语动词，为了避免重复而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。当这个动词后有前置词时，在第二次第三次往往只用前置词而省略动词，在译文中则要重复动词以代替英语中重复的前置词。

Reading makes a full man, conference a ready man, writing an exact man.

读书使人充实，讨论使人机智，写作使人准确。

 

2.2. 2.增补原文比较句中的省略部分

This is true of nations as it is of individuals.

国家是这样，个人也是这样。

Better be wise by the defeat of others than by your own.

从别人的失败中吸取教训比从自己的失败中吸取教训更好。

 

2.2.3   增补原文回答句中的省略部分

“Nothing but a pony?" My father asked.        “Nothing，”I said.

“Just as you wish.”

 

2.2.4. 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。

(Amplification by supplying necessary transition words or connectives for the sake of cohesion. ）

The strongest man cannot alter the law of nature.

即使是最强有力的人也不能改变自然法则。

More thorough testing might have caught the failure initially.

如果测试更为彻底，也许一开始就能找出故障。

 

2.2.5    增补/重复同位语结构中的先行词(antecedent)

      As a result, a few token meetings were being set up through Foggy Bottom, the more-than-ever appropriate nickname for the Department of State.

结果在“雾谷”召开了几次象征性的会议。用“雾谷”这个绰号来称呼（美国）国务院是再贴切不过的词语了。（它描述了国务卿罗杰斯的影响——虚无缥缈如雾，地位低下如谷。）

Water can be decomposed by energy, a current of electricity.

水可由能量来分解，所谓能量也就是电流。

 

2. 3 Cultural Amplification  (从文化上考虑的增词)

英汉语言除了在语词对应、使用频率、语连模式、省词结习等方面存在着区别之外，文化的巨大差异所造成的文化缺省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。

 

2.3. 1   增加比喻的喻意

 Every family is said to have at least one skeleton in the cupboard.

 俗话说，衣柜里面藏骷髅，见不得人的事家家有。

Advice and correction roll off him like water off a duck’s back.

劝导对他好像水过鸭背似的不起作用。

 

2.4  Rhetorical Amplification  （从修辞上考虑的增词）

Rhetorical amplification is mostly employed for the sake of the smoothness of the translation. Therefore, rhetorical amplification is more often employed in the process of weighing the words (推敲), doing proofreading and polishing the style or manner of the translation. And the words that are amplified are generally modal particles (语气词), emphatic adverbs (强调性副词) and other words needed for rhetoric purposes. These  amplified words do not add, nor subtract the meanings of the SL text.

汉语中的语气助词很多，如“的” “吧”、“啊” 、“呀” “嘛”、“吗” 、“啦” 、“了”、 “罢了”、“而已”等等。不同的语气助词可以表示不同的含义。在英译汉时，增加一些恰当的语气助词可以更好地表达英语原文的含义和修辞色彩。另外，为了使译文更加生动通顺，译者也可以增加无损原意的四字词组，四字对偶词组和叠词。

 Don’t take it seriously. It’s only a joke.

不要太认真嘛！这不过是开个玩笑而已。

As I snooze she talks – of anything, everything, all the things that women talk of: books, music, dress, men, other women.

我这边打着盹，她那里说着女人爱说的一切，什么书籍啦、音乐啦、服装啦、男人啦、别的女人啦，五花八门，包罗万象。

2.4.1    增加四字词组，四字对偶词组或叠词

It was a bright September afternoon，and the streets of New York were brilliant with moving men ．

这是九月的一个晴朗的下午，纽约的大街上，人来人往，五光十色(热闹非凡)。

With his tardiness, carelessness and appalling good humor, we were sore perplexed.

他老是磨磨蹭蹭,马马虎虎,脾气又好得惊人,我们都对他毫无办法。

 

重复某些词语

a. This has been our position---but not theirs.

这一直是我们的立场——而不是他们的立场。(为了明确)

b. But his wife kept dinning in his ears about his idleness,

his carelessness, and the ruin he was bringing on his family.

可是他老婆不断地在他耳边唠叨个没完,说他懒,说他粗心,并且说他一家人都要毁在他身上。

c. Come to my office and have a talk with me whenever you are free.

你什么时候有空,就什么时候到我办公室来谈一谈。

 

3. Conclusion

“好的译文一般都会略长于原文”（《奈达论翻译》，第117页）原因是译者除了要把原文中明显地由语句表达出来的意思转换成译文外，还必须把原文中的“内隐成分”表达出来。这些“内隐成分”通常是语义上的、文化背景上的、语气修辞上的以及语言结构上的等等。英译汉中的增补在很多情况下都出于结构上的需要，例如重复就多出于很多汉语结构上的要求。

 

Question for thought:

What is the purpose of using amplification in translation?

1. to make the version natural and fluent

2. to achieve rhetoric effects

3. to adequately render the original meaning