英语阅读难句分析之省略句

　　英国大文豪莎士比亚在他的名著《哈姆雷特》里写过这么一句名言：Brevity is the soul of wit.写文章也好，说话也好，都要求生动活泼，简单明了，因此，简洁乃是一篇好文章的基本要求之一。

　　文章要做到简洁，省略法是必用的。

　　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 主 needs 谓 a certain amount of 定 editing,宾 as even if the computer can tell the difference between words of similar 状语从句

　　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：as 引 even if the computer can tell the difference between words of similar sounds such as write and right,状语从句1 it 主 is 系 still not yet 状 able 表 to do the work 宾 as well as an inte- lligent secretary . 状语从句2

　　第三层：even if 引 the computer 主 can tell 谓 the difference 宾 between words of similar sounds 定 such as write and right 同位语

　　as well as 引 an intelligent secretary 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?