第六章 省略

    英语句子有时复杂难辨的另一个原因是由于句子中的某些成分被省略掉了。为了避免重复，增强所表达的意思的紧凑性、逻辑性和新颖性，常常把句子前部分已经交代过的人、事或动作在不影响语义内容表达连贯的情况下，从句子后部分的成分中省略掉。省略一般出现在平行结构的后半部分或各类从句中。被省略的部分大多是主语，谓语或者谓语的助动词等。


Exercise 

Then he called in his two remaining women secretaries and handed them capsules of poison to use if they wished to when the advancing Russians broke in.

Whatever his rank, however rich or poor, an Egyptian believed in another life after death, provided he had pleased the gods.

My mother Jane, died in her 88th year, a mighty age for one who at 40 was so delicate of body as to be accounted a confirmed invalid, destined to pass away.


要点：if they wished to 后面省略了use.这种省略的动词要根据上文来判断。
译文：然后，他把自己仅剩的两名女秘书传来，递给她们毒药胶囊，以备节节逼近的俄国人闯入后她们想服用时服用。

要点：句中的两个让步状语"whatever his rank, however rich or poor"是两个省略句。完整的句子应为：“whatever his rank is, however rich or poor he is".句子中provided he had pleased the gods 是由连词provided引出的条件状语从句，类似意义的词还有：providing，（常用于口语和商业英语中，不用于书面语），given,supposing等。例如：Supposing the plane doesn't arrive on time, we'll have to postpone the meeting.
译文：埃及人不论职位高低，不管贫富贵贱，都相信如果得到了上帝的欢心，死后会有另一次生命。

要点：此句中Jane是my mother的同位语，a mighty age for one 是her 88th year的同位语。”who at 40...destined to pass away"是one的定语从句。“to be accounted a confirmed invalid ,destined to pass away "是一个省略了成分的并列动词不定式结构。此短语补齐后应该是：to be accounted a confirmedivalid , and to be destined to pass away,省略and to be 是为了避免重复多余的词。
译文：我的母亲简是88岁去世。这个岁数对于一个40岁时就身体纤弱，被公认有痼疾在身和注定不久于人世的人来说，是个难得的高龄。