言以简为贵。Brevity is the soul of wit ,

省略的主要目的是避免重复，去掉不必要的累赘和繁琐。

迈克说他第二天要来学校看我，但是第二天他并没有来学校看我。Mike said that he would come to school to see me the next day, but he didn't come to school to see me the next day ,

迈克说他第二天要来学校看我，但是他并没有来。 ( 省掉最后九个词，句子简洁多了 )Mike said that he would come to school to see me the next day, but he didn't,

他昨天要了什么？一个苹果。（如果回答时说出全文，便显得别扭，不自然） What did he want yesterday?an apple ,

他昨天想要一个苹果。He wanted an apple yesterday

省略也是使上下文紧密连接的一种修辞手段。

约翰是一九九四年的获胜者，鲍勃是一九九八年的获胜者。（ Bob 后省略了 was the winner ，句子结构显得比较紧凑）John was the winner in nineteen ninety-four and Bob in nineteen ninety-eight,

我们在有些地方住在帐篷里过夜，在有些地方住在山洞里。（ in other places 后省略了主语和谓语 we stopped for the night ，上下文连接更加紧密）In some places we stopped in tents for the night, in other places in caves ,

回答问题要简洁，并列重复需省略。祈使主语常省略，比较 than 后需省略。宾从表从 that 勿省略。前后出现同一词，习惯表达需省略。

省略的另一作用是突出新的信息。

真理讲话声太低，虚伪讲话声太高。（后一分句省略谓语speaks ，突出了 too loud ）Truth speaks too low, hypocrisy too loud ,

 你把那告诉他了吗？还没有呢。 (强调 not yet ) Have you told him that? Not yet ,

我还没有把那告诉他。I have not told him that yet,

省略大致可归纳为功能词的省略和语法结构上的省略两种。

功能词指的是没有完整意义，但有语法意义的词，如冠词、介词、助动词等。英语句子结构的简洁，首先表现在功能词的省略上。

他们选约翰当班长。They elected John monitor of the class,

They elected John the monitor of the class ,

办公室一男一女正在谈话。a man and woman are talking in the office ,

a man and a woman are talking in the office ,

他不明白为什么从屋子里一点响声也没传出来，甚至连收音机和电视机的声音也没有。He could not understand why there was no noise coming from the house, not even the sound of the radio or television,

He could not understand why there was no noise coming from the house, not even the sound of the radio or the television ,

在英语新闻标题、告示中，经常省略冠词。

 中国国家主席强调工人阶级作用Chinese President stresses Role of Working Class,

The Chinese President stresses the Role of the Working Class,

 洪水退后人民重建家园People Rebuild Homes After Flood,

The People Rebuild Their Homes After the Flood,

汽车在行驶时请勿和司机讲话。DO NOT SPEAK to DRIVER WHILE BUS is in MOTION,

Do not speak to the driver while the bus is in motion,

我去了市场，买了点有用的东西，一小时之内就回来了。I went to the market, bought something useful and returned home within an hour,

I went to the market, I bought something useful and I returned home within an hour,

他们并不喜欢它，可是什么话也没说。They didn't like it, yet said nothing,

They didn't like it, yet they said nothing,

这不碍事。 Doesn't matter,

it doesn't matter,

我喜欢你的两只小瓶子，但我不喜欢最小的那一只。I like your two small bottles, but I don't like the smallest,

I like your two small bottles, but I don't like the smallest one,

你能来，我们很高兴。We are delighted you can come ,

We are delighted that you can come ,

我相信你们会成功的。I believe you will succeed,

I believe that you will succeed,

他要走，真遗憾。it's a pity he's leaving,

it's a pity that he's leaving ,

我要把我所有的一切都给你。I'll give you all I have,

I'll give you all that I have,

他看过我昨天买的书了。He read the book I got yesterday,

He read the book which I got yesterday ,

不是我放他进来的。it wasn't I let him in ,

it wasn't I who let him in,

这发生在我们初次见面的那一天。it happened on the day we first met ,

it happened on the day when we first met ,

有个人想要见你。There is a man wants to see you ,

There is a man who wants to see you ,

有谁要喝一杯吗？Anyone want a drink?

Does anyone want a drink?

 你以为你是谁？（在特殊疑问句中，当主语是第二人称时，助动词 do 可省略）Who you think you are?

Who do you think you are?

我得走了。I got to go now,

I have got to go now ,

我希望做完事回家。（当几个不定式并列时，一般只需在第一个不定式前用 to ）I hope to finish my job and go back home ,

I hope to finish my job and to go back home ,

我们能做的就是离开，（主语从句中含有 do ，那么作表语的动词不定式往往省略 to ）What we could do was get away ,

What we could do was to get away ,

我们不敢说话。（ dare 作行为动词用时，否定式可省略 to ）We did not dare speak ,

We did not dare to speak,

除了服从命令之外，我们别无他法。（介词 but 前如有 do ， but 后可省略 to ）There is nothing to do but obey the orders ,

There is nothing to do but to obey the orders ,

当两个并列的不定式在意义上表示对比关系时，后面的不定式一般不省略 to 。

活着还是死亡，这就是问题所在。to be or not to be, that is the question ,

笑比哭好。it was better to laugh than to cry ,