英漢兩種語言由于表達方式不盡相同，翻譯時常常有必要在譯文的詞量上作適當(dāng)?shù)脑黾?，使譯文既能忠實地傳達原文的內(nèi)容和風(fēng)格，又能符合譯入語的表達習(xí)慣。但是增詞必須是根據(jù)具體情況增加非增加不可的詞語。增詞一般用于以下三種情況：一是為了語法上的需要；二是為了意義上的需要；三是為了修辭上的需要。 
一、為了語法上的需要 
英語中沒有量詞，漢譯時就得根據(jù)漢語的表達習(xí)慣增加合適的量詞。例如： 
(1) To the east and the south a faint pink is spreading. 
東南方呈現(xiàn)一抹淺紅，正在向遠處擴展。 
(2) The sun rose thinly from the sea. 
一輪紅日從海邊淡淡升起。 
(3) A stream was winding its ways through the valley into the river. 
一彎溪水蜿蜒流過山谷，匯到江里去了。 
(4) I was extremely worried about her, but this was neither the place nor the time for a lecture or an argument. 
我真替他萬分擔(dān)憂，但此時此地既不宜教訓(xùn)她一番，也不宜與她爭論一通。 
(5) It was a nova! 
這是一顆新星！ 
英語動詞有時、體的變化、有語氣，而漢語動詞卻沒有對等的表現(xiàn)形式，翻譯時常常須增加一些表示時體和語氣的詞才行。例如： 
(1) I had imagined it to be merely a gesture of affection, but it seems it is to smell the lamb and make sure that it is her own. 原來我以為這不過是一種親熱的表示，但是現(xiàn)在看來，這是為了聞一聞羊羔的味道，來斷定是不是自己生的。 
(2) I was, and remain, grateful for the part he played in my release. 我的獲釋是他成全的，對此我過去很感激，現(xiàn)在仍然很感激。 
(3) The old man said, " They say his father was a fisherman. Maybe he was as poor as we are." 
老人說："聽人說，從前他父親是個打魚的。他過去也許跟我們現(xiàn)在一樣窮。" 
(4) The old man had taught the boy to fish and the boy loved him. 
原來老頭兒已教會了孩子捕魚，所以孩子很愛他。 
(5) English prose is elaborate rather than simple. It was not always so. 
現(xiàn)今英國散文華巧而欠簡樸，過去卻并非總是如此。 
英語的可數(shù)名詞有單復(fù)數(shù)之別，漢語則沒有。翻譯時常常有必要增詞以便傳達這一含義。例如： 
(1) The lion is the king of animals.獅子是百獸之王。 
(2) I saw bubbles rising from under the water.我看見一個個水泡從水下升起。 
(3) The very earth trembled as with the tramps of horses and murmur of angry men. 
連大地都震動了，仿佛萬馬奔騰，千夫怒吼。 
(4) The mountains began to throw their long blue shadows over the valley. 
群山已在山谷里開始投下蔚藍色的長影。 
(5) An individual human existence should be like a river-small at first, narrowly contained within its banks, and rushing passionately past boulders and over waterfalls. 
一個人的一生可以比作一條河流：開始身軀很小，兩岸之間非常狹窄，水流湍急，沖過礫石，飛下懸瀑。 
英語中常用省略句，翻譯時要根據(jù)漢語的表達習(xí)慣，作些適當(dāng)?shù)脑鲅a。例如： 
(1) I judge I would saw out and leave that night if pap got drunk enough, and I reckoned he would. 　
我猜那天晚上爸要是醉得夠厲害的，我就可以鋸?fù)昴莻€洞鉆出去，我算計著他是會醉得夠嗆的。（增補he would后省略的成分） 
(2) She ate little. Food sickened her, and I think much of life too. 
她吃得很少；她厭惡食物，我覺得她也厭惡生活。 
(3) When I turned around, John was grinning, expectant, studying my face intently to see if he had pleased me. He had. 
我轉(zhuǎn)過身，只見約翰正咧著嘴笑，滿臉期待的神情；他熱切的目光想從我的臉上探明他是否博得了我的歡心。他確實博得了我的歡心。（增補he had后被省略的部分） 
(4) Courage in excess becomes foolhardiness, affection weakness, thrift avarice. 
勇敢過度，即成蠻勇；疼愛過度，即成溺愛；儉約過度，即成貪婪。（增補被省掉的in excess becomes） 
二、為了意義上的需要 
英譯漢有時有必要增加合適的動詞、形容詞或副詞，使譯文意思明確，例如： 
(1) When I came to I was in the water, swimming automatically, though I was about two thirds drowned. 
當(dāng)我清醒過來時，發(fā)覺自己在水里，雖然浸得半死，卻本能地浮著。（增補動詞）(原文雖然沒有"發(fā)覺"，但譯者根據(jù)上下文增補了它，使譯文意思更加明確、表達通順。) 
(2) He doubtlessly expected hugs, tablefuls of food, tears, laughter, and conversation followed by more conversation, then hugs and more hugs all over again, without end. 
毫無疑問，他以為會有熱烈的擁抱，滿桌的食物，激動的淚水，歡樂的笑聲，一段接一段的談話，一次又一次的擁抱，沒完沒了。（譯文中增加了三個相應(yīng)的形容詞，形象地描繪出他想象中的歡樂場景，使意思更加明確，表達更加生動。） 
(3) In the evening, after the banquets, the concerts and the table tennis exhibitions, he would work on the drafting of the final communique. 
晚上在參加宴會、出席音樂會、觀看乒乓球表演之后，他還得起草最后公報。 
(4) These soon told her,… how easy it was and how little it interfered with life's affairs to go and see one's grave. 
這些人不久便告訴她…去看自己親人的墳?zāi)故嵌嗝慈菀祝瑤缀跻稽c兒也不妨礙日常生活。 
(5) The sky is clear blue now the sun has flung diamonds down on meadow and bank and wood. 
此時已是萬里藍天，太陽把顆顆光彩奪目的鉆石灑向草原，灑向河岸，灑向樹林。 
有時為了意思明確還必須增加合適的名詞或是重復(fù)同一名詞，例如： 
(1) These early cars were slow, clumsy, and inefficient. 
這些早期的汽車速度緩慢，行動笨拙，效率不高。（譯文中在形容詞前分別加上了三個名詞，既使譯文意思明確，又使它形成四字詞組，勻稱整齊。） 
英語中有一些由動詞或形容詞派生來的抽象名詞，翻譯時也可根據(jù)上下文在其后增加適當(dāng)?shù)拿~，使譯文意思明確、符合漢語的表達習(xí)慣。例如： 
darkness 漆黑一團 
madness 瘋狂行為 
complacency 自滿情緒 
backwardness 落后狀態(tài) 
(1) After all preparations were made, the planes were flown across the U.S. to San Francisco. 
一切準備工作就緒以后，飛機就飛越美國去舊金山。 
(2) Recourse to arms is not the best solution to a quarrel between countries. 
國與國之間的爭端訴諸武力，并不是最好的解決方法。 
有時也有必要增加適當(dāng)?shù)倪B詞，例如： 
(3)Without a sense of your fault, how can repentance and amendment be expected？如果對自己的錯誤都不認識，怎么能悔恨和改正呢？（增補"如果"使得原含蓄條件句中的隱性含義明白無誤。） 
三、為了修辭上的需要 
為了使譯文優(yōu)美自如、活潑生動或是得到強調(diào)，有時有必要重復(fù)某些詞語或是增加適當(dāng)?shù)拿枋鲈~、語氣助詞、重疊詞、承上啟下的詞、概括詞。例如： 
(1) Poor little tender heart! And so it goes on hoping and beating, and longing and trusting. 
可憐這溫柔的小姑娘，一顆心抖簌簌的跳個不停，她左盼右盼，一直想念情人，對他深信不疑。（譯文并沒有將"hoping and beating"簡單地譯為"盼望著、跳動著"，而是增加了一些描述性的詞語來描寫少女思念情人的心情，使人如見其人、如聽其聲，產(chǎn)生了一種可觸可摸的立體感覺。） 
(2) Their host carved, poured, served, cut bread, talked, laughed, proposed healths. 
他們的主人,（又是）割啊，（又是）倒啊，（又是）上菜啊，（又是）切面包啊，（又是）說啊，（又是）笑啊，（又是）敬酒啊，忙個不停。（增加語氣助詞和概括詞語） 
(3) Only very slight and very scattering ripples of half-hearted hand-clapping greeted him. 
歡迎他的只有幾下輕輕地、零零落落、冷冷淡淡的掌聲。（疊詞） 
(4) And her thoughtfulness! If the night was anyway cold or wet or windy there was sure to be a little tumbler of punch ready for him. 
她多體貼?。∫悄奶煲估镙^陰冷、潮濕、或是刮風(fēng)，她必定要斟好一杯混合甜飲料，等著他來暢飲。(原文And her thoughtfulness!是個感嘆句，翻譯時增加了副詞"多"、語氣助詞"啊"，準確地傳達了原文的句式和語氣。)