（二）漢語的意合法
漢語造句少用甚或不用形式連接手段，注重隱性連貫（covert coherence），注重邏輯事理順序，以神統形。詞語之間關係常在不言之中，語法意義和邏輯聯係常隱藏在字裏行間。漢語意合有下列手段：
（1）語序。漢語從句若前置，一般有“因為”、“如果”、“雖然”、“即使”等含義，而通常省去這些連接詞。漢語中；先“因”後“果”，幾乎不用“因為”，屬常態；先“果”後“因”，大多用“因為”，屬“變態”。
例1.I can't trust herbecauseshe is not honest.譯文：她不老實，我不能信任她。
例2.We will not attackunlesswe are attacked.譯文：人不犯我，我不犯人。
例3.I've made proposals,butthey proved futile.譯文：說是說了，沒有結果。
例4.Ifyou get beyond your depth,you will suffer.譯文：打腫臉充胖子，吃虧是自己。
例5.Oncethe principal contradiction is grasped,all problems can be readily solved.譯文：抓住了主要矛盾，一切問題就可以迎刃而解了。
（2）對偶、對比、反複、排比等。這些句式整齊勻稱，往往不用關聯詞。
例1.Ifhe doesn't come here,I won't go there.譯文：他不來，我不去。
例2.Asa man sows,so he will reap.譯文：種瓜得瓜，種豆得。
豆例3.It is better to move ahead slowlythanjust to mark time.譯文：不怕慢，隻怕站。
例4.Be the first to bear hardshipsandthe last to enjoy comforts.譯文：吃苦在前，享樂在後。
例5.Smart as a rule,butthis time a fool.譯文：聰明一世，糊塗一時。
例6.Ifyou have never tasted the bitterness of gall,how can you know the sweetness of honey？譯文：不知苦中苦，哪知甜中甜？
例7.If it lightens in the east,it will be sunny；if it in the west,rainy；if it in the south,sultry；if it in the north,stormy.譯文：東邊閃電出日頭，西邊閃電必有雨，南邊閃電天氣熱，北邊閃電有雷雨。
（3）緊縮句。所謂“緊”就是取消分句間的語音停頓，讓其緊挨在一起；所謂“縮”即省略分句間的一些詞語，讓其簡約。
例1.有飯大家吃。
Let everybody share the foodifthere is any.
例2.不到黃河心不死。
Ambition never diesuntilall is over.
例3.狐狸再狡猾也鬥不過好獵手。
It is no match for a good hunterhoweversly a fox may be.
例4.狼披羊皮還是狼。
A wolf remains a wolfeven thoughit is in sheep's clothing.
例5.問遍千家成行家。
Learn from numerous advisers,andyou'll become a master.
例6.上梁不正下梁歪。Ifthe upper beam is not straight,the lower ones will go aslant.Whenthose above behave unworthily,those below will do the same.
（4）四字格。呂叔湘曾指出，“2+2的四音節是現代漢語裏的一種重要節奏傾向。四音節的優勢特別表現在現代漢語裏存在著大量四音節熟語即‘四字格’這一事實上”。四字格往往曆經錘煉，言簡意賅，常常是意合法的佳作。
例1.不進則退
Hewhodoes not advance falls backward.
例2.酒醉智昏Whenwine is in,wit is out.
例3.物極必反Oncea certain limit is reached,a change in the opposite direction is inevitable.
例4.玩火自焚Whoeverplays fire will perish by fire.
例5.欲蓋彌彰The moreone tries to hide,the moreone is exposed.
例6.遠交近攻
Befriend those far awaywhileattacking those nearby.王力指出：“西洋語的結構好像連環，雖則環與環都聯絡起來，畢竟有聯絡的痕跡；中國語的結構好像無縫天衣，隻是一塊一塊地硬湊，湊起來還不讓有痕跡。西洋語法是硬的，沒有彈性的；中國語法是軟的，富有彈性的。惟其是硬的，所以西洋語法有許多呆板的要求，如每一個clause裏必須有一個主語；惟其是軟的，所以中國語法隻以達意為主，如初係的目的位可兼次係的主語，又如相關的兩件事可以硬湊在一起，不用任何的connective word。”英語注重形合，注重結構、形式，常借助連接手段，因而較嚴謹（preciseness）；漢語注重意合，注重功能、意義，常不用或少用連接詞，因而較簡潔（conciseness）。漢譯英時，要先分析句子的功能、意義，才能確定句子的結構、形式；英譯漢，則相反。
例1.沒有外力作用，運動的物體就連續做勻速直線運動。譯文：A bodyinmotion remainsinmotionata constant speedina straight lineunlessacted uponbyan external force.
例2.There is no more difference,butthere is justthe same kind of difference,betweenthe mental operations of a man of science and those of an ordinary person as there isbetweenthe operations and me thods of a bakerora butcher who weigh south is goods in common scalesandthe operations of a chemist who performs a difficult and complex analysisbymeansofhis balanceandfinely graduated weights.
例3.從其交友知其為人。
Tell mewhomyou associate withandI’ll tell you who you are.
例4.再試紡，頂多忙一陣子，過了幾天，還是外甥打燈籠――找舅（照舊）。
Andifwe're now going to have a check spinning it'll only meanthatwe're be busier than ever for a spellandthenaftera few days things will be back towhatthey were before.
（三）形合、意合與文體英語和漢語都有形合句和意合句。一般來說，英語形合句多漢語意合句多，但其多少與文體密切相關。書麵語沒有口語的輔助語言手段（表情、手勢、語調等），因而形合句比口語多。現代漢語受西方語言的影響，形合句比古代漢語多。O.Jespersen對古代漢語曾評論說：“Undoubtedly Chinese of the old style carries with it an impressive dignity through the immediate succession of nothing but momentous notions；it acquires a simple greatness because it throws away all unnecessary accessory elements and thus,as it were,takes flight to pure thinking.”從古代漢語流傳下來的成語、諺語勻稱對偶，言簡意賅，至今仍為漢語意合句的重要組成部分。現代漢語莊重文體，科技文體和論說文體多采用形合句，以表達清晰的邏輯關係和複雜的思想內容。例如嚴複以下幾段有關翻譯的著名論述，用漢代以前的雅語，常以單句代複句，以並列代主從，多取意合法：譯事三難信達雅。求其信已大難矣，顧信矣不達，雖譯猶不譯也，則達尚焉……易曰修辭立誠；子曰辭達而已，又曰言之無文，行之不遠；三者乃文章正軌，亦即為譯事楷模，故信達而外，求其爾雅，此不僅期以行遠已耳。實則精理微言，用漢以前字法句法，則為達易；用近世利俗文字，則求達難；往往抑義就詞，毫厘千裏；審擇於斯二者之間，夫固有所不得已也，豈釣奇哉……新理踵出，名目紛繁，索之中文，渺不可得；即有牽合，終嫌參差；譯者遇此，獨有自具衡量，即義定名……一名之立，旬月踟躇。（嚴複：《天演論?譯例言》）譯文：Translation has to do three difficult things：to be faithful,expressive,and elegant.It is difficult enough to be faithful to the original,and yet if a translation is not expressive,it is tantamount to having no translation.Hence expressiveness should be required too……