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Chapter Two: Translation: Theory and
Practice
Part
1
．
Understanding of
Translation
1. Definition of
translation:
Definitions of proper
translating are almost numerous and varied as the
persons
who
have
undertaken
to
discuss
the
subject.
This
diversity
is
in
a
sense
quite
understandable; for there are vast
differences in the materials translated, in the
purposes
of
the
publication,
and
in
the
needs
of
the
prospective
audience.
Moreover,
live
languages
are
constantly
changing
and
stylistic
preferences
undergo
continual
modification.
Thus
a
translation
acceptable
in
one
period
is
often quite unacceptable
at a latter time.
(Eugene Nida)
?
Translation is the expression in one
language (or target language) of what have
been
expressed
in
another,
source
language,
preserving
semantic
and
stylistic equivalence. (Dubois. al)
?
Translation
is
craft
consisting
in
the
attempt
to
replace
a
written
message
and/or statement in
one language by the same message and/or statement
in
another
language. (Peter Newmark)
?
翻译是运用一种语言把另一种语言所表达的思维内容准确而完整地重新
< br>表达出来的语言活动。
（张培基）
?
把已说
出或写出的话的意思用另一种语言表达出来的活动。
（季羡林、许
国璋）
?
翻译是将一种语言文字所蕴含的意
思用另外一种语言文字表达出来的文
化活动。
（王克非）
2. Translation principles:
A. F. Tytler’s three laws of
translation:
1) The
translation should give a complete transcript of
the ideas of the original work.
2) The
style and manner of writing should be of the same
character with that of the
original.
3) The translation should have all the
ease (
流畅自然
) of the original.
严复：信达雅
Faithfulness/expressiveness/elegance.
The
“three
character
guide”
is
regarded
as
a
plumb-line to measure the
professional level of translating.
傅雷：神似
Spiritual
conformity. Emphasizing the reproduction of the
spirit or the flavor of the
original.
钱钟书：化境
Sublimed adaptation. Focus
on the translator’s smooth and
idioma
tic Chinese version
for the sake of the Chinese reader.
刘重德：信、达、切
Faithfulness / expressiveness /
closeness.
Part 2: Accomplishments of Translators
1. Role of translator:
A.
Communicator
（
沟通者
）
The translator, as the expert
communicator, is at the crucial center of a long
chain of
communication from original
initiator to ultimate receiver of a message: a
human link
across a cultural frontier.
（
Schaffner)
译者作为沟通专家，处于信息始发
者与信息接受者这个长长交际链的关键中心位置，是
穿越文化疆界的人性连接纽带。
B.
Negotiator
（
谈判者
）
The translator is engaged in
negotiating with the source text in order to
determine its
meaning, most of which is
overt, although much is always covert.
A translator must
also
negotiate with the language of the target audience
in order to arrive at the closest
natural equivalent.
译者是
在与原文谈判与协商，
以便确定其意义
(
意义虽大体上显而易见，
但也有相当部分
并非一眼就能看出）
。译者还得与目标语谈判与协商，以便取得最自然的对等。
C.
Mediator
（
斡旋者
）
Most
obviously,
the
translator
has
not
only
a
bilingual
ability
but
also
a
bi-cultural
vision. Translators mediate between
cultures (including ideologies, moral systems and
socio-political structures), seeking to
overcome those incompatibilities which stand in
the way of transfer of meaning.
显而易见，译者不仅具备双语能力
，而且具有跨文化视角。译者在不同文化（包括意识
形态、
道德
体系和社会政治结构）
之间进行斡旋，
努力克服那些妨碍意义转
移的诸多不相容
的因素。
2.
Basic requirements for translator:
1).
The
first
and
most
obvious
requirement
of
any
translator
is
that
he
has
a
satisfactory knowledge of
the source language
. Rather, he must
understand not only
the
obvious
content
of
the
message,
but
the
subtleties
of
meaning,
the
significant
values of
w
ords, and the stylistic features which
determine the “flavor and feel” of the
message.
2).
Even more important
is a complete
control of the receptor language
.
Certainly
the
most numerous and serious errors made by
translators arise primarily from their
lack of thorough knowledge of the
receptor language.
3).
It
is
one
thing
to
know
a
language
in
general
and
another
to
have
a
special
knowledge of a particular subject. The
translator must have
a thorough
acquaintance
with the subject matter
concerned
.
4).
Even if the translator possessed all the necessary
technical knowledge, he is not
really
competent unless
he has also a truly
empathetic spirit
(
同感
). The translator
must
have
the
gift
of
mimicry
(
模仿
),
the
capacity
to
act
the
author’s
part,
impersonating his
demeanor, speech, and ways, with the utmost
verisimilitude(
逼真
).
Part 3: Linguistic
Difference between English and Chinese
1.
英语重结构，汉语重语义
:
?
Children will
play with dolls equipped with personality chips,
computers with
inbuilt
personalities
will
be
regarded
as
workmates
rather
than
tools,
relaxation will be in front of smell
television, and digital age will have arrived.
?
译文：孩子们可以和装有性格芯片
的娃娃一起玩耍；内嵌性格装置的电脑将被视作
人们工作上的伙伴而不仅仅是工具；休闲
时，电视机还能满足人们嗅觉感官的需求
——
那时，数码时代就
已经到来了。
2.
英语多长句，汉语多短句：
?
Interest in
historical methods had arisen less through
external challenge to the
validity of
history as an intellectual discipline and more
from internal quarrels
among historians
themselves.
?
译文：
人们对历史研究方法产生了兴趣，这与其说是因为外部对历史作为一门知识
学科的有效性
提出了挑战，还不如说是因为历史学家内部发生了争吵。
3.
英语多从句，汉语多分句
?
On
the
whole
such
a
conclusion
can
be
drawn
with
a
certain
degree
of
confidence but only if
the child can be assumed to have had the same
attitude
towards the test as the other
with whom he is compared, and only if he was not
punished by lack of relevant
information which they possessed.
?
译文：
总
的来说，
得出这样一个结论是有一定程度把握的，
但是必须具备
两个条件：
能够假定这个孩子对测试的态度和与他相比的另一个孩子的态度相同；他也没
有因
缺乏别的孩子已掌握的有关知识而被扣分。
4.
英语多代词，汉语多名词
?
There will be
television chat shows hosted by robots, and cars
with pollution
monitors that will
disable them when they offend.
?
译文：届时，将出现由机器人主持
的电视访谈节目及装有污染监测器的汽车。一旦
这些汽车污染超标（或违规）
，监测器就会使其停驶。
5.
英语多被动，汉语多主动
?
And it is
imagined by many that the operations of the common
mind can by no
means be compared with
these processes, and that they have to be required
by
a sort of special training.
?
译文：许多人认为，普通人的思维
活动根本无法与科学家的思维活动相比，认为这
些思维活动必须经过某种专门训练才能掌
握。
6.
英语多变化，汉语多重复
?
The
monkey's
most
extraordinary
accomplishment
was
learning
to
operate
a
tractor. By the age of nine, the monkey
had learned to solo on the vehicle.
?
译文：这只猴子最了不起的成就是
学会驾驶拖拉机。到九岁的时候，这只猴子已经
学会了单独表演驾驶拖拉机了。
7.
英语多抽象，汉语多具体
?
Until such time
as mankind has the sense to lower its population
to the points
whereas the planet can
provide a comfortable support for all, people will
have
to accept more
?
译文：除非人类终于意识到要把人
口减少到这样的程度：使地球能为所有人提供足
够的饮食，否则人们将不得不接受更多的
“
人造食品
”
。
8.
英语多引申，汉语多推理
?
While there are
almost as many definitions of history as there are
historians,
modern practice most
closely conforms to one that sees history as the
attempt
to recreate and explain the
significant events of the past.
?
译文：
尽
管关于历史的定义几乎和历史学家一样多，
现代实践最符合这样一种定义，
即把历史看作是对过去重大历史事件的再现和解释。
Part 4: Three Highlights in Translation
1.
On Rigorous
Translation
1.1 Essentials
of rigorous translation
No.1:
Translator’s
accurate
and
thorough
understanding
of
the
spiritual
essence
in
source
texts;
No.2:
Translator’s
self
-disciplined style, conscientious
work and scientific attitude
1.2 Common
practices against rigorous translation
A.
Incorrect wording
In a small town like
Groton, nobody knows about this disappearing act.
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