英汉互译1-introduction

Unit 1

Introduction: Translation and Translation Techniques

1. Important Role of Translation

?

A means of communication.

1.

The earliest translation can be traced back to about 3000 years ago, the translation of

Bible

into Greek in the west.

2.

In the west, literary translation can be traced back to 300 BC;

3.

In China, recorded translation activities are even earlier, dating from the Zhou Dynasty

(1100 BC);

4.

Not

until

recent

centuries,

especially

by

the

end

of

the

19th

century

did

systematic

study of translation get underway.

?

Examples to show the importance of translation

Good examples:

Coca Cola ---

可口可乐

hacker ---

黑客

Safeguard ---

舒肤佳

puma ---

彪马

Bad examples:

menu ---

菜单

laser ---

镭射

nylon ---

尼龙

During

World

War

II,

the

mistranslation

of

the

Japanese

telegram

sent

to

Washington

just

before the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

Potsdam

Proclamation

(July

26th,

1945.

An

ultimatum

demanding

the

immediate

unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Japan)

Japan’s attitude to the Proclamati

on:

默殺

(mokasutu)

1) keep silent sophisticatedly (

高明地不表态

);

2) ignore, despise (

蔑视，不理睬

).

The translator took the second meaning, leading to the bombing in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

A-

Bomb: “Little Boy” (on August 6th, 1945);

“Fat Man” (A

ugust 9th, 1945).

On Sept. 2nd, 1945, Japan declared surrender.

2. Nature and Scope of Translation

?

What is translation?

?

Newmark:

...translation is first a science, which entails the knowledge and verification

of

the

facts

and

the

language

that

describes

?

;

Secondly,

it

is

a

skill,

which

calls

for

appropriate

language

and

acceptable

usage;

thirdly,

an

art,

which

distinguishes

good

from undistinguished writing and is the creative, the intuitive, sometimes the inspired,

level of the translation; lastly, a matter of taste, where argument ceases, preferences are

expressed,

and

the

variety

of

meritorious

translation

is

the

reflection

of

individual

differences.

?

J.

Catford:

The

replacement

of

textural

material

in

one

language

(SL)

by

equivalent

textual material in another language. (TL).

翻译是把一种语言的文字材料替换为另

一种语言的对等的文字材料。

?

Barhudarov:

Translation is a process in which the parole of one language is transferred

into the parole of another with the content i.e. meaning unchanged.

翻译是把一种语

言的言语产物在保持内容方面也就是意义不变的情况下改变为 另一种语言的过程。

?

Eugene Nida:

Translation consists of reproducing in the receptor language the closest

natural equivalent of the source language message, first in terms of meaning, and second

in terms of style.

所谓翻译就是指从语义到文体（风格）在译语中用最贴近而又最

- 1 -

自然的对等语再现原语的信息。

?

《现代汉语词典》

：

翻译是指把一种语言文字的意义用另一种语言文字表达出来。

简言之，翻译是一种用不同的语言文字将原文作者的意思准确地再现出来的艺术。

?

Translation is a cross-linguistic, cross-cultural and cross- social activity.

翻译是一种跨

语言、跨文 化、跨社会的交际活动。

Translation

means

the

conversion

of

an

expression

from

one

language

into

another,

i.e.

the

faithful representation in one language of what is written or said in another language.

?

?

The very word

“

translation

” itself is ambiguous

.

Chinese version

“翻译”

：

①

a subject in the curriculum;

②

A branch of linguistics;

③

a job or interpreting activities or profession;

④

The translator or interpreter.

⑤

A piece of translation.

What is translation?

[1]

A subject: translatology (

翻译学

), namely, the study of translation and skills; (science)

[2]

Works: some specific pieces of translation; (art)

[3]

Activities: a process in which something is translated; (craft or skill)

[4]

A course in the curriculum.

Categories of Translation:

1.

In terms of languages:

from native languages into foreign languages and vice versa

.

2.

In terms of the mode:

oral interpretation, written translation and machine translation

.

3.

In terms of

materials to be

translated:

translation of

scientific materials, translation of

literary works, translation of political essays, and translation of practical writing

.

4.

In terms of disposal:

full-text translation

(

全文翻译

)

, abridged translation

(

摘译

)

, and

adapted translation

(

编译

).

?

?

3. Principles or Criteria of Translation

1.

The

so-called

principles

and

criteria

of

translation

are

actually

the

two

aspects

of

the

same

thing:

1.

Principles:

lay

emphasis

on

the

translator,

who

should

follow

these

principles

while

translating;

2.

Criteria:

lay

emphasis

on

the

reader

or

critic,

who

may

use

the

criteria

to

evaluate

translation works.

2.

Alexander Fraser Tyler (1747-1813):

[1]

That the translation should give a complete transcription of the ideas of the original work.

翻译应该再现原作的思想；

[2]

That

the

style

and

manner

of

writing

should

be

of

the

same

character

with

that

of

the

original.

译文的写作风格和行文方式应该同原文如出一辙；

[3]

That the translation should have all the ease of the original composition.

译文读起来 应

该同原作一样如行云流水。

3.

Yan Fu

’

s three-character guide: faithfulness, expressiveness and elegance

信、

达、

雅

（

1898

）

is

considered

as

a

yardstick

to

measure

the

professional

level

of

translation

and

a

goal

for

translators to strive after.

- 2 -

4.

Scholars’ Attitudes to Yan Fu’s Principle

:

[1]

Some scholars maintain Yan Fu

’

s original three characters, and meanwhile add some new

concepts to the character

“

雅

”

.

[2]

Some argue that the word

“

雅

” is out of place in

translation.

“

信、

达、

切

”

(

刘重德

)

，

“

信、

达、贴