-
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
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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.
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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
”
(
思果
)
，
“
信、达、优
”
(
许渊冲
)
，
etc.
[3]
Some
disagree
with
Yan
Fu
’
s
principle
on
the
whole.
“
spiritual
conformity
(
神似
)
”
,
proposed by Fu Lei
(
傅雷
); and
“
sublimed adaptation
(
化境
)
”
by Qian Zhongshu
(
钱钟
书
).
?
Two unanimously
accepted criteria:
[1]
The criterion of accuracy /
faithfulness: being faithful not only to the
original contents, to
the original
meaning and views, but also to the original form
and style.
[2]
The
criterion
of
smoothness:
not
only
easy
and
readable
rendering,
but
also
idiomatic
expression in the
target language, free from stiff formula and
mechanical copying from
dictionaries.
4. Literal Translation and
Free Translation
?
Literal Translation
（直译）
It
means
“
not
to
alter
the
original
words
and
sentences
”
.
It
strives
to
“
keep
the
sentiments
and
style
of
the
original
”
.
It
takes
sentences
as
its
basic
units
and
takes
the
whole
text
into
consideration
at
the
same
time
in
the
course
of
translation.
It
strives
to
reproduce
both
the
ideological content and
the style of the original works and retains as
much as possible the figure of
speech.
Some examples:
?
Chain reaction
连锁反应
?
Gentleman
’
s
agreement
君子协议
?
Be armed to the teeth
武装到牙齿
?
The Four Books
and the Five Classics
四书五经
?
Paper tiger
纸老虎
?
One country, two systems
一国两制
?
Crocodile tears
鳄鱼的眼泪
?
The concept of
“
death
”
:
[1]
breathe
one
’
s last
断气
[2]
Go to
one
’
s eternal rest
安息
[3]
The long
sleep
长眠
[4]
Pass away
去世
[5]
See God
见上帝
[6]
See Marx
见马克思
[7]
See
one
’
s ancestor
见先人
[8]
Go west
归西
[9]
Go to heaven
进天堂
[10]
Kick the
bucket
翘辫子、翻白眼
[11]
To end
on
e’
s day
寿终
[12]
To come to a
violent death
横死，凶死，死于非命
[13]
To give up
the ghost
见阎王
[14]
To kick up
one
’
s
heels
蹬腿儿了
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