能运用英译汉的理论和技巧.doc

Written Translation Between English and Chinese
(for Grade 2004)
By
Yu Chengfa
February, 2007

Course Description
n 1. Aims and Objectives
n 2. Learning Achievements
n 3. Reference Books and Dictionaries
n 4. Tips on How to Learn This Course
n 5. Basic Requirements
1. Aims and Objectives
1) To offer basic translation theories
2) To elaborate on the differences between English and Chinese in terms of vocabulary, word order, syntax, discourse, rhetorical devices, etc
3) To impart useful and effective translation skills
4) To show stylistic features of various genres (literary journalistic, scientific& technical, practical, etc)
2. Learning Achievements
1) To improve translation ability under the guideline of translation skills and with the help of dictionary
2) To meet the demands set by “Syllabus for English Majors at Advanced Level”
3) To score high marks in translation part of TEM-8
4) To develop cross-cultural awareness
5) To be able to conduct preliminary research in translation studies
Requirements for Translation in TEM-8
n E-C:
(1) 能运用英译汉的理论和技巧，翻译英美国家报刊杂志上有关政治、经济、历史、文化方面的论述文章以及文学原著的节录
(2) 翻译速度为每小时250-300词
n C-E:
(1) 能运用汉译英的理论和技巧，翻译我国报刊杂志上的论述文和国情介绍，以及一般文学作品的节录
(2) 翻译速度为每小时250-300字
3. Reference Books and Dictionaries
1) Textbooks
[1] 谭卫国，et al. 新编英汉互译教程 [Z]. 上海：华东理工大学出版社，2005.
[2] 陈红薇、李亚丹. 新编汉英翻译教程[Z].上海: 上海外语教育出版社, 2004.
[3] 华先发、邵毅. 新编大学英译汉教程[Z]. 上海:上海外语教育出版社, 2004.
[4] 郭著章、李庆生. 英汉互译实用教程[Z]. 武汉: 武汉大学出版社， 2005.
[5] 贾文波 汉英时文翻译[M]. 北京: 中国对外翻译出版公司, 2000.
[6] 刘重德. 文学翻译十讲[M]. 北京: 中国对外翻译出版公司, 2001.
2) Journals
《中国翻译》，《中国科技翻译》，《上海翻译》
3) Dictionaries:
E-E: Oxford Dictionary, Longman Dictionary
E-C: 新英汉辞典（上海译文出版社）
英汉大辞典（ 陆谷孙主编，上海译文出版社）
C: 现代汉语词典，辞海/ 辞源
C-E: 汉英词典； 新时代汉英大辞典（商务印书馆）
4. Tips on How to Learn This Course
1) Make full use of the textbooks
2) Do enough translations and make comparisons
3) Be good at using traditional paper dictionaries
4) Don’t worry too much about the final
5. Basic Requirements
1) Attendance
2) Class performance
3) Translation exercises
4) Assessment class participation 20% +assignment 20% + final exam 60%

Chapter 1 Introduction

Difficulties and emphasis:
---Nature and principles of translation;
---Five qualifications for good translators:
1) A good command of English
2) A solid foundation of Chinese
3) A wide scope of encyclopedic knowledge
4) Familiarity with translation theories and techniques
5) A strong sense of responsibility
General framework and time allocation:
· I. Nature of Translation (1 period)
· II. An Overview of History of Translation in China (1 period)
· III. Translation Principles/Criteria (2 periods)
· IV. Prerequisites for Qualified Translators (2 periods)
· V. Processes of Translation (2 periods)
I. Nature of Translation
1. Definition
翻译 vs. translation
1) Definitions from dictionaries:
to turn from one language into another (Oxford)
to turn into one’s own or another language (Longman)
把一种语言文字的意义用另一种语言文字表达出来（《辞海》《现代汉语词典》）
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 （《中国大百科全书 · 语言卷》）
2) Definitions from textbooks
Zhang Peiji et al.: a linguistic activity in which the ideas and contents expressed in one language are re-expressed exactly and thoroughly in another
Lv Ruichang et al.: a linguistic activity in which are involved two languages and various kinds of knowledge. It is a faithful representation in one language of what is written or said in another such as ideas, contents, thoughts, feelings, styles.
Chen Hongwei (2004): a cross-linguistic and cross-cultural activity which transforms the meaning borne in one language into another
Eugene Nida (1969) Translating consists in reproducing in the receptor language the closest natural equivalence of the source-language message, first in terms of meaning and secondly, in terms of style
Chritiane Nord (2001): Translating is a purposeful activity, translational interaction, interpersonal interaction, intercultural action, text-processing action
(commonly accepted ) According to linguistic theory, translating is a cross-linguistic, cross-cultural and cross-social activity. The process of translating is not only the one of linguistic transference but also the one of cultural transplantation.
2. Translation: Science or Art
n 1) 马是有用的动物。
A. A horse is a useful animal.
B. The horse is a useful animal.
C. Horses are useful animals.
n 2）Gates Avenue families carried the pails to the hydrant at the curb.
A.盖茨大街的家家户户提着桶去街边的水龙头。
B. 住在盖茨大街的家家户户提着小桶到街边的水龙头去 打水。
C. 盖茨大街的居民们都提着小桶去街边的水龙头打水。
n 3) As with Black Power the burgeoning Red Power movement has two components: one cultural, the other political.
A. 象黑人权力一样，正在兴起的红色权力运动包括 两个部分：一个是文化的，另一个是政治的。
B. 象黑人权力一样，正在兴起的红色权力运动包括 两个部分：一个是文化的，另一个是政治的。。
C. 象黑人权力运动一样，正在兴起的印第安人权力运动包括文化和政治两个部分。
n 4） My hands are clean. I have no blood on them.
我的双手是清白的。它们上面没有沾满鲜血。
n 5）匪军所至，杀戮人民，奸淫妇女，焚毁村庄，掠夺财物，无所不用其极。
Wherever the bandit troops went, they massacred and raped, burned and looted, and stopped at nothing.
n 6） How We Kept Mother’s Day
A. 我们怎样过母亲节
B. 我们如何庆祝母亲节
C. 我们是怎样庆贺母亲节的
D. 《我们是怎样庆祝母亲节的》
School of science: tr. should reproduce the message of the original by means of the transference of linguistic equivalence; stresses the study of description of the process of tr. and structures and forms of language so as to reveal the objective rules and laws in translating
School of art: re-creating a literary work by using the expression of another language; emphasizes the effect of translation
Conclusion:
3. Classification of Translation
i. In Terms of Linguistic Signs
intralingual tr., interlinguistic tr., intersemiotic tr.
ii. In Terms of Relationship Between SL & TL
from native languages into foreign languages and vice versa
iii. In Terms of Medium
human tr. : oral tr. (consecutive inter. & simultaneous inter.)
written tr.
machine tr.
iv. In Terms of Disposal
complete tr. (full tr.) , variation tr. (partial tr.)
v. In Terms of Subject Matter to Be Translated
Tr. of literary texts (novels, poems, essays, dramas, literary criticism, etc.)
Tr. of practical texts (notices, regulations, ads, contracts, letters, manual books, etc.)
Tr. of scientific texts (academic works/articles, experiment reports/results, manual books ,etc.)
Tr. of argumentative texts (works of social sciences, research reports, etc.)
Tr. of journalistic texts (news reports, news features, news correspondences, editorials, etc)

II. An Overview of History of Translation in China
1. Eastern Han——N. & S. Dynasties (23-581):
beginning, Buddhist Scriptures 安世高, 支谦, 道安, 鸠摩罗什
2. Sui Dynasty(581-618) ——Tang Dynasty (618-907) :
golden age 玄奘
3. Ming Dynasty (1368-1644): 徐光启, 利玛窦（Ricci）
4. Qing Dynasty (1644-1911):
林纾（180 literary works), 严复 (social and political works)
5. The Period of Republic of China (1912-1949):
鲁迅, 瞿秋白
6. After the Founding of New China (1949-)
1949-1965 1978- the 1990s-

III. Translation Principles/Criteria
1. In the West
i. Alexander Tytler: Three Laws of Translation (1790)
A translation should give complete transcript of the ideas of the original work;
The style and manner of writing should be of the same character as that of the original;
A translation should have all the ease of original composition
a. 译作应完全复写出原作的思想
b.译文应该完全传达原文的思想
a. 译作的风格和手法应和原作属于同一性质
b. 译文的风格和笔调应和原文的一致
a. 译作应具备原作的通顺
b. 译文应像原文一样流畅
ii. Fedorov: Adequacy Theory
The exactness of tr. means the exact rendering of the thought and content of the original and performs the same rhetorical function as the original.
iii. Eugene Nida: Functional Equivalence
A good version should be closest, natural equivalence of the original message both in content and style
2. In China
案本（道安）——求信（严复）——神似（傅雷）——化境（钱钟书）
i. Yan Fu: three-character tr. theory
faithfulness: full and complete conveying or transmission of the original content or thought
expressiveness: the version must be clear and flowing without any grammatical mistakes or confused sense and logic
elegance: the use of classical Chinese before the Han Dynasty
 I’m up to my neck in your bullshit
A. 你让我倒他妈的八辈子邪霉了。
B. 你害得我好苦哇！
ii. Lu Xun: faithfulness and smoothness
Rather be faithful(in thought) than smooth (in language
A translator must strive, on the one hand, to make his translation easy for the reader to understand, and on the other, to keep the original flavor of the original work (charm and style of the author)
iii. Fu Lei: Similarity in Spirit
“As far as the effect is concerned, translation should be like copying a painting. What is desired is not being alike in appearance but being alike in spirit.” “An ideal tr. reads like the original writer’s writing.”
iv. Qian Zhongshu: Sublimity: the highest ideal of literary translation, transforming a work from one language into another without betraying any evidence of artifice by virtue of divergences in language and speech habits while preserving intact the flavor of the original, then we say such a performance has attained “the ultimate of sublimity”. “transmigration of souls”, replacing the external shell and retaining the inner spirit and style without the slightest deviation. The translation should cleave to the original with fidelity, not read like a translation.
v. In Contemporary China
刘重德 faithfulness, expressiveness, closeness

许渊冲 principle of beauty in three aspects (meaning, sound & form)
辜正坤 theory of multi-complementation
郑海凌 theory of harmony in translation
commonly accepted tr. criteria:
Faithfulness
---- keeping of the original style
-----keeping original author’s emotions and feelings
----clear, flowing and easy to read
Smoothness
-----forceful, clear and idiomatic TL
n 7) It seems to be more lonesome in the mountain when birds are singing.
A.它在山里似乎更幽静，当鸟在鸣叫的时候。
B.当鸟在鸣叫的时候，山里似乎显得更加幽静。
C.鸟鸣山更幽。
n 8) There was no snow, but the leaves were gone from trees, and the grass was dead.
A. 没有雪，树上没有叶子，地上没有草。
B. 天未下雪，叶落草枯。
C. 无雪，叶落，草枯。
Translation “a beautiful unfaithful woman”
faithfulness vs. smoothness
TEM-8: faithfulness 60% smoothness 40%
n 9) I was with my father on a business-and-pleasure trip.
A. 我随父亲进行了一次公事兼乐趣的旅行。
B. 我和父亲这次旅行，既为了公事，也为了游乐。
C. 我和父亲出来，既是出差，也是游玩。
D. 我跟随父亲进行了一次商务旅行。
n 10) 你别狗咬吕洞宾，不识好人心。
A. You are just like a dog that bit Lv Dongbin without knowing he was a good man.
B. Don’t snap and snarl at me when I am trying to do my best for you.
n 11) From there I could see the whole valley below, the fields, the river, and the village. It was very beautiful, and the sight of it filled me with longing.
A. 从那里我可以看见下面的整个山谷，那田野、河流和村庄。这一切非常美丽，见到后使我心里充满了渴望。
B. 从这里望下去，整个山谷一览无遗，只见那田野、河流和村庄，全都美不胜 收，真叫我心驰神往。
C. 眺望山谷，一览无遗，田野、河流和村庄，美不胜收，令人心驰神往。

IV. Prerequisites for Qualified Translators
1. A Good Command of English
n 13) ready cause for divorce
n 14) He is a bicycle doctor.
n 15) He is a good sailor.
n 16) You can find doctors and doctors in Hong Kong.
2. A Solid Foundation in Chinese
n 17）你要有所戈获，则必须在学习中不断深入。
n If you want to gain anything, you must constantly deepen your studies.
n 18) 不少人认为“信达雅” 是严复的戛戛独造，并奉之为译事圭臬。
n Many people hold that “faithfulness, expressiveness and elegance” is Yan Fu’s own great original creation, and regard it as the standard of translation.
n 19）王冕七岁上死了父亲。
A. Wang Mian’s father died when he was seven.
B. Wang Mian suffered the loss of his father at the age of seven.
n 20) Henry Kissinger had slept there before, in July and again in October.
n 21) The heavily laden infantry, though enjoying a superiority of six-to-one, simply could not keep to schedule and lost 60,000 men in one day.
A. 这支负载很重的步兵，尽管享有六比一的优势，完全不能遵守时间表，并且在一天之内损失六万人。
B. 这支步兵尽管（在数量上）享有六比一的优势，但是由于个人负重量很大，根本无法按时行动，因而在一天之内损失六万人。
3. A Wide Scope of General Knowledge
Jack of all trades, master of noting
n 22） The European Empires in Africa have disappeared.
A. 在非洲的欧洲帝国已经消失了。
B. 欧洲人在非洲建立的帝国已经消失了。
n 23) John can be relied on; he eats no fish and plays the game.
约翰为人可靠，他既诚实又正直。
n 24) 这对年轻夫妻并不相配，一个是西施，一个是张飞。
The young couple is not well matched, one is a Xi Shi—— a famous Chinese beauty, the other is a Zhang Fei——a notorious ill-tempered brute.
4. Familiarity with Translation Theories & Skills
5. Strong Sense of Responsibility
“three-responsibility guideline”
n 25) 台湾问题
Taiwan Question becomes Taiwan Issue due to the outside interference.
n 26) say “sorry” & “apologize”
n 27) 终止“国统会”、“国统纲领”
disband (CNN, NY Times), scrap (BBC) ,stop, abolish , shutdown , terminate, put an end to
The “National Unification Council” shall cease to function and “National Unification Guidelines” shall cease to apply.
stop/ put an end to the operation of the “National Unification Council” (NUC) and the application of the “National Unification Guidelines”

V. Processes of Translation
1. Comprehension
----the first and the most important step
----correct expression relies on exact and thorough comprehension, which in turn relies on a thorough analysis of the original at grammatical, semantic, stylistic and textual level
n 28) John is now with his parents in New York City; it is already three months since he was a bandmaster.
n 29) Her mother is a sister in a Melbourne hospital.
n 30) a sophisticated man, a sophisticated woman, a sophisticated columnist, a sophisticated electronic device, a sophisticated weapon
n 31) A. His dear parent has joined the heavenly choir.
B. His dear father has passed away.
C. His father has died.
D. His old man has just kicked the bucket.
2. Transfer: a series of complicated mental activities
3. Expression
---faithful reproduction in TL of exact and thorough comprehension of ST
---a flexible use of translation methods and skills
n 32) In the doorway lay at least twelve umbrellas of all sizes and colors.
A. 门口放着至少十二把各种颜色和尺寸的伞。
B. 门口放着至少十二把伞，五颜六色，大小不一。
4. Proofreading
---to test the faithfulness
---to improve and polish the TT
---cold treatment