Meaning, form and style have been discussed separately above. In the real translating, all factors are always integrated together. In a word, the translation must keep to the original and be as accurate as possible. That is also the only criteria to assess the quality of a translation.

  As for the choice of dictionary used in translating, I recommend relying mainly on English-English dictionary, and taking English-Chinese dictionary as subsidiary. The translator should select the proper meaning by himself from the beginning instead of depending on English-Chinese dictionary with vague implications. In the case of special terms such as names of animals and plants, English-Chinese dictionary will save much trouble. The explanations in an English-Chinese dictionary are also a kind of translation, and not necessarily good translation, because they often omit the key meanings of the original and replace them with corresponding words in target language. The slightest c

Persistence in form can be realized through parallel imitation, and the methods of foreignization and transplantation, for in Chinese they are not difficult to achieve. We know from the experience of development of new poems in our country that poetic form can be transplanted to some extent. The transplanting of poetic form is greatly helpful in enriching and developing the means of poetic expression in target language. Of course, since there seems not anything in common between the appearances of different language systems, it’s impossible to copy everything of the original. However, there must be common principles and rules in both languages, we should at least achieve partially parallel correspondence, for example the number of lines, of syllables, of meters and the rhyming styles, and even alliteration, hyperbaton and so on. In a word, through imitating the form of the origin

Personal Principles and Methods of Poetry Translating，Qualities as a Translator

I am a translator. I am not a mere theorist. I will not attempt to bring up any abstract theory that is applicable everywhere. What I am going to do is sum up the experience gained from the several years’ translating and draw a conclusion about the principles of “dos and don’ts” as theories or ideas only suitable for myself.

1. Principles

  Accuracy should be the only standard. Translation should strictly keep to the original. A translator should be good at mimicking. He is interpreting but not creating something. He is free within the scope of rules. Someone has proposed that translation can surpass the original text. That’s impossible. (Translation and the original text are incomparable, so the principle of “surpassing” makes no sense).

  Translating can be compared to shooting. The original text and meaning

  From elementary school to university, as beginners of learning, we’d better attach importance to discipline rather than interest. A well-arranged course schedule is like a recipe for nutritionally well-balanced food. Each item is helpful and indispensable. There should not be any preference or option. The so-called optional subjects mean that we can only choose within a limited scope. A well-educated person can be compared to an actor of traditional Chinese opera who has received regular professional training. While receiving training, he must follow the strict discipline. He must learn singing, acting and acrobatics with equally great efforts, and master the skills of playing all kinds of roles. Only after learning all of the skills can he develop his speciality according to his own interest. Scholarship needs foundation and that foundation must be firm enough to be an everlasting benefit. The most important subjects for beginners are language and mathematics. Language is a

  I have come across many smart and hard-working young friends who are doing well in study and yet their Chinese is so poor that they even cannot express their idea clearly. Even writing a fluent letter will be a hard task to them. They attribute their weakness in Chinese to lack of interest. There is another group of people. They are good at writing but hate mathematics and physics so much that they are rather close to fail. They claim that is also because they are not interested in those subjects. They cast away the uninteresting subjects like worn-out shoes, happy and pleased with themselves without any look of shame as if that is a way of putting interest-ism into practice. They do not know that all subjects in the world are interesting and that depends on how learners dig out the interest. You will be interested in learning through the process of gradually finding out a new world under the direction of a good teacher. You will of course totally lose interest in learning if

Learning and Personal Inclination

Liang Shiqiu

  Senior scholars often encourage the young people to develop interest in learning because they have been enjoying the pleasure of learning and are ready to share their experience with the young so as to help them joyously set foot into the world of scholarship. For example, Mr. Liang Qichao once said: “I will always speak for the importance of interest. If the ingredient named interest is extracted away, nothing is left in the Liang Qichao stuff” Mr Liang is a scholar of profound learning who thought a lot of interest. He devoted himself to scholarship without any other motivation but merely for scholarship itself. That is why he gained such great accomplishments. Those who are deeply interested in scholarship sometimes indeed act as if they have been enchanted. They do study hard with perseverance regardless of meals and sleep as well as the growing age. It’s natural for those

  Those who like study and who are fond of antiques will naturally like Peiping for its richness in books and antiques. I do not like study very much, nor do I have enough money to buy antiques. But I love Peiping for the abundant flowers, vegetables and fruits. Gardening is something expensive. But flowers and herbaceous plants are very cheap in Peiping and each family has got a courtyard. So they can plant flowers covering the whole yard without spending much money. Though inconspicuous, they are lovely after all. Morning glories climbing on the wall, china pinks and mirabilis jalapas on the bottom of the wall…cheap and easy to plant as they are, they are able to attract butterflies. Green vegetables, such as cabbages, haricot beans, beanpods, cucumbers and spinaches, are mostly carried right to your house from suburbs. Often, the leeks still have spots of mud on their leaves after rain. The vegetable stalls tinted with red and green, are almost as beautiful as poetic scener

  London, Paris, Rome and Constantinople are considered to be four major “historic capitals” of Europe. I know something about London; I have taken cursory trips to Paris and Rome before. I have not even been to Constantinople at all. Paris is the most similar one to Peiping of these three cities(“Similar” might be too far-fetched). However, if asked to “settle down in Paris”, I will feel lonely and miserable like a homeless man. Paris, as I see, is too bustling. Of course, it does have some quiet open places, but they are a bit too spacious. Peiping is complicated and yet well-ordered. I can touch the old city wall covered with red sour jujubes. Facing Jishuitan, backing on the city wall, I can spend a whole day sitting on the stone, happily watching little tadpoles in the water or tender dragonflies on the reed leaves. In that way, I am totally relaxed without any desire or fear like a baby sleeping peacefully in the cradle. Yes, there are still bustling places in Peipi

Yearning for Peiping

Lao She

  I wouldn’t be scared to be assigned to write a novel set in Peiping, for I can choose what I know and avoid what I do not. If asked to write about everything of Peiping, I will not be able to manage the task. It’s a rather big city with numerous episodes. Although I have been living there for 27 years since I was born, I cannot know less about Peiping. As for the places of interests, I have never even been to Taoranting Park. How ridiculous it is! Now you can draw a conclusion that all I know is merely “my Peiping”, which equals no more than a drop in the bucket.