A Brief introduction to Translation

 

I. Definition

 

Translation, speaking, implies rendering from one language into another of something written or spoken. It is, essentially the faithful representation, in one language of what is written or spoken in another. It is the replacement of textual material in one language (SL-the source language) by equivalent textual material in another language (TL-target language).

 

II. Qualifications of a translator  

1) A translator must be well acquainted with the source language.

We are inclined to feel too confident of our comprehension when we are reading foreign literary works. We think we know it from A to Z, yet, when we start translating it we find it difficult and there are many points misunderstood. We are playing the fool with ourselves because of careless reading, Therefore, translation serves as the best possible approach to the study of foreign languages.

 

2) A translator must be well acquainted with the target language.

Let's take Yan Fu for instance: When Yan Fu, a famous translator in the Qing Dynasty, was translating "Evolution and Ethics and other Essays", the title turned out to be the crux（症结）that caused him to cudgel his brains （绞尽脑汁）day and night and look pale for it. His wife worried very much representation of the title for quite time and eventually had it translated into《天演论》which has since deserved high praise up till now.

 

3) A translator must be armed with necessary professional knowledge.

 

4) A translator must be armed with the ability to live his part.

As famous play writer Maryann pointed out: "a translator must enter into the spirit of character (regard himself as one that plays a role in a play). That is to say, he seems

1. present at the very spot.（亲临其境）

2. involved in the very occurrence.（亲历其事）

3. witnessing the very parties concerned.（亲睹其人）

4. interating the very utterances.（亲道其法）

5. experiencing the very joy and annoy.（亲尝其甘，亲领其苦）

6. sharing the very weal and woe.（亲享其福，亲受其哀）

7. partaking of the glee and grief.（亲得其乐，亲感其悲）

 

5) A translator must be armed with the excellent ability of expressiveness and vivid imagination.

"Toiling yourself and endure hardship for obtaining a well-chosen word" just as the famous poet Du Fu did "Never give up until an amazing poetic masterpiece is gained". （“为求一字稳，耐得五更寒”，象诗圣杜甫那样具有“语不惊人死不休”得精神与毅力）

eat (swallow) the leek  （吃芹菜）→ 忍受耻辱

lie on one's back  （躺在背上）→ 仰卧

kiss-me  （吻我）（野生）→ 三色紫罗兰

 

 

1. Preparation  准备

2. analysis & understanding of the original  分析与吃透原文

3. expression_r_r_r_r in target language  表达

 

● Preparation implies that we need to lay our hands on the reference materials which are relevant to the works.

 

● Comprehension is the key step of a translation; therefore, a translator must read the original time and again.

1) Glancing (skimming) over the original text you are going to translate.

2) Consulting your dictionary to make sure the exact meaning and implication of the new words found in original text through the first reading and the contextual relationship.

3) The third reading of the original should be emphasized on the understanding of the author's ideological content, artistic quality, writing technique and style.

*linguistic analysis in combination with logical analysis of the original.

*The process of comprehension is that of unity between thinking in source language and that in target language

*Penetration into the artistic conception of the original through the linguistic form and crust.

 

● expression_r_r_r_r implies the change of the original from one language into another. This depends on how well you digest the original and how good your accomplishment of the target language are.

 

Every Chinese character should be well-chosen, every sentence well-organized and every paragraph carefully polished.

精心选词，苦心炼句，细心润色每个段落

 

The English speaking people are proud of the compactness（严谨）of their language, while we Chinese are proud of the conciseness（简洁）of our mother tongue.

 

English syntax（句法）emphasizes on hypotaxis “形合” which means that clauses, sentences, even parts of phrases are connected by connectives（连接词）. Thus, English sentence structure is well-knit.

 

Unlike English, Chinese language is stressed on parataxis（意合）which means that sentences and the various parts of them are joined by meaning instead of connectives.

 

VII. Contextual Relationship

 

The following linguistic terms are of some importance in the understanding of this aspect.

1. Syntactic marking: The marked worked words that determine the specific meaning of a word.

2. Semotactic marking: The collocation and the relationship of the juxtaposed words（紧邻相连的词）governs the specific meaning a word.

3. Referential clusters: All those words that mean a great help to understanding and judging the specific meaning of a word.

 

Example:

● If when I tell you, dearest dear, that your agony is over, and that I have come here to take you from it, and that we go to England to be at peace and at rest, I cause you to think of your useful life laid waste, and of our native France so wicked to you, weep for it, weep for it!

亲爱的宝贝儿，我要告诉你，你的痛苦已经结束，我来此把你带出海，同往英格兰共享人间清平，这会（如果这样做）使你想起你那虚度的年华，想起你的故土法兰西对你如此不公。（倘若果真如此），（那么）亲爱的，你就哭吧，尽情的哭吧！

 

With the help“倘若果真如此”，“那么”，“如果这样做，……那么”，the logical relationship of the context is clearly

shown in the translation.

 

*But the actual achievement of this campaign, which is still misunderstood, should never be underestimated. It brought about the first defeat of a German army in the Second World War.

这一战役的实际成果，至尽仍为被人们准确理解，但决不应低估，因为在这场战役中，德国军队遭到了第二次世界大战开始以来的首次失败。