Translation Course

Translation Course

Preliminary Remarks

一． Introduction to translation Do you know about translation? 1．What is translation ?

Translation is a representation or recreation in one language of what is written or said in another language.

翻译是运用一种语言把另一种语言所表达的思维内容准确而完整地表达出来的语言. 2．Its importance 1) the cultural exchanges among countries, the social life and activities, the development

of history, in our learning of English language

2) an important media in conveying the emotion between human beings, in the expansion of knowledge and culture 3) an important bridge or bond in accelerating the economic globalization 季羡林：翻译是中华文化常葆青春，从未枯竭的万应灵药。 Is it easy or difficult?

For common and easy sentence, it’s easy

Actually it is difficult, even complex. English scholar I.A Richard

“The most complex type of event yet produced in the evolution of the cosmos”.

It is not really easy for a non-native speaker, especially English idiomatic and complex sentence, you’ll find it difficult. Eg.

Translation for self--check

1) History has never been kind to this place.

2) The thick carpet killed the sound of my footsteps.

3) The absence of intelligence is an indication of satisfactory developments.

4) Hardly a day passes without him getting scratched or bruised as he scrambles for a place on a bus.

5)从我们学校可以看到辽阔的大海。 6)由于没有时间，我未能早些拜访你。 7) 他做一手好菜。 8) 屋子里鸦雀无声。

1)这地方历年来都是多灾多难。

2)我走在厚厚的地毯上，一点脚步声也没有。 3)没有消息就是好消息。

4)他挤公交车，抢占位置，身上不是这里擦破，就是那里刮伤，几乎天天如此。

5)A view of the vast sea can be obtained from our school.

6)The shortage of time has prevented me from calling on you earlier. 7)He is a good cook..

8) Complete silence prevailed in the room.

Besides, translation is a bilingual work. It concerns how you’ve mastered the two languages. It’s a touchstone of your language ability, not only English, but also Chinese. Eg.

二． Learning methods

1.Expand your English vocabulary , idiomatic and useful expressions by reading materials available. Not superficial acquaintance

2.Master effective translation theory and techniques

Eg: 1) That afternoon was spent in searching for the missing child in the city. 2) Daybreak comes with thick mist and drizzle. 3) As a place to live in, it left much to be desired. 三．Prerequisites

1.Read books of famous English articles and essays with Chinese translation and take necessary notes

2.Take active part in class activities (simultaneous interpretation)

3.Do the assigned translation exercises and relevant exercises such as those of Test for English Major Grade Eight

Simultaneous translation practice ---Time is a bank

Everyone has a bank. Its name is time. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whether you have invested it to good purpose or not. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft.

Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night burns the records of the day. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours.

So time is important, make the most use of it. “Make the most of today, ” “Seize the day!”

---On the eve of graduation of the students of Grade 2008, many teachers were invited to their banquet in honor of teachers. The atmosphere was good and everyone of them was happy. So was I. As far as I know, they were able to begin the new journey of life. Ten have become postgraduates of various universities and nearly all the rest have been employed in factories, companies and other organizations. Undoubtedly, this is good news. In my opinion, that they can successfully find jobs in the present-day competitive job-hunting is not because they are bestowed favorable chance but that during their schooling years, they work hard at their majors and well cultivate their practical abilities.

The Olympic Games are celebrated around the world as a big sports gala with great significance of maintaining peace, enhancing friendship and promoting civilization. As one of the most influential countries in the world today, China is willing to do her best to promote the Olympic Movement.

Unit One Definition

I．What is translation ?

Translation is a representation or recreation in one language of what is written or said in another language.

翻译是把一种语言表达的意义用另一种语言传达出来，以达到沟通思想情感、传播文化知识、促进社会文明，特别是推动译语文化兴旺昌盛的目的。 孙致礼P4

张培基《英汉翻译教程绪言》

Translation is an activity of reproducing in one language the ideas which have been expressed in another language.

翻译是从语义到文体在译入语中用最切近而又最自然的对等语再现原语的信息. 谭载喜《奈达论翻译》

Translating consists in reproducing in the receptor language the closest natural equivalent of the source language message, first in terms of meaning, and secondly in terms of style. Eugene A. Nida and Taber The Theory and Practice of Translation

翻译就是译入语复制出原语信息最接近的自然等值体, 首先就意义而言,其次就风格而言. II. Classification

1.从译出语(出发语, source language)和译入语(归宿语target或receptor language)的角度分为: 1)本族语译外语 2)外语译本族语 2.从语言符号(semiology)的角度分为: 1)语内翻译(intralingual translation) 2)语际翻译(interlingual translation) 3)符际翻译(intersemiotic translation) 3. 从翻译的手段分为: 口译和笔译

4.从翻译的题材分为: 应用文体、科技文体、新闻文体和艺术文体翻译

5.从翻译的方式分为: 全译(full-text), 节译、摘译(abridged)和编译(adapted)P4-5 III. Brief history

Translation practice in China has a long history of about 4 thousand years. The character “译” appeared as early as about 4 thousand years ago. In Zhou Dynasty, in the Book of Rite such sentences have been found:

五方之民, 言语不通, 嗜欲不同, 达其志, 通其欲, 东方曰 “寄”, 南方曰 “象”, 西方曰 “狄”, 北方曰 “译” 重舌, 通事, 象寄之才

第一次翻译高潮(flourishing period)

Buddhist Scripture 安世高, 支娄加谶, 支亮, 支谦, 竺法护, 道安， 鸠摩罗什 译界第一宗匠

鸠摩罗什, 玄奘, 真谛, 我国佛教三大翻译家(three giants in translating Buddhist Scripture) 第二次翻译高潮

意大利人 利玛窦 (Matteo Ricci 1552--1610) 徐光启(1562--1633) 欧几里得 (Euclid’s)《几何原本》, 《测量法仪》 第三次翻译高潮

严复(1853—1921) 林纾(1852—1924) 第四次翻译高潮

Unit Two. Theory, Principle and Criteria of Translation

第一部有文字记载的翻译理论著作 三国, 支谦《法句经序》 近代严复的 “信,达,雅” 三个字分散见于此部著作

“因循本旨,不加文饰”(following the original meaning without any embroidery)

东晋, 道安 “案本而传，不令有损言游字”(preaching according to the original without any deduction or addition) 直译派

鸠摩罗什 “只要能存本旨就不妨依实出华”(elegance based on the original), 意译派 唐代 玄奘 “既须求真, 又须喻俗” -----忠实(faithfulness), 通顺(smoothness) 近代 严复 《天演论 译例言》 (1898)

信: faithfulness, 达: expressiveness 雅: elegance

鲁迅 凡是翻译, 必须兼顾着两面, 一当然力求其易解, 一则保存原作的风姿(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 charm and style of the author )

宁信而不顺(rather being faithful in thought than smooth in language)

傅雷 神似(spiritual conformity, expression resemblance) “所求不在形似而在神似” 钱钟书 化, 化境(sublimed adaptation, transfiguration) 外国著名的翻译标准论述有:

十八世纪, 英国, 亚力山大 弗雷賽 泰特勒(Alexander Fraser Tytler 1747—1814) 《论翻译的原则》 (1792)

1. A translation should give a complete transcript of the ideas of the original work. (译文应

完全复写出原作的思想)

2. The style and manner of writing should be of the same character as that of the original. (译

文的风格和笔调应与原文的性质相同)

3. A translation should have all the ease of the original composition. (译文应和原作同样流

畅)

标准, 原则可总结为: 一.忠实, 二.通顺

2)Some fishing boats were becalmed just in front of us. Their shadows slept, or almost slept, upon that water, a gentle quivering alone showing that it was not complete sleep, or if sleep, that it was sleep with dreams. 译文1：我们眼前静静地停泊着一些渔船，船影在水面上沉睡或近乎沉睡，只有微颤表明没有完全沉睡，假如

是沉睡，也是带着梦幻。

译文2：渔舟三五，横泊眼前，樯影倒映水面，仿佛睡去，偶尔微颤，似又未尝深眠，恍若惊梦。

翻译的过程

1.理解comprehension 2.表达reproduction(representation)

3.校核proofreading

理解语言现象

理解不同词义, 搭配和英语习惯表达, 背景知识，语境P14 (3-5)，语气P15 (7)，逻辑P15 (6)。不可望文生义，词义不清的、多查字典 labor 1．That fellow did hard labor for three years.

2. His mother died of difficult labor. Dry

1. a dry lecture

2. a dry cow 3. dry state 4. dry bread 5. a dry fact straight

1.a straight road 2.a straight answer 3.a straight thinker

4.Put your room straight. 5.The accounts are straight. 6.She keeps straight. challenge

1. This is a challenge to the law.

2. None of the member challenged the validity of the resolution.

3. Recent discoveries have challenged their old notion. 4. Can you produced any proof to challenge the fact? 5. The local police authority challenged the license of the driver.

6. This poses a challenge to logic.（荒谬绝伦）

7. I challenge my own conclusion. （重新考虑）

8. We now have some challenging courses in our college.（引人入胜）

文化背景知识 1.bridal shower

2.The goalkeeper is the Achilles’ heels.

3.Miss. Johnson is the manager’s girl Friday.

4.John can be relied on. He eats no fish and plays the game.

语境P14 (3-5)，语气P15

(7)，逻辑P15 (6)

P152 This is invitation enough. 不译: 这是个足够的邀请。

P153 Is that his design in settling here?

P153 or you may send them by themselves.

P152 What a fine thing for our daughters! 不可望文生义 短语

1. Substance abuse 毒瘾 2. busybody 爱管闲事的人

(不是“大忙人”)

3. dry goods (美)纺织品；(英)谷物(不是“干货”) 4. heartman 做心脏移植手术的人(不是“有心人”) 5. mad doctor 精神病科医生(不是“发疯的医生”) 6. eleventh hour 最后时刻(不是“十一点”)

7. dead president 美钞(上印有总统头像)(并非“死了的总统”)

8. rest room 厕所(不是“休息室”)

9. horse sense 常识(不是“马的感觉”)

9. green hand 新手(不是“绿手”)

10. bring down the house 博得全场喝彩(不是“推倒房子”)

句子

1.It was an old and ragged moon.

2.The new naval base proved to be a white

elephant.

3.He plays ducks and drakes with his money.

4.She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth.

5.Betty cooked her goose when she cheated in the exam.

6.----Shall we go out today? -----This is a bad day. 7.That’s all Greek to me. 8.His tale has been told.(气数已尽)

表达阶段 直译和意译，异

化与归化

直译 (literal translation或metaphrase)

定义: 在译文语言条件许可时, 在译文中保持原文的内容又保持原文的形式,特别指保持原文的词, 句子结构, 比喻形象和民族地方色彩

1.a gentleman’s agreement, 2.break the record,

3.fish in trouble water, 4.Blood is thicker than water.

5.Barking dogs do not bite. 防范 死译 interlinear translation

硬译 word for word translation

翻译症 translationese

1. This book is the beginning of his fame.

这本书是他名声的开始。 这本书是他的成名之作。 2. It is a small, old-fashioned but important port.

这是一个小的，老式的、

但很重要的港口。

这是一个老式的小港，但很重要。

3. We were told that the football match would be put off.

我们被告知足球赛将推迟举行。

我们听说足球赛将推迟举行。

4. The newspaper must provide for the reader objectively selected facts. 报纸必须为读者提供客观

地挑选出来的事实。 报纸必须选择客观事实，加以报道。

5. 新学期已经过去半个月 Our new term has passed half a month.

Half a month has passed since the new term began. 6. 听了这话，他心里一跳，脸色也变了。

Hearing this, his heart jumped and the color of his face changed.

At this his heart missed a

beat and he became pale. 7. 为了搞科研项目，我牺牲了许多假日。

I have sacrificed many holidays to the scientific research project.

I have devoted many holidays to the scientific research project.

8. P154 Her mind was less difficult to develop.

those that can’t be translated literally

1.the Milky Way,

2.the apple of one’s eyes, 3.hand in glove with sb, 4.once in the blue moon,

不能直译的汉译英

乱七八糟 不译Seven disorders and chaos

而译At sixes and sevens

七八分醉 不译Seven or eight parts drunken

开门见山 不译 open the door and see the mountain

而译 come straight to the point

意译(Free translation 或liberal translation, paraphrase)

定义: 只保持原文内容, 不保持原文形式的翻译方法, 往往译文的语言与原文的语言在许多情况下并不拥有同样的表达形式, 未体现同样的内容更谈不上产生同样的效果, 在这种情况下, 一般采用意译.

意译不注意原文形式, 包括句法结构, 用词, 比喻以及其他修辞手段, 但并不意味着可以将内容随意删改, 或添枝加叶.

1.a region flowing with milk and honey,

2.between the devil and deep sea,

3.Justice has long arms.

4.Last night I heard him driving his pigs to market. 5.Do you see any green in my eyes?（幼稚可欺）

6.有些人天天为柴米油盐所困。

Some people are vexed by wood、rice、oil and salt.(daily necessities) 7.我不敢放松自己。

I dare not loosen myself. (relax myself)

8.你真是不到黄河心不死。 You really do refuse to give in until the yellow river is reached.（until all hope is gone）

防范 乱译、胡译

Uncontrolled(unrestricted, scrambled) translation

He is lying on his back, fixing his eyes on the shining stars in the sky. 他坦腹高卧，遥望星空，神游天际。 他仰卧着，凝视天空中闪烁的群星。

He died in the explosion. 他在爆炸中魂归蓝天。 直译和意译的辩证关系 Translate literally if possible, or appeal to free translation

直译和意译概念延伸P27 异化和归化foreignization , domestication P28-38

Foreignization is a strategy in which a target text is produced which deliberately breaks target conventions by retaining something of the foreignness of the original. Domestication is a strategy in which a transparent, fluent style is adopted in order to minimize the strangeness of the foreign

text for target language readers. 异化翻译 Pandora’s box 潘多拉的盒子 As busy as bees

A gentleman’s aggreement Take care of the pennies, and the pounds will take care of themselves. 管好便士不乱花，英镑自会守在家。

归化翻译

The Lord of Heaven

Meet one’s waterloo 一败涂地

As strong as a horse A black sheep

Neither fish nor flesh

She is a lady of blue blood. 她来自于贵族世家。

Life is full of roses and thorns.

I have eaten more salt than you over the years. 异化归化均可

1.shed crocodile tears,

2.kill two birds with one stone,

3.be armed to teeth,

4.from the cradle to the grave

5.An eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth is the very basis of justice.

以眼还眼，以牙还牙

与其人之道还治其人之身 6.Don’t count your chicken before they are hatched. 7. Talk of the devil and he is sure to appear.

8.你真是不到黄河心不死。 You really do refuse to give in until the yellow river is reached.

You really do refuse to give in until all hope is gone.

Translation Practice B

MAN’S YOUTH

Man’s youth is a wonderful thing: it is so full of anguish and of magic and he never comes to know it as it is, until it has gone from him forever. It is the thing he cannot bear to lose, it is the thing whose passing he watches with infinite sorrow and regret, it is the thing whose loss he must lament forever, and it is the thing whose loss he really welcomes with a sad and secret joy, the thing he would never willingly relive again, could it be restored to him by any magic.

Why is this? The reason is that the strange and bitter miracle of life is nowhere else so evident as in our youth. And what is the essence of that strange and bitter miracle of life which we feel so poignantly, so unutterably, with such a bitter pain and joy, when we are young? It is this: that being rich, we are so poor; that being mighty, we can yet have nothing; that seeing, breathing, smelling, tasting all around us the impossible wealth and glory of this earth, feeling with an intolerable certitude that the whole structure of the enchanted life—the most fortunate, wealthy, good, and happy life that any man has ever known—is ours—is ours at once, immediately and forever, the moment that we choose to take a step, or stretch a hand, or say a word—we yet know that we can really keep, hold, take, and possess forever—nothing. All passes; nothing lasts: the moment that we put our hand upon it, it melts away like smoke, is gone forever, and the snake is eating at our heart again; we see then what we are and what our lives must come to.

A young man is so strong, so mad, so certain, and so lost. He has everything and he is able to use nothing. He hurls the great shoulder of his strength forever against phantasmal barriers, he is a wave whose power explodes in lost mid-oceans under timeless skies, he reaches out to grip a fume of painted smoke; he wants all, feels the thirst and power for everything, and finally gets nothing. In the end, he is destroyed by his own strength, devoured by his own hunger, impoverished by his own wealth. Thoughtless of money or the accumulation of material possessions, he is none the less defeated in the end by his own greed—a greed that makes the avarice of King Midas seem

paltry by comparison.

And that is the reason why, when youth is gone, every man will look back upon that period of his life with infinite sorrow and regret. It is the bitter sorrow and regret of a man who knows that once he had a great talent and wasted it, of a man who knows that once he had a great treasure and got nothing from it, of a man who knows that he had strength enough for everything and never used it.

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