Translation Paradoxes and Tips: Literal vs. Free Translations

1. Unit 1 Key points summary

2. Activity 1: Literal Vs. free translations • The eight paradoxes of translation raised in this activity are mostly centered around the struggle between literal translation against free translation. The formal focuses on a word-for-word translation of the source text into the target text; while the latter involves language adjustment in the process of translation.

3. Activity 1: Literal Vs. free translations • 1. He told me he would come, and I • also have something to tell him. • 他告诉我他会来，我也有件事要告诉他。 • 2. He walked at the head of the funeral • procession, and every now and then • wiped his crocodile tears with a big • handkerchief. • 他走在送葬队伍的前头，还不时用一条 • 大手绢抹去他那鳄鱼的眼泪。

4. Activity 1: Literal Vs. free translations • 3. It rains cats and dogs. • 大雨瓢泼。 • 4.It goes very much against the grain with me • that the name of the writer should ever be • suppressed. 不发表作者的名字，实在大大违背我的本意。

5. Activity 1: Literal Vs. free translations • No matter what method you may use, your translation • should be correct, comprehensible to the target reader and • close to the original style. Only when you keep the meaning • and spirit of the original sentence structure and/or its figure • of speech can your translation be regarded as proper literal • translation, otherwise it is merely mechanical translation. • Similarly, only when change the original sentence structure • and/or the figure of speech but make no addition or deletion • of the original meaning and spirit, can your translation be • regarded as proper translation; otherwise it is simply • random translation.

6. Activity 2: Designative Vs. associative meanings • The designative meaning of a word (指称义) refers to the object, people, plant, animal, place, etc. that it represents;while the associative meaning of a word (内涵义) is the idea,quality, state, circumstance, etc. that it makes you think of.

7. Activity 2: Designative Vs. associative meanings 1. I’m a man of my words, and I’ll do what I say. 我是说话算数的人，说到做到。 2. Why can’t you be a man and face the challenge bravely? 你为什么不能拿出男子汉的勇气来迎接挑战？ 3. He’s not his own man since his mother-in-law came to stay. 自从他的岳母来了以后他可就没那么自由自在了。

8. Activity 2: Designative Vs. associative meanings • The designative meaning of the word • “man” is a male adult; while the word has various • associative meanings in different contexts, such as • “a trust-worthy person”, “courage” or “the state of • being happy and carefree”. A translator needs to consider both kinds of meanings for the achievement of a correct, comprehensible and close translation.

9. Activity 3: Changing the positions of some phrases Changing the positions of some phrases (换序译法) involves changing the positions of the subject, predicate, attribute, adverbial, ect. of English when it is being translated into Chinese.

10. Activity 3: Changing the positions of some phrases 1. Many cracks began to appear on the city wall during that wall. 在那场战争中，这道城墙开始出现许多裂痕。（主语换 序） 2. “What’s your opinion?”asked the teacher. 老师问：“你的想法呢？” （谓语换序） 3. On and on he talked. 他滔滔不绝地讲着。（状语换序）

11. Activity 4: Changing phrases or words into sentences A word or a noun, attributive or adverbial phrase in English can be changed into a sentence when it is being translated into Chinese (转句译法) , especially if it has rich meanings.

12. Activity 4: Changing phrases or words into sentences 1.Tobacco addicts remain hopelessly blind to signs that say No Smoking. 瘾君子对那些“请勿吸烟”的标志视而不见，真是无可救 药。（状语转句） 2. Scofflaws abound in amazing variety. 玩乎法令者形形色色，令人吃惊。（定语转句） 3. The project was known as the Outpost Mission--one of the cold war’s most closely guarded secrets. 一般人认为这个计划只不过是个警戒任务，然而它却 冷战时期保守得最严的秘密之一。（名词短语转句）

13. Why not do the supplementary exercises for further practice? The keys and comments are also provided for your reference.