Here are the 13 statements on page 8 and comments on Them. (1-7)

1. Here are the 13 statements on page 8 and comments on Them. (1-7) • A translation must reproduce the words of the SLT. • A translation must reproduce the ideas (meaning) of the SLT. • A translation should read like an original work. • A translation should read like a translation. • A translation should reflect the style of the original. • A translation should possess the style of the translator. • A translation should retain the historical stylistic dimension of the SLT.

2. Statements 8-13 • A translation should read as a contemporary piece of literature. • A translation may add to or omit from the original. • A translation may never add to or omit from the original. • A translation should let the readers of the SLT and the target language text (TLT) have essentially the same response. • A translation should convey what the SLT author intends to convey. • A translation should satisfy the need of the client.

3. Comments on these statements • Evidently, though each of the above statements is right in a certain sense, yet it is not adequate or comprehensive enough to serve as a translation principle. Some of the principles proposed by various translation theorists can find their expression in the statements given above. Interlinear translation is an illustration of the first statement. Yan Fu’s three-character principle can be a combination of statements 2, 3 and 6. Nida’s functional equivalence is best expressed in statement 11.

4. What do you know about Yan Fu’s triple principle for translation? • Strictly speaking, a translation theory in its true sense in China originated from Yan Fu(严复). • He proposed the famous triple principle for translation, namely, faithfulness(信), expressiveness(达) and elegance(雅). • His faithfulness means that the translated text should be faithful to the original text, ie, the version should keep the content or ideas of the original. • His expressiveness means that the translated text should be expressive and coherent without anything awkward. In other words, his expressiveness requires that the version should be fluid, smooth, and easy to read and understand. • His elegance demands that the translated text should be exquisite and that its style ought to be very graceful.

5. Question 1 Why does Professor Liu argue against “elegance” as a principle for translation of the original style? • He argued eloquently against “elegance” as a principle for translation of the original style. We all know that not all works are characterized by the elegant style. Different writers display different styles. For instance, Lenin wrote in a bold style, and Hemingway wrote in a simple, symbolic style. Even the same writer shows different styles on different occasions for different purposes. Naturally, different works demonstrate different styles. Thus, it is impossible & absolutely wrong to achieve the effect of elegance in the translated text if the style of the original is not elegant.

6. Question 2 --Why does the compiler think highly of “closeness”? (1) • We are in favor of Professor Liu’s triple translation principle. He changed Yan Fu’s “elegance” into “closeness”, which represents his contribution to the translation theory. His “closeness” is central in meaning. It is suitable for translation of all types of texts with different styles.

7. Question 2 --Why does the compiler think highly of “closeness”?(2) • If the original text is characterized by the elegant style, the translator should do his utmost to render it into a graceful text in the target language whose style is close to the original elegant style. • If the original style is highly technical with a wealth of technical terms, the translator ought to employ plenty of corresponding technical terms in the target language and make the translated style as close to the original technical style as possible.

8. Question 2 --Why does the compiler think highly of “closeness”?(3) • If the original style is colloquial with a lot of informal words and colloquial sentences, the translator should translate it into a text with an informal style as close as possible to the original one by using many colloquial words and informal sentences. • If the original style is ornate, the translator should follow suit and make effort to render the translated style as close to the original as possible. • If the original text contains some vulgar words and sentences, the translator is not entitled to replace them with elegant words or sentences, and he should reproduce the original by using some corresponding vulgar words and sentences in the receptor language. Translators are duty-bound to do so, for the simple reason that they are translators.

9. Question 2 --Why does the compiler think highly of “closeness”?(4) • As we know, Yan Fu’s triple translation principle is highly concise and well rhymed and quite easy to learn by heart, which is one of the reasons why it is still very popular in China today. • Professor Liu’s triple principle is similar to Yan Fu’s in that it is equally concise and easy to remember. • Though Professor Liu’s triple principle is not rhymed, yet it is very forceful and impressive, for the Chinese character “切”is uttered in the falling tone, carrying the implication that faithfully conveying the original style or rendering the translated style as close to the original as possible is absolutely necessary and worth the translator’s great effort.

10. Task 1--Repeat Tytler’s three-point principle • 1) The translation should give a complete transcript of the ideas of the original work. • 2) The style and manner of writing should be of the same character with that of the original. • 3) The translation should have all the ease of the original composition.

11. Task 2--Make a comparative study of Professor Liu’s principle with Tytler’s • Clearly, Tyter’s three-point principle is precise in diction and scientific in narration. What he highlights is that the translated text should preserve the original content, retain the original expressiveness, and keep the original style. In other words, the translated text should reflect everything in the original as much as possible. • Professor Liu Zhongde’s triple principle “信、达、切”is in essence similar to Titler’s three-point principle. As a matter of fact, the former is based on the latter. • As far as we can see, the only difference between the two is that the former is more concise and much easier to remember.

12. What is Nida’s principle for translation? • Eugene A. Nida and Taber stated emphatically (1969:12): “Translation 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”. • His dynamic equivalence is defined as a translation principle, according to which the translator seeks to translate the meaning of the original in such a way that the target language text wording will produce the same impact on the target text audience as the original wording does upon the source text audience. Later on, Nida changed “dynamic equivalence” into “functional equivalence”, because it seemed much more satisfactory to use the expression “functional equivalence” in describing the degree of adequacy of a translation.

13. A summary of main translation principles • Yan Fu’s: Faithfulness, Expressiveness, and Elegance • Liu Zhongde’s triple principle: Faithfulness, Expressiveness, and Closeness. • Tytler’s Three Point Principle: 1) The translation should give a complete transcript of the ideas of the original work. 2) The style and manner of writing should be of the same character with that of the original. 3) The translation should have all the ease of the original composition. • Nida’s principle for translation: Dynamic Equivalence or Functional Equivalence.

14. Assignment • Why did Professor Liu Zhongde disapprove of Yan Fu’s ‘”elegance” ? • What is your translation principles?