Understanding the Procedure of Translating

1. Understanding the Procedure of Translating 了解翻译的过程

2. Translate an English Business Document Purpose： Master the procedures involved in translating Expectation： you are expected to be able to: ①describe in detail the whole procedures of translating in your own words ②conclude the process ③speak out the prerequisite of a translator

3. Translating Procedures • Gentlemen, • We have received a sudden bid from the American Trading Co. Inc., 600 Mission Street, San Francisco, with which you are doing business and the firm gives us your name as a reference. • We shall appreciate it if you will inform us of your own experience with the firm by filling in the blanks of the attached sheet and returning it to us in the enclosed envelope.

4. Any information you may give us will be treated as strictly confidential and expenses accruing from this inquiry will be gladly paid by us upon receipt of your bill. • Attached sheet: • How long have you been in business relations with the firm? • What credit limit have you placed on their account? • How promptly are terms met? • What amount is currently outstanding? • Yours truly,

5. List Out the Key Points 1. inform us of your own experience with the firm 2. filling in the blanks of the attached sheet and returning it to us in the enclosed envelope. 3. any information you may give us will be treated as strictly confidential and expenses accruing from this inquiry will be gladly paid by us upon receipt of your bill.

6. 4. How long have you been in business relations with the firm? 5.What credit limit have you placed on their account? 6.How promptly are terms met? 7.What amount is currently outstanding?

7. Possible difficulties • a sudden bid 意外的/意想不到的递盘 • accruing产生的 • upon receipt of一收到…….就 • outstanding未了结的 • credit limit 信用额度

8. 参考译文 • 敬启者: • 由于意外收到一份正与贵公司合作的，来自旧金山米 圣街600号美国贸易股份有限公司的递盘，该公司提供贵公司名称以便咨询。如蒙贵公司提供与之合作的有关信息并填写随函附寄的表格，将不胜感激。 • 贵公司提供的任何信息我们将严格保密，由此滋生的一切费用我方收到收据后即付。 • 附寄表格包含以下问题： • 贵公司与之建立业务关系多久？ • 贵公司给该公司的信用额度是多少？

9. 偿还期限多久？ • 目前未了解的总金额多少？ • 此致敬礼!

10. Review the Procedures 1.Read/Interpret the given text; 2.Explain/List out the key points; 3.Analyze the logic relationship in and between sentences; 4.Analyze & select the proper meaning and corresponding expressions; 5.Reorganize/Restructure the translated sentences according to Chinese custom; 6.Draft and document the documentation.

11. Conclusion • What is the prerequisite of a translator? • How can we develop our competence of translation? • A Translator’s Competence = • Knowledge + Skills + Right Attitude

12. The Process of Translation 翻译过程的实际体验与总结 ——引用当代翻译名家的话

13. “就翻译过程(process)而言，我们既可以从经验的角度对翻译活动的主要步骤进行描述与总结，也可以以某种理论为指导，在对翻译过程的描述与总结的基础上，对有关翻译过程的重要理论问题进行探索。”“就翻译过程(process)而言，我们既可以从经验的角度对翻译活动的主要步骤进行描述与总结，也可以以某种理论为指导，在对翻译过程的描述与总结的基础上，对有关翻译过程的重要理论问题进行探索。” • _____引自许钧《翻译论》P80 • 旅美翻译家思果从如何翻译的角度，结合自己的经验，就翻译的具体步骤（steps ）即我们所关心的翻译程序（procedures）,提出了非常具体而又可资鉴的做法。他说：“理想的译法是这样的：先把原文看懂，照原文译出来，看看念不念得下去，试删掉几个不一定用得着的字，看看是否有损文义和文气。如果有损，再补回来。试把不可少的字加进去，看看是否超出原文范围，增减以后和原文再校对一次。有些地方是否错译，语气的轻重是否恰如其分，原文的弦外之音译文里找不找得到？原文的意思要消化；译文的文字要推敲。”

14. 思果还告诫译者：“先看全句全文——没有看完一句不要动手译；没有看完整段不要动手译；没有看完全文，不要动手译。译文所用的许多字、句法，都和全文、整段、整句有关，而且一句意思要到看完全句才能明了，长句尤其有这种情形”思果还告诫译者：“先看全句全文——没有看完一句不要动手译；没有看完整段不要动手译；没有看完全文，不要动手译。译文所用的许多字、句法，都和全文、整段、整句有关，而且一句意思要到看完全句才能明了，长句尤其有这种情形” • _____引自许钧《翻译论》P81 • 在思果对翻译具体步骤地描述和总结中，没有尖深的理论阐述，也没有难解的专业术语，有的是实实在在、具体而微的做法。希望他的这番话能对初学者在具体翻译操作中有所启发。

15. More Practice 1. Dear sir, • You wrote on 28th January informing us that the mohair rugs supplied to the above order had been dispatched, but we regret to say that they have not yet reached us. We expected them a week ago and on the faith of your notification for promised immediate delivery to a number of our customers, who naturally feel that we have let them down. • Delivery of the rugs is now a matter of urgency. Will you please find out from British Rail what has happened to the consignment and let us know when we may expect delivery? We are of course making our own enquiries at this end. • Yours faithfully,

16. 2. Dear sir, • Wehavereceivedyourletterdated9thFebruary,askingustosendyouashipmentofTeaSetforsaleonD/Aterm. • Asisknowntoall,ourpaymentistobemadeagainstdraftdrawnunderaconfirmed,irrevocableLetterofCreditfortheamount. • Therefore,weregretwecannotacceptyourrequest.Butinviewof • yourgoodwillofpushingthesaleofourproducts,wecanasanexceptionacceptthepaymentbyL/Cat60days’  sightdraft.Wetrustthatthespecialaccommodationgiventoyouwillenableyoutomakeafavorabledecision.Weareawaitingyourfurtherconsultation. • Yours faithfully,

17. 3.敬启者： • 现随函附寄贷记帐单985号一份，计95.00美元，用以全部偿付你方对定单105号项下的货物损失的索赔。 我们十分清楚我们无法弥补给你方带来的不便，但在今后的交易中，我们一定尽力使你方满意。 我们一直努力做到通过提供最佳服务，使我厂方装运货物的质量得到你方的信任，但是有时尽管我们严加防范，困难问题仍会出现。再次感谢你方的协作，并相信我们之间的友好关系将一如既往继续发展下去。

18. Dear sirs, 50 Drums Sodium PeroxideWe are pleased to advise you that the captioned commodity, covered by our Sales Contract No. 96345, was shipped on the s.s. “Peace”, which left Huangpu on July 31.Regarding this shipment, we regret having inadvertently omitted to make the packages with consecutive numbers as called for your L/C. When our shipping department tried to arrange to paint the numbers on the drums on board the vessel, it was too late as there were already other goods stowed over the Sodium Peroxide.We should therefore be very grateful, nevertheless, if you would instruct your bankers to accept the shipping documents for negotiation.We hope this slight discrepancy in shipping marks will not cause you much inconvenience.Yours faithfully,