Translation Principles

1. Translation Principles

2. Teaching Plan Teaching Contents: • 1. The definition to the principle/criteria of translation • 2. Some influential principles: • Yan Fu’s Three-character Principle • Fu Lei’s “Similarity in Spirit” (1957) • Qian Zhongshu’s “Sublimation” (1963) • Tytler’s Principles of Translation (18th century) • Nida’s “Equivalent Effect” (Dynamic Equivalence) (1964) • 3. Different views of translation • 4. What are unqualified or unsatisfactory translation?

3. Teaching Plan • Teaching Aims: • To make students aware of what translation principles are and its developing history. Teaching Focus: • The content of different translation principles and what are the principles we should follow in practicing Teaching Methods: • teacher-oriented lecturing • Discussion (group work, then class work) • Multi-media aided. Teaching Procedures:

4. Teaching Plan • Teaching Contents: • Principles of translation • Factors of translation • Process of translation • Teaching Aims: To teach students the theory of translation. • Teaching Focus: The principles of the translation • Teaching Methods: Discussion (group work, then class work). • Teaching Approaches: Multi-media aided. • Teaching Procedures:

5. Definition of Principle • Principles / criteria refers to established standards or principles on which an action or judgment is based. • the principle of translation：the one as a goal set for translators to strive after the criterion of translation：the one as a standard / yardstick for measuring the professional level of translation

6. I. Some influential principles • 1. Yan Fu’s Three-character Principle (Requirement / Criteria) (1898): • The so-call principles and criteria of translation are actually the two sides of the same thing. The former lays emphasis on the translator, who should follow them while translating; while the latter on the reader or critic, who may use the criteria to evaluate translation works. Whenever principles or criteria of translation are under discussion in China, Yan Fu’s “three-character guide”, which was first proposed in 1898, would evoke controversy, namely the principle of “faithfulness, expressiveness and elegance”.

7. I. Some influential principles • 2. Fu Lei’s “Similarity in Spirit” (1957) & Qian Zhongshu’s “Sublimation” (1963) • As far as the effect is concerned, translation should be like coping a painting. What is desired is not being alike in appearance but being alike in spirit. The transmigration of souls, “Although the body changes, the soul of gesture remains its old self.”

8. I. Some influential principles • 3. Tytler’s Principles of Translation (18th century) (1) A translation should give a complete transcript of the ideas of the original work. (译文应完整地再现原文地思想内容) (2) The style and manner of writing should be of the same character as that of theoriginal. (译文的风格、笔调应与原文的性质相同) (3) A translation should have all the ease of the original composition. (译文应像原文一样流畅自然)

9. I. Some influential principles • 4. Nida’s “Equivalent Effect” (Dynamic Equivalence) (1964) • The relationship between receptor and message should be substantially the same as that which existed between the original receptors and the message.

10. The teacher’s opinion: • In my opinion, two criteria are very important: the criterion of faithfulness/accuracy (忠实/准确) and that of smoothness (流畅). By faithfulness/accuracy, we mean to be faithful not only to the original contents, to the original meaning and views, but also to the original form and style. By smoothness, we mean not only easy and readable rendering, but also idiomatic expression in the target language, free from stiff formula and mechanical copying from dictionaries.

11. 中国学者及翻译家的学说 • 严复的“信、达、雅”三字标准 • 鲁迅先生的“兼顾两面”论 • 钱钟书先生的“化境”说 • 矛盾先生的“忠实”、“通顺”准则 • 林语堂的“忠实标准、通顺标准、美好标准” • 刘重德先生的“信、达、切”三字标准

12. History of Argument“案本---求真---神似---化境” • 严复“信、达、雅” • 林语堂“忠、顺、美” • 梁实秋、赵景琛“宁错务顺” • 鲁迅“宁信不顺” • 瞿秋白“信顺统一” • 傅雷“形似神似” • 钱钟书“入化境界”

13. 余光中“变通的艺术” • “翻译如婚姻，是一种两相妥协的艺术。譬如英文译成中文，既不能西风压倒东风，变成洋腔洋调的中文，也不许东风压倒西风，变成油腔滑调的中文，则东西之间势必相互妥协，以求‘两全之计’。至于妥协到什么程度，以及哪一方应该多让一步，神而明之，变通之道，就要看每一位译者自己的修养了。”

14. 外国学者及翻译家的学说 • “等值论”：以前苏联的费道罗夫为代表的：“等值翻译就是表达的原文思想内容完全准确并在修辞上、作用上与原文完全一致。” • “等效论”：奈达先生的“动态对等”(dynamic equivalence) 及“功能对等”(functional equivalence)学说，强调读者反应，即译文读者对译文所产生的反应与原文读者对原文所作出的反应基本一致。

15. 英国历史学教授泰特勒（A. F. Tytler）在18世纪提出的翻译三原则： • That the translation should give a complete transcript of the ideas of the original work.译文应完整地再现原文地思想内容 • That the style and manner of writing should be of the same character with that of the original. 译文地风格、笔调应与原文的性质相同 • That the translation should have all the ease of the original composition. 译文应像原文一样流畅自然

16. II. Different views of translation • 1. 以作者或读者两方中某一方为主要着眼点的原则 • 中国汉唐时期的“文”与“质”之争（实际上是意译与直译之争） 主张“文”的翻译家强调翻译的修辞和通顺强调译文的可读性（意译）；主张“质”的翻译家则强调翻译的不增不减，强调翻译的忠实性（直译，甚至是硬译）。 两者都有片面性。

17. II. Different views of translation 2. 同时考虑作者和读者的翻译原则 • 玄奘的“既须求真，又须喻俗” • 泰特勒翻译三原则 • 严复的译事三难“信达雅” • 鲁迅的“凡是翻译，必须兼顾着两面，一当然力求其易解，一则保存着原作的丰姿。” • 符号学的翻译原则：“意义相符，功能相似”（correspondence in meaning and similarity in function）（意义的分类，文本功能的分类）

18. II. Different views of translation 3. 从美学角度提出的翻译原则 • 傅雷的“神似”(similarity in spirit) 说：《高老头重译序》中提出来的：“以效果而论，翻译应当像临画一样，所求的不再形似而在神似”。“神似”即要传达原文的意蕴和韵味，“把原文的意义、神韵把握住”。 • 钱钟书的“化境”(perfection; sublimation) 说：《林纾的翻译》一文中提出。“把作品从一国文字转变成另一国文字，既能不因语文习惯的差异而露出生硬牵强的痕迹，又能完全保存原作的风味，那就算得入乎‘化境’。” 译作被比作原作的“投胎转世”（the transmigration of souls） • 许渊冲的“三美说”：音美、形美、意美

19. III. The principles we should follow • 1. Faithfulness & Smoothness Faithfulness ---- ① faithful to the original; ② keeping the style of the original Smoothness ---- with standard language • 2. Similarity in Function and Correspondence in Meaning A text is a semantic unit with meaning and function. Meaning and function should be considered as essential for translation criteria. • (1) Informative function: The core of it is external situation, the facts of a topic, reality outside language, including reported ideas or theories. e.g. He is my elder brother./ Look, that is a newly-built residential area. • (2) Expressive function: The core of it is the mind of the speaker, the writer, the originator of the utterance. He uses the utterance to express his feelings irrespective of any response, e.g. What a beautiful view!

20. (3) Vocative function: The core of it is the readership, the addressee. The term is used in the sense of “calling upon” the readership to act, think or feel, in fact to “react” in the way intended by the text. e.g. Sit down, please! / Just do it! (Nike) • (4) Aesthetic function: This is the language designed to please the sense, first through its actual or imagined sound, and secondly through its metaphors, e.g. • She sells sea-shells on the sea-shore. / Don’t trouble troubles until trouble troubles you. • (5) Phatic function: It is used for maintaining friendly contact with the addressee rather than for imparting foreign information, e.g. Hello! • (6) Metalingual function: It indicates a language’s ability to explain, name and criticize its own features. e.g. Language is a unique system of signs.

21. IV. What are the highest and lowest criteria for translation? • The highest standard: To make the readers of the target language have the same feeling as those of the original works. That is to say, to keep the same meaning, style and the smoothness. (最高标准: 达到基本相同的感受, 包括达意、传神、入化， 即不仅保存原作的思想内容、风格神韵而且自然流畅，读起来不象是译本）。 • The lowest standard: To keep the same meaning and make the translated version smooth. (最低标准：译文起码应该达到的标准。忠实原文，表达通顺，达意。)

22. V. What are the reasons that the translation can’t keep the same feeling as that of the original material? • Because of many differences between the two languages and the culture, etc., readers of the translated works can not have the same feeling as those of the original ones. These are reflected from many aspects, such as: • 1) 两种语言表达方式不同 • 由于两中语言的表达方式不同如直译， 很难符合译语的习惯，容易造成含混费解，或意思走样。在翻译时应与原文的意思为依据，按译语的习惯重新表达，在用词、句法结构以及比喻修辞等方面作相应的调整和改变。 • 2) 原作的对象与译作的对象不同。 • 作者写作时考虑的是原文的读者的实际情况，写作时着眼点不同。翻译后是以译语的读者为对象。译语读者和原语读者在社会背景、文化水平、知识领域以及国情等方面不同。因此，即使翻译得十全十美， 译文读者对某些地方理解起来也难免会遇到一些困难。有时要采取“译者注”的办法进行补救。例如：

23. 史记：Shiji/Historical Records by Simaqian • 离骚：Li Sao, a long poem of patriotism • 水浒传：Heroes of the Marshes(沼泽地)/Water Margin, a Chinese novel of the early Ming Dynasty by Shi Nai’an • 红楼梦：A Dream of the Red Chamber/ Red Mansions/Shitouji/the Story of the Stone, novel published in the early Qing Dynasty about 1790 by Cao Xueqin • She is as beautiful as Helen. :她是绝代佳人。（Helen是古西腊女神， 是最美的人）

24. 3) 原语作者与译语作者的理解和表达水平的差异。 • 要达到使译文读者的感受与原文读者完全相同，从理论上讲，应要求译者：一、对原文的理解水平不低于原文读者的一般水平；二、对译语的表达能力不低于原文作者的表达能力。这一点是达不到的。因为译者对外语（译语）的理解水平不可能等同与原语的读者，他的表达能力也不可能等同与原语作者的表达水平。

25. 4) 礼俗文化的语境干涉 英、汉语有着各自不同的文化，在表达上各有不同。如汉语中的自谦语、尊称语问候语、道歉语和感谢语等体现了汉民族的谦虚仁让。然而， 在该文化信息转换成目标语时， 信息编码存在很大阻力。译者虽能译出所指， 却难保语体色彩和感情色彩，“形似而神不似”， 语境得不到体现。因此给人“有骨无肉”的遗憾，造成文化失真。 如下面的翻译： • a. 自谦语的翻译： 汉语：不才、小人、家兄、谨上、愚师等； 英语：均译为“I, me., mine, myself”。 • b. 尊称语： 汉语：尊姓、贵庚、玉体、令堂 英语：name; age; health, mother

26. 5) 典籍文化的语境干涉 • 在各自的语言中都有一些典故，由于东、西放文化的差异，这些典故如直译出来会造成译文读者的费解或误解。 在这中情况下就要采取不同的方法， 如增词译法、加注译法或引伸译法以及与译语大致接近的典故等译法进行翻译， 方可将原译比较贴切地翻译出来。 • 如： • 中山狼：the zhongshan wolf, a mountain wolf attacked and wanted to eat the person who has just saved him

27. VI. What are unqualified or unsatisfactory translation? • Unqualified or unsatisfactory translation are as follows:（ Group work: discuss the following questions and then ask the students to answer them in class.） • 1） wrong translation: Read the examples on P41. • 2）missing translation: Read the examples on P42. • 3）careless translation: Ditto • 4) wrong expressions: Ditto • 5) wrong word collocation: Ditto • 6) translation difficult to understand: Ditto • 7) translation sounding like English or the original language: Ditto • 8) tasteless translation: Ditto

28. VII. What are the three characteristics of the same feeling in translation? • There are the following characteristics: • 1) 融为一体：感受强调的是翻译的效果，翻译标准缺一不可。愿意有出入、译文不通顺、风格不一致等，都无法达到大致相同的感受。 • 2) 重点突出：注意翻译的传意性和可接受性。任何意思的歪曲和走样都会影响传意性。 如果是文学作品，除传意外，还要做到传神。形式一致内容不一致、内容一致风格不一致， 或只传意不传神， 都无法得到与原文读者大致相同的感受。以读者对译文的感受为衡量翻译的尺度， 译者在翻译时还必须考虑译文的可接受性。

29. VII. What are the three characteristics of the same feeling in translation? • 3) 提高翻译质量： 提高翻译质量有注意处理好信和达的关系。如果偏重于信，往往只拘泥于形式，死抠原文，结果导致译文洋化现象严重，表达不合乎译语习惯。译文不自然、不流畅、生硬、费解甚至不知所云。这样就导致了翻译症。如果偏重于达， 为了追求译文通顺、流畅、文字优美， 常常置原文于不顾。从译语中找一些常用习语去翻译原文中意思并不完全相同的词语， 结果与原意出入较大，有时会导致错译、漏译。这就是我们所说的马虎翻译。

30. 汉译英特别强调“通顺”和“地道” • 对以汉语为母语者来说，要把英语这样一种外国语写的“通顺”、“地道”显然很不容易。（相对而言，写的“正确”，不大出错还是不难做到的） • 汉译英切忌拐弯抹角、华而不实、生硬难懂；有一个“梳理”、“调整”甚至“消肿”的过程。

31. 基本标准：忠实而通顺 • 在翻译中，忠实与通顺是一个矛盾统一体的两个方面。二者相辅相成，不可割裂。 • 忠实是翻译的首要问题，因而是矛盾的主要方面，在翻译中要首先解决好。 • 通顺是矛盾的次要方面，是第二位的，但在实践中决不可只顾忠实而忽视了通顺，二者必须“统筹兼顾”。

32. 英语专业八级考试汉译英评分等级表

33. 能翻译相当于我国《人民日报》等报刊上各种文章能翻译相当于我国《人民日报》等报刊上各种文章 题材包括： 1）日常生活记叙 2）一般政治、经济、文化方面的文章 3）文学作品 翻译速度为每小时250~300汉字 能运用汉译英的理论和技巧，翻译我国报刊杂志上的论述文和国情介绍，以及一般文学作品的节录 翻译速度为每小时250~300词 教学大纲和八级考试汉译英要求

34. 汉译英的出版标准 • 高层次的汉英出版物如上海古籍出版社等 1. 明白：understandability 2. 通畅: readability 3. 简洁：succinctness • 我国外文出版发行事业局制定的标准 1. 译文必须忠实于原文 2. 译文必须是流畅的外文

35. Exercises • 月光如流水一般，静静地泻在这一片叶子和花上。薄薄的青雾浮起在荷塘里。叶子和花仿佛在牛乳中洗过一样；又象笼着轻纱的梦。 （选自朱自清《荷塘月色》）

36. Moonlight was flowing quietly like a stream down to the leaves and flowers. A light mist over-spread the lotus pond. Leaf and flower, seemed washed in milk.(见《英语世界》 1985年第5期） • The moon sheds her liquid light silently over the leaves and flowers, in the floating transparency of a bluish haze from the pond, look as if they had just been bathed in milk, or like a dream wrapped in a gauzy hood.（见《中国翻译》 1992年第2期）

37. 1.爱就是只要别人幸福快乐，我们就幸福快乐！1.爱就是只要别人幸福快乐，我们就幸福快乐！ To love is to place our happiness in the happiness of another.

38. 2.求婚时想入非非，结婚后如梦方醒。 They dream in courtship, but in wedlock wake.

39. 3.为了被爱去爱是人类的天性，为了爱去爱却是天使般的美德3.为了被爱去爱是人类的天性，为了爱去爱却是天使般的美德 To love for the sake of being loved is human, but to love for the sake of loving is angelic.

40. 4.幸福像一只蝴蝶，你去追逐它，总是捉不到。当你安静地坐下来，它又会落到你身上。4.幸福像一只蝴蝶，你去追逐它，总是捉不到。当你安静地坐下来，它又会落到你身上。 Happiness is a butterfly, which, when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.

41. 5.幸福之路源于两个简单的道理：首先，找准你的兴趣和特长所在；然后，全身心地投入到自己所感兴趣的事物中去，这里“全身心”指的是：全部的精力、雄心和天赋。5.幸福之路源于两个简单的道理：首先，找准你的兴趣和特长所在；然后，全身心地投入到自己所感兴趣的事物中去，这里“全身心”指的是：全部的精力、雄心和天赋。 The road to happiness lies in two simple principles: find out what it is that interests you and that you can do well, and when you find it, put your whole soul into it -- every bit of energy and ambition and natural ability you have.

42. 修改下列误译的句子

43. 1．中国人有在正月十五晚上吃元宵、赏花灯的习俗。1．中国人有在正月十五晚上吃元宵、赏花灯的习俗。 Chinese have the custom that they eat sweet dumplings made of glutinous rice flour and appreciate festive lanterns at the night of January 15.

44. 2．他的不合作态度使这个项目进展十分缓慢。2．他的不合作态度使这个项目进展十分缓慢。 The project makes less progress because of his incooperation.

45. 3．你们谁想参加春游就在星期五之前报名并交费。3．你们谁想参加春游就在星期五之前报名并交费。 You whoever wants to go spring outing please sign up your name and pay dues before Friday.

46. 4．我觉得这个店里的衣服即使打六折也还是太贵4．我觉得这个店里的衣服即使打六折也还是太贵 I think the clothes prices in the shop were so expensive even if they are made 60 percent discount.

47. 5．就目前情况看，工程造价将会超出预算百分之三十5．就目前情况看，工程造价将会超出预算百分之三十 With respect to the current situation, the cost of this engineering will exceed 30 percent of the budget.

48. 6．万一你想取消这次旅行，请至少提前一个月书面通知我们6．万一你想取消这次旅行，请至少提前一个月书面通知我们 If you want to cancel this travel, please tell us by writing at least one month earlier.

49. 7．想让他答应如此要求恐怕不大可能。 I’m afraid it is impossible for him to agree such requirement.

50. 8．在董事会年会上，他请大家注意一个被普遍忽视的问题。8．在董事会年会上，他请大家注意一个被普遍忽视的问题。 On the annual board of directors, he reminded everyone to pay attention to a problem which was ignored in common.