第1章翻译概述
1.1复习笔记
第1节翻译学习方法和译者合格条件
一、翻译学习方法
掌握必要翻译知识和理论,进行大量实践
阅读翻译理论书籍、期刊,进行名著翻译实践、阅读翻译技巧书籍、浏览翻译网站等。
二、译者合格条件
(一)外文水平高
有些原文在特定情况下有特定译法,不能一概而论。要特别重视基本功的训练。
1.(Just)imagine(it).
【译文】不可能/想不到/没想到
【解析】≠把它想象一下吧。
2.I’ll buy it.
【译文】我不懂。/我答不出。/请告诉我。
【解析】≠我将买它。
(二)中文水平高
母语好是理解和表达的需要。理解指汉译英时理解汉语原文,表达指英译汉时可用好的汉语来表达。
(三)知识面广
1.John can be relied on,he eats no fish and plays the game.
【译文】约翰为人可靠,他既诚实又正直。
【解析】需要英国历史典故方面的知识。
2.The Security Council has been seized of the question since then.
【译文】安理会自那时以来就一直受理这个问题。
【解析】需要国际法方面的知识。
3.Nyaungu was actually the boundary between the two Japanese divisions.
【译文】良字实际上是日军两个师的结合部。
【解析】需要地理、军事等方面的知识。
(四)政治觉悟高
这一点在决定用词褒贬时要特别注意。
1.the peasant uprisings in the history of China
【译文】中国历史上的农民起义
【解析】不能根据英国的ALD及其香港出的汉译翻成“中国历史上的农民叛乱(或叛变)”,而应译为“农民起义”。
2.The enemy killed one of our comrades and we killed an enemy agent.
【译文】敌人杀害了我们一位同志,我们宰了一个敌特。
(五)熟悉基本翻译技巧
翻译技巧可在短时间内收到成效。既不要过于重视,也不要完全轻视。熟悉必要的翻译技巧可以有效的进行翻译实践,否则会影响翻译水平的提高。
第2节翻译的几个一般性问题及其常用英文表述
一、The Definition of Translation(翻译的定义)
Translation is an art,a bilingual art and it is a representation or recreation in one language of
what is written or said in another language.(翻译是一门艺术,是两种语言之间的艺术。是用
一种语言来再现另一种口头或书面语言文本所传达的意义。)
二、Aim of Foreign Language Study and the Importance of Translation(外语学习的目的和
翻译的重要性)
翻译的目的在于为本国人服务
“Learning a foreign language is not easy but it is worthwhile.It makes you able to read foreign scientific and technical literature,and that might be useful.It makes you able to read some of the world’s best writers in their own language,and this is a great pleasure.But the most important thing is that it gives you a better understanding of your own language.”(学好外语不
易,但外语是值得学习的。掌握一门外语,人们可以阅读国外的科技文学作品,有些很可能
是有用的。也可以阅读世界一流作家的原著,其乐无穷。最重要的是,它能够让人们更好地
理解自己的母语。)(肖君石著.汉英、英汉翻译初探,1982)
现在国内所有民族都在致力于提高全民族的科学文化水平,我们必须加强同其他国家的
科技合作与学术交流。虽然我们已经有自己的科技发明,但我们仍然需要向其它国家学习。
由此,翻译就显得十分重要。
三、Prerequisites for a Translator(译者的必备条件)
In a nutshell,in order to achieve genuine(not feigned)competence in translation,according to the Premier Zhou Enlai,we must try our best to strengthen our“basic training”in the three essential aspects:the enhancement of our political consciousness,the betterment of our command of the relevant languages,and the broadening of the range and scope of our general knowledge.(简单来说,为了获得真正的翻译技能,我们应当按周总理所说,努力提高政治
觉悟、加强相关语言的学习、扩大知识面。)(钟述孔著《英汉翻译手册》(增订版),1983)Besides a good knowledge of the two languages,acquaintance with the subject matter covered in the book or article is also an indispensable factor in doing translation work well.(除了精通两国语言,对翻译材料主题相关知识的了解也是做好翻译工作必不可少的一个条件。)
四、Criteria for Translation(翻译标准)
Yan Fu:faithfulness,expressiveness and elegance.(严复提出的标准:信、达、雅。)
“faithfulness”means the full and complete conveying or transmission of the original content or thought.(“信”是指译文要完整,且完全忠实于原作的内容和思想。)
“expressiveness”demands that the version must be clear and flowing without any grammatical mistakes or confused logic and sense.(“达”要求译文必须内容清晰流畅,没有任
何语法错误或逻辑混乱现象。)
“elegance”is unadoptable because it refers to the use of classical Chinese before the Han Dynasty.(“雅”现在常常不被译者采纳,因为它需要用到汉朝以前的古汉语。)Mr.Lu Xun,the greatest modern Chinese writer proposed“faithfulness”and“smoothness”as translation standards and attached importance to the preservation of the original flavour.But he once said,“Rather be faithful(in thought)than smooth(in language).”(鲁迅先生是中国近代
伟大的翻译家之一,他主要提倡“信”和“达”,并且注重保持原作的风格。认为“宁信而
不顺”。)
现今通用的两个标准:“信”和“达”。
1.“Faithfulness”first refers to the content of the original work.The translator must bring out the original meaning both comprehensively and accurately without any distortion or casual addition or deletion of the original thought.(忠实准确地传达原文内容,保持原文风格。)
2.“Smoothness”requires that version must be clear and distinct,flowing and easy to read without signs of the mechanical word-for-word translation,of obscure and crabbed language,of grammatical mistakes,confused structure and turbid logic.(译文要简洁流畅自然,读起来不生
硬。)(肖君石著.汉英、英汉翻译初探,1982)
五、Literal Translation and Liberal Translation(直译和意译)
1.Literal translation refers to an adequate representation of the original.When the original coincides or almost tallies with the Chinese language in the sequence of vocabulary,in grammatical structure and rhetorical device,literal translation must be used.(直译是指忠实地传
达原文的内容。当原文与汉语的词汇顺序,语法结构和修辞手段相同或相近时,通常需采用
直译法。)
2.Free translation is also called liberal translation,which does not adhere strictly to the form or word order of the original.When there exist dissimilarities or great differences between English and Chinese in the sequence of vocabulary,in grammatical structure and artistic devices, free translation should be employed.(意译是指翻译时不拘泥于原文词句形式。当原文和汉语
在词序,语法结构和艺术手法上存在巨大差异时,通常要采用意译法。)(顾延龄.An Approach to Some Problems of Translation,1983)
六、A Brief Introduction to the History of Translation in China(我国翻译史简介)
翻译在中国已经有两千多年的历史了。在此期间涌现了无数的翻译大师,他们为中国甚
至世界的翻译事业做出了巨大贡献。
1.东汉时期至南北朝(25—581)时期,中国邀请外国人来到中国翻译佛经。
2.隋朝(581—618)至唐朝(618—907)时期,是中国翻译活动的鼎盛时期。
翻译佛经的三位代表人物:
1)Xuan Zang(the Tang Dynasty)玄奘
2)Kumarajiva(the Eastern Jin Dynasty)鸠摩罗什
3)Paramartha(also called Gunarata)(N.&S.Dynasties)真谛(波罗末他)
3.明朝(1368—1644)
Xu Guangqi(徐光启,中国)和M.Ricci,(利玛窦,意大利)合作翻译了《欧几里得》。
4.清朝(1644—1911)
代表人物有:Yan Fu(严复)和Lin Shu(林纾)
1.2课后习题详解
一、填空
1.Yan Fu’s3-word translation criteria are_____,_____and_____.
【答案】faithfulness,expressiveness,elegance
【解析】严复的翻译理论为“信达雅”,“信”faithfulness指译文要完整,且完全忠实于原作的内容和思想,“达”expressiveness指“译文内容清晰流畅”,“雅”elegance指“译文风格优雅”。
2.Translation in China has a long history of some_____years.
【答案】two thousand
【解析】从东汉时期算起,中国大约有两千年的翻译历史。
3.The two words used as the common criteria of translation in China today are_____and_____.【答案】faithfulness,smoothness
【解析】当今中国翻译的通用标准是“忠实faithfulness”和“通顺smoothness”。
二、回答下列问题
1.What is meant by translation?
【答案】Translation is a representation or recreation in one language of what is written or said in another language,not only an art but also a science.
2.What was Karl Marx fond of saying about the importance of a foreign language?
【答案】Karl Marx was fond of saying:“A foreign language is a weapon in the struggle of life.”
3.What are the prerequisites for a qualified translator?
【答案】
Generally speaking,a qualified translator should have five prerequisites:
①a good command of the source language,
②a good command of the target language,