翻译理论-复习

1.Important Role of Translation

As a means of communication,translation plays an important role in human civilization.A proper and skillful translation helps to promote mutual understanding between peoples of different cultural and social backgrounds, whereas a misunderstanding or improper rendering of words or expressions may lead to confusion even disasters.

2.Definition of Translation

The Oxford English Dictionary:to turn from one language into another (从一种语言转换成另一种语言)

Webster’s third New International Dictionary of the English Language:to turn into one’s own or another language(转换成本族语或另一种语言) The general subject field or phenomenon.

The product,the text that has been translated.

The process of producing the translation,otherwise known as translating. 3.Nature of translation

How do you perceive translation?

Some people believe it is a science,others take it as an art;and yet many consider it a craft,or rather,a skill.

4.What is translation generally understood? Meetham&Hudson

Translation is the replacement of a representation of a text in one language by a representation of an equivalent text in a second language.(1972)

Bell

Translation is the expression in another language

(or target language)of what has been expressed in another,source language, preserving semantic and stylistic

equivalences.(1991)

5.Scope of Translation

Translation covers a very broad range.

1）In terms of languages,it can be divided into two categories:from native languages into foreign languages and vice versa;

2)In terms of language symbols it can be divided into[Roman Jakobson]

intralingual translation（语内翻译）：an interpretation of verbal signs by means of other signs of the same language；[it occurs when we produce summary or otherwise rewrite a text in the same language,say a childern’s version of an encyclopedia.It occurs when we rephrase an expression in the same language.]

interlingual translation（语际翻译）：an interpretation of verbal signs by means of some other language；[it occurs between two different verbal sign systems that has been the tranditional focus of translation studies.] intersemiotic translation(符际翻译)：an interpretation of verbal signs by means of signs of non-verbal sign systems.[it occurs when a written text is translated into a different mode,such as film or painting.]

3)In terms of the mode,it can be divided into oral interpretation,written translation and machine translation;

4)In terms of materials to be translated,there is translation of scientific materials, translation of literary works such as novels,stories,prose,poetry,drama,etc., translation of political essays such as treatises on social problems,reports,speeches, etc.,and translation of practical writing such as official documents,contracts and agreements,notices,receipts,etc.;

6.History of Translation

In the West,translation can be traced back to300BC,while in

China,recorded translation activities are even earlier,dating from the

Zhou

Dynasty(1100BC).

However,not

until

recent

centuries,especially by the end of the19th century did systematic study of translation get underway.In the past decades translation theories and activities have developed fast both at home and abroad.

The Major Stages of Translation in China 1、Translation of Buddhist Scriptures 2、Beginning Stage 3、Development Stage 4、Climax Stage

7.Principles/Criteria of Translation

The so-called principles and criteria of translation are actually the two sides of the same thing.The former lays emphasis on the translator,who

should

follow

these

principles

while

translating;while the latter on the reader or critic,who may use the criteria to evaluate translation works.

由于人们看待翻译的角度不同，自然有了不同的翻译标准 概括起来，它们大体可分为以下四类： 1.以译出语或译入语为取向的翻译原则

the source-language-oriented or the target-language-oriented

translation principle

2.以作者和读者为取向的翻译原则

the author-and-reader-oriented translation principle 3.以美学为取向的翻译原则

the aesthetic-oriented translation principle 4.以社会符号学为取向的原则

the sociosemiotic-oriented translation principle 中国的翻译原则

Whenever Principles/Criteria of Translation are under discussion in China,Yan Fu’s “three-character guide”,which was first proposed in18,would be mentioned.

1.Yan Fu’s“three character guide”:

faithfulness,expressiveness,and elegance(信、达、雅). The“three character guide”is regarded as a plumb-line of long standing to measure the professional level of translating.

2.Liu Zhongde:faithfulness,expressiveness and closeness(信、达、切);

3.Fu Lei’s(傅雷)spiritual conformity/resemblance in spirit（神似)

Emphasizing the reproduction of the spirit or the flavor of the original.强调原作神韵再现。

4.Qian Zhongshu’s sublimed adaptation(化境)focuses on the translator’s smooth and idiomatic Chinese version for the sake of the Chinese reader.

西方翻译原则

1.亚历山大·泰特勒(Alexander Fraser Tytler,1747-1814)的翻译三原则：

A translation should give a complete transcript of the ideas of the original

work.译文应完全复写出原作的思想

The style and manner of writing should be of the same character as that of the original.译文的风格和笔调应与原文的性质相同

A translation should have all the ease of the original composition.译文应和原

作同样流畅 2.Eugene Nida

Nida’s main contribution in translation theory is the

dynamic equivalence

理论来源：Chomsky_transformational generative grammar (动态对等)，and it is also known as functional equivalence(功能对等).The opposite approach is formal equivalence(形式对等).

Nida advocates the translation approach of dynamic equivalence.He distinguishes two types of equivalence:

A.Formal equivalence focuses attention on the message itself,in both

form and content”with aims to allow readers to understand as much SL context(原文)as possible...one is concerned that the message in the receptor language should match as closely as possible the different elements in the source language.

B.Dynamic equivalence,it

means“the relationship between receptor and message should be substantially the same as that which existed between the original receptors and message.”

he emphasizes more on the effect the readers receive the message with the aim to“relate the reader to modes of behavior relevant within the context of reader’s own culture”.

The goal of dynamic equivalence,to seek the closest natural equivalent to the source-language message.The TT should not show interference from the SL, and the‘foreigness’of the ST setting is minimized in a way that would be criticized by later culturally-oriented translation theorists.

Principle:the conflict between the traditional notions of message and form cannot be resolved easily.As a general rule for such conflicts,Nida considers

that‘correspondence in meaning must have priority over correspondence in style’if equivalence effect is to be achieved.

equivalence,later’functional’.By

dynamic

Later,he realized that there is no absolute symmetry between languages,he prefers the term“functional equivalence”in the sense that“equivalence can be understood in terms of proximity,i.e.on the basis of degrees of closeness to functional identity.

For example:I am no Hamlet.

Formal equivalence：我不是哈姆雷特。 Dynamic equivalence：我不会犹豫。 3.Peter Newmark

Peter Newmark introduces two kinds of translation methods and three kinds of text types.

Translation methods:

semantic translation:it attempts to render,as closely as possible the semantic and syntactic structures of the second language

allow,the

exact

contextual is

meaning

of

the the

original.Semantic

translation

concerned

with

author(usually as an individual,and often in contradistinction both to his culture and to the norms of his language).

communicative translation:it attempts to produce on its readers an effect as closely as possible to that obtained on the readers of the original.

Communicative translation is concerned mainly with the readers(usually in the context of a language and cultural variety).

For example:Wet paint!

semantic translation(语义翻译)：湿油漆！

communicative translation（交际翻译）：油漆未干，请勿触摸！ Text types:

expressive text(表达型) informative text（告知型） vocative text（呼唤型）

In fact,Peter Newmark thinks that all translations must be in some degree both communicative and semantic.It is actually a matter of difference of emphasis.

He states clearly there is no purely semantic translation or purely communicative translation in translation practice,and only through a combination of the two methods can a translation be both accurate in meaning and acceptable to the target language reader.

The conflict of loyalties,the gap between emphasis on source and target language,will always remain as the overriding problem in translation theory and practice.

9.What is a good translation?

1．忠实准确：译文必须忠实于原文的内容，把原文内容完整准确地转达

出来。译者不能随意歪曲、增删、遗漏、篡改或阉割原文的内容。 2．通顺流畅：译文充分发挥译语的语言优势。译文语言必须标准规范、通俗易懂，符合译语的表达习惯。不应存在死译、硬译、生搬硬套、文理不通的现象。

3．风格得体：译文应尽量忠实转达原文的文体特征和写作风格。 谈看法：the benchmark for good functional translation is far more than being faithful and correct.Ultimately,effective translation is supposed to be concisely structured,clearly decoded and vividly delivered.

10.Literal translation Vs.Free translation

Literal translation is to translate something literally,that is,the translation will be definitely determined word for word,phrase for phrase,and the sequences of words and phrases will not be changed.The expression in the target language must be expressive and readable.

Free translation may be defined as a supplementary means

to mainly convey the meaning and spirit of the original without trying to reproduce its sentence patterns or figures of speech.And it is adopted only when and where really impossible for translators to do literal translation.

谈看法：there is no point of choosing the better of the two without giving due regard to stylistics or specific fields.A capable,well-trained translator knows how to reconcile them and put them to the best use.

11.Foreignizing Translation and Domesticating Translation While literal translation and free translation mainly deal with linguistic

reproduction,foreignizing

translation

are

translation

more

and with

domesticating

concerned

cultural,linguistic and aesthetic consideration.

12.翻译的心得感悟

A translator has to defy a long,hard journey.Keep searching far and wide,

high and low,be versed in what has happened before and what is taking place now,and gain insights into two vastly different worlds defined by languages.

Essentially,a qualified translator is one who can see beyond what is obvious into what underlies linguistic forms.In some cases,it does take great pains to find the right equivalent or make sense of the target language.That is when translation can be truly tricky or frustrating.

For translation learners,we must keep searching far and wide,high and low, and have the insatiable desire to venture into uncharted territory of knowledge.

So,keep yourself well-informed and up to date. 翻译概论框架 1.翻译学的主要问题

The concept of translation:as a subject;as a product;as a process

of

translating.

Holmes/Toury‘map’:an

overall

framework to describe what the traslation studies covers.

Van Doorslaer‘map’:make a distinction between the translation and translation studies.

2.“字对字”&“意对意”

早期的翻译理论家和批评家大多支持意译。 (1)Cicero:not as an interpreter,but as an orator.

(2).Horace:producing an aethetically pleasing and creative poetic texts.

(3).St.Jerome：word for word translation may produce an absurd translation.

当然也有支持异化的译者

(1)Schleiermacher:an alienting/foreigning method

(2)Venuti:to make visible the presence of the translator and highlight the foreign identity of the ST by a non-fluent,estranging or heterogeneous translation style.

(3)Berman:“the properly enthical aim of the translating act is reseiving the Foreign

as Foreign.”翻译行为的伦理目标应是原原本本的接受原文的异质性。

3.对等和等效

为了避开对直译意译这一古老的争议，1950s-1960s翻译理论家们开始对翻译进

行系统的分析，新的争论围绕翻译学的关键问题而展开，最为突出的是对于“意义”和“对等的争议”。

人物主要观点

Roman Jakobson Saussure-sign theory;

intralingual/interlingual/intersemiotic translation; Nida Chomsky-transformational generative grammar;

Formal equivalenceu&Dynamic translation;

Linguistic/referencial/emotive or connotative meaninig; Peter Newmark Equivalence is an illusionary; Communicative translation&semantic translation; Koller Correspodence and euivalence;

Full forml equivalence would require creativity in the use of stylistic

forms appriate to the TL that many well not be feasible. 4.翻译产品及翻译过程研究

对翻译进行分析的方法，将翻译作为一种产品来研究。然后将翻译作为一个认知

过程。

(1)Viney and Daebelnet Strategy&Procedure

Direct translation (literal translation)Borrowing Calque Literal translation Oblique Adaptation

Others Amplifcation False friend

Loss,gain,compensation Explicitation Generalization

Servitude：obligatory transposition and modulations due to a difference between the two language systems by which way to meet eh requirements of syntactic rules or word order.

Option：non-obligatory changes that may be due to the translator’s own style and preference,or to change in emphasis.This could be a decision to change word order when translating between languages that permit flexibility,or to amplify or explicate a general term.

translation

(free

translation)Transposition(conversion) Modulation Equivalence

5.翻译功能理论

1970s-1980s德国学界开始远离纯语言学模式，转而从交际和功能的角度出发对翻译开始研究。

(1)Katharina Reiss——text type Text type Translation strategy Expressive text Identifying(仿效法) Informative text Explicitation(明晰法) Operative text Adaptive method(编译)

Audio-visual text Supplementary method(补充法) Mary Snell-Hornby

(2)Hans J.Vermeer——skopos theory Skopos theory:

Two fundamental principles： 6.话语分析和语域分析方法

1990s,随着应用语言学的发展，话语分析在翻译研究领域异军突起。

(1)Halliday Register Field

(what is being written about) Ideational function Tenor

(who is communicating and to whom) Interpersonal function Mode

(the form of communication) Textual function (2)House

Field;Tenor;Mode; Overt&covert translation

(3)Mona Baker:In Other Words:A Coursebook of Translation Thematic structure；

Cohesion&coherence Presupposition Implication 7.系统理论

多元系统将翻译文学视为一个系统，隶属于目标文化内社会、文化和历史的大系统。

(1)Even Zohar Position the literary translation occupies Translation strategy

Primary position Young Do not feel constrained Follow ST model Break the conventions

Production of new models in TL

Adequate translation Peripheral or weak A vacuum in the literature

Secondary position Follow the TT model Existing target culture model for TT Non-adequate translation (2)Toury

three phase methodology for systematic DTS Initial norm_preliminary norms_operational norms Laws of growing standardization_the law of interference (3)Chesterman

Product or expectancy norms Professional

norms:the

accountability

norm;the

communication norm;the relation norm

8.文化转向和意识形态转向 (1)Lefevere:

Translation,Rewriting and the manipulation of Literary Fame

(2)Translation and gender 翻译与女性主义：Simon

翻译对文化的研究兴趣无疑让翻译研究脱离了纯粹的语言分析，并与其它学科结

合起来。Simon便从性别研究的角度来研究翻译。她认为，翻译研究所用的语言

存在性别歧视，带有支配、忠诚、忠实和背叛等意象。 例如:

“不忠的美人”unfaithful beauty：有美感却对原文不忠。 George Steiner:penetration充满男性优越感 翻译常常被视为是低于原文的衍生文本。 翻译与同性恋话语：Harvey

接触理论：男同性恋者和女同性恋者如何在异性恋普遍接受的话语中表达自己。酷儿理论：将同性恋话语的语言特点与文化身份联系起来。

总体上看，同性恋话语要么消失了，要么被污蔑。在一个译作中，译者通过词汇选择和增加内容，将本来嬉闹的场景写成了诱惑性的场面。哈维分析将同性恋话语显现的原因有两点：支持同性恋的写作的美国出版社施加了商业上的压力；美国的稳固哈环境会确保著作更受欢迎。

8.译者的角色：显形、伦理与社会学 (1)Venuti:The Translator’s Invisibility Two ways access to invisibility

Compare to Schleiermacher’s view of domestication and foreignization

并非二元对立，而是连续统一体。

倡导异化，但是异化只是一个主观相对的术语，难免涉及某种程度的归化。(2)Berman:

翻译行为恰当的伦理目标应是原原本本地接受异质性。

每位译者都不可避免的受到民族中心主义的影响，并决定着翻译

的欲望和译文的形式。

只有对译者的心理进行分析，并使译者意识到发挥作用的力量，才能排除翻译中的归化现象，形成中立的态度。

12种变形倾向 9.翻译的哲学理论 庞德——语言能量观

在庞德的翻译能量观（energy of language）中,他并不重视译文的“意思”,甚至译文中确切的词语翻译。取而代之的是他对节奏、韵律、措辞和词语变换的重视。在不同文化中,这些节奏、措辞给读者的感觉是相同的。庞德希望通过对不同文化之间的通用的理解来传递不同文化中相同的意境。诗歌的语言就是通过这些音韵、形象的描述和中心思想来获取“能量”的。翻译工作就是将这些分散的“能量”收集起来,由译者作为另一个创造者再进行整合,之后在另一种文化和语境中使语言发散出更大的“能量”。这种能量可以转移,但是却不可能被磨灭。

本雅明——纯语言翻译观

译文的价值不在于提供对原文意义或信息性内容的理解，相反，译文与原文，但又彼此相连，译文产生于原文之后，从原文“后起的生命”中诞生，但又给了原文“延续的生命”。要做到这一点，就要使得两个语言和谐的走到一起，既促进自身语言的增长，又寻求成为“纯粹”而且更高级的语言这一目标。

对句法的直译和纯语言的都出现在逐行翻译中。

缺点：本雅明的“纯语言”并没有提出一个好现实的翻译解决方案。

还提出了伦理难题，有可能背叛读者和作者。