Introduction to the Course of Translation Theories and Practice

Introduction to the Course of Translation Theories and Practice

Questions for discussion 1. What is translation?

2. How many categories do you think translation can be divided into, and what are they? 3. What are the characteristics of translation? Describe it in detail, please.

4. What is style and stylistics? What is the relationship between style and translation? 5. What are we going to learn in this course?

6. What is translation theory and what are translation techniques? What is the relationship between them?

7. As a translator, what competence should you have? Can you describe it in detail? 8. How can we learn the course well?

· Translation is as old as a language itself , probably starting from thousands years ago . It has been used as an indispensable means of mediation , a useful aid to preaching and teaching , and to the social and culture , and commercial exchanges and mutual understanding between different peoples and different countries . It has become part of human life. Definitions of translation

1) Translation consists in reproducing in the receptor language the closest natural equivalent of the source language, first in terms of meaning and secondly in terms of style.

所谓翻译，是在译语中用最切近的自然的对等语再现原语的信息，首先是意义，其次是文体. 2) The replacement of textual material in one language (SL) by equivalent textual material in another language (TL).

翻译可作如下界定： 用一种语言（目的语）的文本材料对等地再现另一种语言（出发语）的文本材料.

3) A translation should give a complete transcript of the ideas of the original work. The style and manner of writing should be of the same character as that of the original. A translation should have all the ease of the original composition. Definitions of translation

译文应完全复写出原作的思想。译文的风格和笔调应与原语的性质相同。译文应像原文一样通顺流畅。

4) Translation is reproducing the meaning of one language in another language so as to communicate with the people speaking different languages. Meanwhile people can exchange ideas, transmit culture awareness, stimulate social civilization, especially stimulate the development and prospect of the culture of the target language.

翻译是把一种语言表达的意义用另一种语言传达出来，以达到沟通思想情感、传播文化意识、促进社会文明，特别是推动译语文化兴旺昌盛的目的。

My Understanding

A language activity: one of the five skills in learning English An art: the processes as well as the product Cross-cultural Communication Job: for some people, it is a job

Subject: to learn translation theory and skills, it is no doubt a science.

Translation is also a good way to develop your own language, both native and foreign language.

Categories of translation

A. In terms of languages, it can be divided into two categories:

From native languages (source languages) into foreign languages (source/target languages) or vice versa;

B. In terms of mode, it can be divided into oral interpretation, written translation and machine translation;

C. In terms of the style of the 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, translation of advertisement, etc., and translation of practical writing ( as official documents, contracts and agreements, notices, receipts, etc.).

D. In terms of disposal, it can be either full-text translation (全文翻译), abridged translation (摘译), or adapted translation (编译).

Characteristics of translation

A. You have to express what others say or write.

B. Translators have no right to correct or alter what the original writer has written, such as the content, the structure the style, the selection of words, etc. You have to translate in the original style, with the original feeling. No alteration is allowed when translating.

C. Translators have to understand the original work or materials fully before translating. The process for a translator to work is: a. To understand b. To express in the target language D. To avoid the interference of the original language. Different languages have different cultures, different ways of expressing ideas. The collocation of words, sentence structures, figure of speech in the original language may be different from those in the target language. So a translator should not only try to stick to the original meaning but also make your translation meet the customary expressions in the target language.

What is style and stylistics?(1)

Language is a medium of conveying information and communicating feelings. To fulfill the communicative purpose, people should make the use of language. Considering different communicative environment, methods, objectives and purposes, communicators would opt

different language varieties (语言变体) that has different functions so as to perform their communication effectively. The language varieties are what people called “style” (文体或语体).

What is style and stylistics?(2)

There are some diverse meanings of ―style‖. The origin of the world is stylus, Latin for ―pen‖. From this the word extended is meaning to mean ―a way of writing‖, and then became further refined to mean ―a good way of writing‖.

―Style‖ often refers to elegance, concepts that are regularly viewed in the English-speaking world as being ―Continental‖, or more specifically, French. Another sense of ―style‖ is that used in style books.

What is style and stylistics?(3)

The use of ―Style‖ can extend to all situationally distinctive uses of language, literary and non-literary. As for English, for example, there are many styles of varieties, such as EST (English for Science and Technology), Advertising English, Press English, Law English, Tourism English, etc.

In the middle 1970s, many scholars made the application of modern linguistics and literary criticism to the exploring research on various types of styles, thus bringing us a new discipline--- Stylistics.

Definition of stylistics

Stylistics(文体学), simply defined, is a discipline that studies the ways in which language is used; it is a discipline that studies the style of language is used.

“从文体学的观点来看，原文和译文在语言和题材的风格方面必须保持一致。” ——布鲁姆菲尔德

The relationship between style and translation

Buler and Jackbson: three functions of language. expressive function, informative function, and vocative function. Any original work has the three functions.

Newmark says, ―The main functions of language are expressive (the subjective or ―I‖ form), the descriptive or informative (the ―it‖ form), and the vocative or directive or persuasive (the ―you‖ form). Examples:

Generally speaking, literary work mainly focuses on the expressive function, while non-literary works mainly center on informative function. Compare the differences of English for Advertising and Literary work, for example. Now the examples: Examples:

1.He laughs best who runs longest. 谁跑到最后,谁笑得最好。（轮胎广告） 2.In Miami, it’s no newelty. (a tour ads)

游了迈阿密，才知天下奇。

3.Some fishing boats were becalmed just in front of us. Their shadows slept, or almost slept, upon the water, a gentle quivering alone showing that was not complete sleep or if sleep, that was sleep with dream.

眼前不远,渔舟三五,凝滞不前,樯影映在水上,仿佛睡去,偶尔微见颤动,似又未尝熟睡,恍若惊梦。 Examples:

4. Portia: And you must cut this flesh from off his breast; The law allows it, and the court awards it.

Shylock: Most learned judge! A sentence! Come, prepare! William Shakespeare)

鲍西娅: 你必须从他的胸前割下这磅肉来;法律许可你, 法庭判给你。 夏洛克：博学多才的法官！判得好！来，预备！

In the process of translation, it is necessary for translator to deal with his translation carefully in order to make the translation accord with the source text in the aspect of style. Examples: Grasp all, lose all.

Version 1：如果你样样都要抓, 就会一样都抓不到手。 Version 2：样样抓，样样差。（贪多必失）

(Excerpted from: Act IV, The Merchant of Venice, by

Analysis：The original sentence is a brief and simple saying。When rendered into Chinese, the

four-word sentence becomes sixteen-character Chinese sentence. The problem, of course, not lies in the length of the sentence but in the style.

There are many types of writings in both English and Chinese. As we mentioned above, English writings can be classified into such types:

1. Practical English Writings, which mainly include: Letters, telex, notice, contract, instruction, etc.

2. English for Press 3. English for Tourism

4. EST (English for Science and Technology) 5. English for Advertising 6. English for Law

7. English for Literary Works

Translation theory and techniques

1) Translation theory refers to the study of the internal inherent laws of translation, the finding of the problems often met with in translating and the solutions to them. (It also helps people to