中国传统文化与翻译(英文)

2.4 Overtranslation and Undertranslation

Overtranslation: the translation bears more information than the source text.

Undertranslation: the translation bears less information than the source text.

人家是醋罐子，他是醋缸，醋瓮！
（《红楼梦》第六十五回）
If other women are jealous, she’s hundred times so.

Practice

6. “心里正在想他，他就来了！”秦守本搓着手掌说。“嘴说曹操，曹操就到！”熟悉戏文的安兆丰接着说。 （吴强《红日》第45节）

7.“难道这也是个痴丫头，又像黛玉葬花不成？”因又自笑道：“若真也葬花，可谓东施效颦了：不但不为新奇，而且更是可恶”。
（红楼梦《第三十四回》）


6.“ I was just thinking about him and here he is”,said Chin Shou-pen, rubbing his hands together.
“Talk of Tsao Tsao and he is sure to appear!” added An Chao-feng, who knew all the operas.
By A.C.Barnes

7.“Can this be another absurd maid come to bury flowers like Taiyu?” he wondered in some amusement. “If so, she’s Tung Shih imitating Hsi Shih.” (Hsi Shih was a famous beauty in the ancient Kingdom of Yueh,Tung Shih was an ugly girl who tried to imitate her way which isn’t original but rather tiresome.)
By Yang Xiangyi
Chapter 3 Patterns of Thinking & Translating
Chinese:
general, whole, imagery (concrete),
subjective, fuzzy

English:
specific, analytic, abstract, objective, concise

Different levels: Word, Phrase, Sentence


聪明人防患于未然,愚蠢者临渴掘井。

前事不忘，后事之师。
前人栽树，后人乘凉。

前不见古人，
后不见来者。
念天地之悠悠，
独怆然而涕下。


I therefore said to you that the greatest thing which Confucius has done for the Chinese people is that he gave them the true idea of a State – a true, rational, permanent, and absolute basis of a State, and in giving that, he made it a religion, -- a State religion.

寻寻觅觅，冷冷清请，凄凄惨惨戚戚。
李清照

枯藤老树昏鸦，小桥流水人家，古道西风瘦马，夕阳西下，断肠人在天涯。
马致远

Practice
9.故五行无常胜，四时无常主，日有短长，月有死生。
《孙子兵法》
10. By李清照
11. By马致远