第二章 英译汉的技巧

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2. Liberal Translation
• Liberal translation is to reproduce the original logic or image and acquire the artistic effect equivalent to the original by means of self-developed (newly-created) forms, when the content of the SL is in contradiction with the form of the TL.
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e. Advantages of literal translation
• Being faithful to the original in ideological content. • Reflecting the scene and flavor of the foreign country concerned • Absorbing some exotic expressions. / Loan words, borrowed words
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• b. What is Literal Translation • the preservation of both the original content and the form
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• c. 注意 • 1）literal translation≠word-for-word
translation
• A free translator can change the original work’s figures of speech, sentence structures or patterns, but he can not make addition or omission of the original meaning at will. He should make the implied meaning known to the TL readers.
• 2) literal translation≠dead translation
• • • • • • 街道妇女应动员起来打扫卫生： Women in the street should be called on to do some cleaning. in the street → in the community 她一大早起床，进城，见到了她的公爹： She got up early, went to the town and saw her public father. public father → father in law
• • • • • • • Birds of a feather flock together. 物以类聚，人以群分 A virtuous wife is a man’s best prize. 妻贤夫祸少。 Don’t cross the bridge till you get to it. 不要担心太早；不必自寻烦恼； 到了桥边才过桥。
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3. Every life has its roses and thorns. • Literal 人生道路既铺满鲜花，又布满荆棘。 • Free 生活总是有苦有乐。 4. He was a dead shot. However, he met his Waterloo this time. • Literal 他是一个神枪手，可这一次却遭遇了滑铁 卢。 • Free 他是一个神枪手，可这一次却遭到惨败。
• The Senate Foreign Relations Committee today extended the olive branch to the Clinton Government by pleading for cooperation in developing foreign policy. • 参议院外交委员会今天向克林顿政府伸出了橄榄枝，要求 在发展外交政策上合作
• literal translation： the original form can be fully preserved in the TL, thus reproducing the original style • liberal translation ： smooth and natural enough and increase the readability
• Chinese Version A: • 毛泽东有很好的教养，内部是钢，有坚强的抗力，是坚韧的材料制成的： 这是义和团设想的由于神力具有的、可以把腹部袒露给外国人的子弹的 那种材料。 • Chinese Version B: • 毛泽东教养有素，精神支柱铁铸钢打，不怕高压，是由坚韧的组织构成 的。这种组织，就是义和拳认为他们通过魔法得到的那种组织——袒胸 露体，刀枪不入。 • Chinese Version C: • 毛泽东看似温文尔雅，但内心深处却钢铸铁打，既坚韧，又抗压——在 他的身上可以看到当年义和团自信所具有的那种神力，面对洋枪洋炮也 敢袒胸露怀
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• 3）
• “Merry”, as you may know, has two meanings: happy and drunk. • 你可能知道“MERRY”有两层意思：快乐和醉酒。 • Although I don't visit it often now, it was once the center of my life. • 尽管我现在不常去那儿，但那里曾经一度是我生 活的中心。
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d. 常用直译法的情况
1) 某些习语和短语的翻译 ：
• • • • cold war 冷战 hot line 热线 hot girls in cool suit / spicy girl 辣妹 black market 黑市 Blood is thicker than water. 血浓于水
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• 与家人团聚一堂 • get together with family members, have a family reunion • 看中央电视台春节晚会 • watch the CCTV celebration party on the Spring Festival eve. • watch the Chinese New Year’s program on CCTV
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3) A good translation is a combination of free trans and literal trans.
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Discussion
English Version: • Mao Tse-tung was well bred, but inside he was made of steel, of hard resistance, of tough tissue –– the kind of tissue the Boxers thought they had by magic, and bared their solar plexuses to foreign bullets.
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几种需要意译的情况：
• 1．包含典故的文化习语：
• It rains cats and dogs. • 大雨滂沱。 • Last night I heard him driving his pigs into market. • 昨夜我听见他鼾声如雷。 • Talk of the devil and he will appear. • 说曹操，曹操就到。
• 吃美食 • eat delicious food
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2）含义广为流传的短语、习语等
• He walked at the head of the funeral procession, and every now and then wiped his crocodile tears with a big handkerchief. • 他走在送葬队伍的前头，还不时用一条大手绢抹去那鳄鱼 的眼泪。
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2．必须按照汉语的语言习惯表达.
• Every dog has his day. • 人人都有得意的日子。 • One boy is a boy, two boys half a boy, three boys no boy. • 一个和尚挑水吃，两个和尚抬水吃，三个和尚没水吃。
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3．适当调整、转换。
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1. Literal Translation
a. Examples
• • • • • • • He was seized with the despairing sense of helplessness. 他被束手无策的绝望感抓住了。 他忽然产生了束手无策的绝望感。 The communiquéstirred a belated reaction. 公报引起了过晚的反应。 公报发表后迟迟才有反应。 The thought that Thomas might have failed was intolerable, agonizing. • 托马斯可能已经失败的想法是令人不可忍受的，痛苦的。 • 他一想到托马斯可能已经失败，就感到难以忍受的痛心。
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Advantages and disadvantages of liberal translation
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Relation between literal & liberal translation
1) two means of translation； both attach much more importance to the TL源自文库version’s faithfulness
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• the difference ： how the translator treats the linguistic form the literal translation school ： a translator should be faithful than smooth • free translation school: a translator should be smooth than faithful. • 直译 → the exotic flavor of the original work • 意译 → the communicative effect of the translated works • 直译 is a kind of semantic trans, and 意译 a kind of communicative trans. (Newmark)
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2) Literal translation and free translation are complementary to each other. • A successful translation is usually a combination of both methods, and both methods ought to be adopted in a flexible and realistic way.
第二章 英译汉的技巧
Basic Skills for English-Chinese Translation
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The Methods of Translation
• Literal & Liberal Translation
• the conflict between content and form
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• 直译和意译的比较：
三个臭皮匠，顶个诸葛亮。 • Wits of three cobblers combined equal those of Zhu Geliang, our master mind. • As wise as Solomn
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直译法和意译法相结合:
1. There’s no pot so ugly it can’t find a lid. • Literal: 再丑的罐儿也不愁配个盖儿。Or, 罐儿再丑， 配个盖儿不犯愁。 • Free: 再丑的姑娘也不愁找不到婆家。Or，丑女不愁 嫁。 2. Little fish does not eat big fish. • Literal: 小鱼吃不了大鱼。 • Free： 胳膊拧不过大腿。