奈达翻译理论研究 第二章 笔记

Chapter Two Reviews of Nida’s Translation Theory

2.1 A survey of Chinese traditional translation theory before the 1980s

Chinese translation studies can be roughly divided into 2 phases, 1) traditional translation studies before the 1980s 2) modern translation studies from the 1980s to the present time.

2.1.1 Debate over Literal and Free translation in Buddhist translation

It is generally agreed that the first recorded statements on translation were made by Zhi Qian(支谦), a translator of Buddhist scriptures in the period of The Three Kingdoms.

Master Lao Zi says that beautiful words are not faithful, and faithful words are not beautiful.

Confucius says that words cannot fully express one’s thoughts, and thoughts cannot express what one really means.

Evidently, early discussions on translation not only touched upon the question of “difficulty”and “fidelity”of translation, but also revealed the conflict between “substance”(质) and “ornament”(文).

Dao An(道安AD313—385) in the Eastern Jin Dynasty further emphasized the principle of “fidelity”, insisting that the translators of Buddhist sutras should adhere to the original text without any alteration at the expense of the original words and sentences.

Since early Buddhist translators took “fidelity” as their translation principle and adhered too closely to the original, many translations were unintelligible word-for-word renderings. This situation in Buddhist translation did not change until AD 401 when Kumarajiva arrived in Chang’an to take charge of Buddhist translation. He was opposed to literal translation. He advocated free translation. He insisted that the text be translated with the target language usage, and the draft be polished for literary quality.

Xuan Zang(602—664), the great Buddhist translator in the Tang Dynasty, who succeeded in regulating free translation and literal translation. He emphasized the importance of the transference of the style in translation.

2.1.2 Translation principles in the late Qing Dynasty

Ma Jianzhong, the eminent Chinese linguist, says the translated text should be similar to the original without any difference between them. The reader of the translation benefits from it almost the same as the reader does from the original. Ma could be considered the first person to have explored translation theory in modern China.

The most influential translation principle in the history of Chinese translation theory was formulated by Y an Fu in 1898. And Y an’s postulation of the three—character translation principle does not point the way forward for the solution of literal translation versus free translation.

During this period, Lin Shu, Y an’s contemporary, was the most renowned figure for literary translation. Lin knew no foreign language at all, but “translated”, or rewrote.