Introduction to Chinese-English translation 9780781812160, 078181216X, 2007038927

Citation preview

In tro d u c tio n to

Chinese， English Translation

Z in an Y e

and L yn e tte X ia o jin g S hi

Hippocrene Books, Inc. New York

Copyright © 2009 Zinan Ye and Lynette Xiaojing Shi All rights reserved. Series editor: Lynn Visson For information, address:

Hippocrene Books, Inc. 171 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016 www.hippocrenebooks.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ye, Zinan. Introduction to Chinese-English translation / Zinan Ye and Lynette Xiaojing Shi. p. cm. ISBN-13: 978-0-7818-1216-0 (alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-7818-1216-X (alk. paper) 1. Chinese language一 Translating into English. I. Shi, Lynette Xiaojing. II. Title. PL1277.Y42 2008 428'.02951—dc22

2007038927

Printed in the United States of America.

UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

CONTENTS

Introduction

vii

Part One: B asic Issues in C hinese-to-English T ranslation Chapter 1: Basic Concepts of Translation Chapter 2: Some Comparisons between English and Chinese

1 3 15

Part Tw o: B asic T ech n iq u es Chapter 3: Conversion Chapter 4: Amplification Chapter 5: Omission Chapter 6: Changing the Perspective Chapter 7: Division and Combination Chapter 8: Syntax一 Repositioning Components Chapter 9: Relative Clauses Chapter 10: Adverbial Clauses Chapter 11: The Passive Voice

25 27 33 39 45 49 57 61 67 71

Part T hree: A d va n ced Issues Chapter 12: Translation of Metaphors Chapter 13: Idioms and Four-Character Expressions Chapter 14: Text Analysis

77 79 85 91

Part F our: P ra ctice Texts Chapter 15: General / Informative Text: 《前言》 An Introduction to a Dictionary Chapter 16: Legal Text: 《英中法律周欢迎词》 A Welcome Speech (Excerpt) Chapter 17: Economic Text: 《中美贸易讲话》 Speech on China-U.S. Trade Chapter 18: Informative / Culture-Bound Text: 《道家与休闲》 Daoism and Leisure Chapter 19: Evaluative / Culture-Bound Text: 《寻找仙境》 In Search of a Betier Place

97

v

99 105 113 121 127

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Chapter 20: Vocative Text: 《热点之外》 Beyond the Spotlight Chapter 21: Informative / Evaluative / Culture-Bound Text 《_ 身傲骨，两袖清风》 It’s Not About Money Chapter 22: Expressive Text: 《骆马它祥子》 CameZ Xiangzi (Excerpt) Conclusion Answer Key Glossary Appendix: Dictionaries and Other Reference Materials Sources Used in the Book About the Authors

INTRODUCTION

China’s growing role in the world has led to increasing contacts with other countries and greater international interest in its politics, economics, and culture. For decades, translation from English into Chinese has been extremely popular in China, but today, translation from Chinese into English has also begun to expand exponentially. Practically all translation going from English into Chinese is performed by native speakers of Chinese, which is the optimal situation, since one usually works best trans­ lating into one^ mother tongue. However, for the opposite direction, the serious shortage of English native speakers who have enough proficiency in Chinese to work into English has meant that much of this task now falls on the shoulders of large numbers of native Chinese speakers, who are thus working into a foreign language. Their efforts have helped to tell the world about China’s complex society, rapid economic development, rich history, and glorious culture, but the translations have not always produced the desired effect. The stiff, clumsy style known as “Chinglish” is often confusing and jerky, while some translations have even managed to turn a serious message into a joke. There are many reasons for this unintended result: lack of knowledge of the differences between Chinese and English, poor proficiency in English, ignorance of what translation really entails, and lack of specific translation skills, to name a few. This volume is compiled in the hope of addressing some of these shortcomings. It is our hope that a contrastive linguistic perspective illustrated with practical examples will allow the translator to gain a better understanding of the source text and produce a better translation. This book focuses squarely on the practice of translation. Some theoretical concepts and terminology, however, are essential for a better understanding of the process, so we have dealt with these without going into excessive detail. We have tried to limit the use of specialized termi­ nology, and we cite many examples that, we hope, illustrate the point. The reader thus will have, in one short volume, most of the concepts and tools to deal with translation problems.

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The book is divided into four parts. Part One deals with basic issues, Part Two with basic techniques, and Part Three with a number of more advanced issues, and each of these has exercises, sample answers with notes, and short tests at the end. Part Four presents eight short practice texts covering economics, law, society, culture, and literature, also with sample translations and detailed notes. All English translations come directly from the pens of native speakers of English or have been revised by them. This is the ideal model for doing this kind of work: teamwork between a native and a non-native speaker, each making up for the others deficiencies, and revising the final translation together. Though there are many books on translation on the market, there are not many that deal with Chinese-to-English translation, and even fewer are written in English. In the course of this work, we have received great encouragement and assistance from Dr. Lynn Visson, our editor, and from Dr. John Balcom, who generously shared his materials and ideas. We wish to thank them both for giving their time and energy to making this volume possible. Lastly, we also wish to acknowledge support from the Joseph and Sheila Mark Faculty Development Fund of the Monterey Institute of International Studies. The authors May 2008

PART ONE

Basic Issues in Chinese-to-English Translation

CHAPTER 1

Basic Concepts of Translation When visiting the cities of China, any English speaker knowing no Chi­ nese will be delighted to see many signs and notices in English, providing information on directions, shops, restaurants, bus stops, and even toilets. These well-meaning attempts, however, very often leave the visitor non­ plussed, disappointed, even irritated, and more often than not in stitches of laughter. After all, how else can one react to this: 本厕所为免冲式，请您便后立即离开。 This WC is free of washing. Please leave off after pissing or shitting. Clearly, the writer was quite serious and was trying to be consid­ erate by providing useful information, but the result is indeed the oppo­ site. 'Tree of washing^ is misleading and inaccurate, while the choice of “pissing” and “shitting,” while accurate in meaning, has turned a polite Chinese expression into a vulgar English one. The translator obviously had no clue about the appropriateness of register (polite or vulgar) or of context. Though many translatiorxs of commonly used signs are accept­ able, an equally large number are totally wrong: 小心坠河 酸菜包 自助终端 钢琴教师联络本

Carefully fall to the river Acid food Help oneself terminating machine Piano Teachers^ntercourse Book

Such translations sound like a comic routine in a variety show. One can only wipe away tears of laughter and wonder what happened. Surely the translator consulted some sort of reference book! But then how did the result end up so outrageous and inappropriate? Clearly, translation is a much more complicated business than that of merely looking words up in a dictionary. So what is translation? In the broadest sense, it means the process of transferring meaning between different languages and cultures through 3

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the written word. In this book, however, we will focus mainly on the lan­ guage aspect of this practical process. For some, the most important thing in translation is to be “faithful” to the original source text. Others say that the concept of “faithfulness” is too vague. After all, what does it actually mean? A number of systematic and comprehensive concepts have evolved over the years—for example, the theory of functional equivalence proposed by Western scholars, or the standards of “faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance” suggested by Chinese translators. New tools, methodologies, and translation theories will no doubt continue to appear, but nothing can change the basic nature of translation, which involves rendering the meaning of a source text in a target one. This all sounds quite straightforward and understandable, but the problem lies in the “meaning.” The sentence “There is a book on the table” is clear and easy to translate. However, not all sentences are quite so simple. For exa m p le,他的姿势不大寻常，头朝下，两腿高举在沙发上，倒 竖蜻艇. A strict translation would render 倒竖蜻艇 “upside-down drag­ onfly” which is inappropriate, since the analogy is not a common one in English. An accurate translation should be uThe boy was doing this in a quite unusual posture, holding his body upside down and his legs straight up against the back of his chair, like a gymnast performing a headstand. (From A Cottager's Sketchbook, Vol. 2, p. 384). Another example from the English: ‘Tour guess is as good as mine,” actually means “I don’t know either.” The translator has to know this and cannot translate it literally as 你的猜想和我的—样好 which makes no sense in Chinese. Such examples show that simply rendering the “meaning” is not quite as straightforward as it sounds. Many problems can arise that require the translator to stop and think carefully before putting pen to paper. Should the translation: 令 be literal or free? ^ have functional equivalence or formal correspondence? 令 emphasize form or content? 令 be source oriented or target oriented? 令 be author centered or reader centered? 令 meet the objective of the author or of the translator? These six considerations raise different questions, yet they all revolve around the same basic problem and are closely linked. Let us now examine them one by one.

Basic Concepts of Translation

5

Literal Translation or Free Translation? This is a topic of endless controversy. Sometimes there is no problem— e.g” “I like the movie” becomes 我喜欢这个电影，which does not involve questions of literal or free translation because here the translator is not faced with any such choice. Sometimes, however, the translator has to make a choice because both approaches are possible, resulting in much debate. For one thing, different people have different interpretations of “literal.” For some, it means word-for-word translation, while for others, it means basically following the original language structures without a rigid word-for-word rendering. A free translation, on the other hand, would completely ignore the original language structures. There is in fact no clear dividing line between word-for-word, literal, free translation, and paraphrasing. Let us consider a few examples: 公立局中挤破头。 Public high schools are so crowded they have to turn away many prospective students. The idiom 挤破头 cannot be translated literally and therefore must be explicated in accordance with the context. This adds more words, but the meaning is unchanged and clear. This shows that translation can some­ times be very close to paraphrasing. However, this does not mean we can do that all the time. For example: 繁华也罢，穷困也罢，丈夫和妻子携手一生，情深谊长。 For richer or for poorer, the husband and the wife are a loving couple for life. The translator has been flexible here: the first part follows the source text, but the second part, starting with 携手，has ignored the original structures. As opposed to the first example, not many words have been added. There are times, however, when we must stick even closer to the original: 过度授权与地方权力滥用一直是突出的两大问题。 Excessive power and abuse of authority at local levels have been two major problems. Here there is very little room for flexibility, and the translator has followed the original closely, more or less word for word.

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Why do we sometimes stick more closely to the source text than at other times, and sometimes even add words that did not appear in the original? There are many reasons for this, and we will discuss them in the chapters that follow. Generally speaking, since a literal translation tends to read less fluently, it should not generally be used as a primary tech­ nique, aside from some very specific texts (such as literary ones), and even then with discretion. Free translation is the most commonly used way of rendering meaning, but here the danger lies in overdoing things and dis­ torting the source meaning, usually by adding something that was not there. Clearly, literal and free translation both have their uses, but each must be employed depending on the specific textual circumstances. When working from Chinese to English, the greatest difficulty for the translator is that of getting away from the limitations of the original Chinese and producing a target text that does not sound too Chinese (“Chinglish”). Though this generally means working on the “free” side, both techniques are equally valid; they merely need to be used in different ways.

Functional Equivalence or Formal Correspondence? Although the concept of functiional equivalence versus formal correspon­ dence has been around for some time, it was the scholar of translation Eugene Nida who expanded and elucidated it. As a result, today it is one of the important theories in translation studies. Functional equivalence means the rendering of a thought expressed in a source text in such a way that the target text has the same function, though not necessarily the same form, as the source text. Form is mechanical and superficial, and owing to the differences between language systems, the same linguistic form may not have the same meaning or function in the two languages. For example, “He is the last person I will ask for help” can be trans­ lated as 他是我要求助的最后一个人，which follows the same form as the source text but does not have the same meaning, which is 我是不会求且力 于他的. The function may be the same, but the form is not. Consider the following: 要是你认为他懒惰的话，那你可就错了。 If you think he is lazy, think again. The Chinese explicitly states negation (可错了)， but the English translation “think again” is oblique. Another example: the student who sits down for an exam and says to himself “成败在此—举” which, translated with formal correspondence, becomes “success or failure depends on this,” a very clumsy and unidiomatic phrase. A native English speaker would

Basic Concepts of Translation

7

probably say, “This is it!” or “Here goes!” which is completely different in form but has the functional equivalence. The specific choice of translation will depend on the context, and we hope this book will provide you with some such considerations. Literal and free translation, functional equivalence, and formal corre­ spondence are different concepts that approach the same issues of trans­ lation from different perspectives.

Form or Content? The debate between form and content is an old one. In most circum­ stances, the actual form of the source is not the main focus of translation. Chinese and English belong to two very different language systems, so primary attention should be placed on conveying the content, rather than the form. If we look at this in the light of the two previous sections, it is clear that those who emphasize form will lean toward literal translation and insist on formal correspondence, while those who emphasize content will advocate functional equivalence or a more flexible translation. This is in fact more common. Consider the following: 爸爸忙里偷闲，带全家出去野餐。

Dad takes a break from his busy schedule to take the family on a picnic. If translated literally, and Hi4 will be included, and the transla­ tion will become uDad steals some time from his busy schedule to take the family out for a picnic.” On the surface this looks acceptable, but closer examination shows that 偷 does not mean the same as “steal” in this context•偷闲 is a frequently used colloquial expression without the connotation of “stealing time.” Instead “take a break,” though differing in form from the source, conveys the content much better. Here is another example: 一笔交易，何止关乎金钱，更可能是身家性命之所系。 A trade deal involves more than just money; it could even b e a matter of life and death. Here, the translator has not been limited by the source and has trans­ lated rather freely. In terms of syntax, the original single sentence has now been divided into two independent parts separated by a semicolon.之 所系 has not been rendered as “depend on,” or “related to,” but as “could be.” The expression 身家1性命 has been rendered as “life and death,” even

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though “death” is not in the original. By not rigidly following the source forms, the target text reads more idiomatically in English. Does this mean that form never counts at all? No, not at all. In fact, there are times when the forms themselves convey meaning or contribute to the content. For example, a writer’s individual style is frequently expressed by the use of specific forms. This makes them important, and the translator must seriously consider retaining them. Consider the fol­ lowing example: 风吹弯了路旁的树木，撕碎了店户的布幌，揭净了墙上的报单，遮昏 了 太 阳 ，唱 着 ，叫 着 ，吼 着 ，回荡着；忽 然 直 弛 ，像惊狂了的大精 灵 ，扯天扯地的疾走；忽然慌乱，四面八方的乱卷，像不知怎好而决 定乱撞的恶魔；忽然横扫，乘其不备的袭击着地上的一切，扭折了树 枝 ，吹掀了屋瓦，撞断了电线；可 是 ，祥子在那里看着；他刚从风里 出来，风并没能把他怎样了！胜利是祥子的！ （ 老 舍 ，《骆驼祥子》 8章） The gale bent the trees lining the road, tore the cloth shop signs to shreds, ripped the hand-bills clean off the walls. It shrouded the sun, it sang, shouted, howled, reverberated. Sometimes it careered ahead like a huge terrified spirit, tearing heaven and earth apart in its frenzied flight; then suddenly, as if in panic, it would swirl around in all directions like an evil dem on that has run amok; then again it would sweep along diagonally, as if to take everything by surprise, breaking branches, carrying off roof-tiles and snapping electric wires. Yet Xiangzi stood watching, for he had just co m e in out of the wind, which had been powerless against him! Victory was his! (Lao She, CornelXiongzi, Chapter 8) The translator has retained most of the original syntax, only breaking up phrases in a few places to avoid an excessively long English sentence. Parts of speech match up, as do the length of phrases and expressions. This retains the sense of speed and vigor of the original, which in its rhythm and flow imitates the power of the gale. Therefore, although form does remain important in certain specific circumstances, we should always bear in mind that the greatest difficulty a translator faces is that of overcoming interference from the source lan­ guage forms. Adhering too closely to them often results in contrived and awkward translations. In most circumstances, the general strategy is to place greater focus on rendering content.

Basic Concepts of Translation

9

purpose of the Author or of the Translator? Anyone who writes, author or translator, usually has a purpose. Very often, the author and translator share the same one. Consider the fol­ lowing: the writer of an English computer manual wants to inform a client about computer operations, and the translator of the manual also wants to inform a non-English-speaking client about the same thing—i.e., both wish to convey accurate information. Likewise, a clothing advertise­ ment is trying to influence consumer behavior, and the translator of that advertisement also hopes to persuade people to spend their money on these clothes. Or else a contract is drawn up as a basis for future busi­ ness activity, and the translator attempts to convey the meaning of the original to the parties who do not speak that language. All these texts have a very specific purpose in mind, and they are all very practical; the purpose of the translations of these texts is equally practical. There are times, however, when translators do not have the same objective in mind as the original writer. A poet writes to express very personal emotions, but the translator is not trying to express his/her own emotions by translating the original. During WWII, General de Gaulle wrote many speeches to encourage his fighters, and these have become historical documents. The translator of these speeches today certainly does not have the same purpose as de Gaulle. This leads us to the whole issue of different purposes, different read­ erships, and differing translations. Since a translators purpose and read­ ership are very different from those of the original writer and the original text, it is quite normal to have different translations of the same source text. For instance, the Bible has appeared in numerous different versions and has even been rendered into a style more appropriate for children. Producing such commonly used texts in different versions to suit different readerships is not only acceptable but should actively be encouraged. There have always been different perspectives and slants in the transla­ tion of literary works because of varying readerships and purpose. The question to ask, therefore, is “Who is translating what, for whom, when, where, why, and in what circumstances?” Now that we have examined some of these concepts, we have a much more comprehensive understanding of the statement at the beginning of this chapter—i.e., translation is about transferring the meaning from a source text to a target one. The concepts above all revolve around how to do this, but since they approach this goal from different perspectives and with varying emphases, it is useful to understand the assumptions made here, and the objectives pursued, prior to actually translating.

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Before We Start One of the ways to learn how to translate is by comparing a translation with its original. So before we start, lefs compare some translations with the original texts to see how linguistic and cultural barriers have been overcome in the process.

Original II原文一〗 因为我的父母觉得小孩应该要胖才健康，九岁开始到进入演 艺 界 前 ，我 一 直 被 他 们 “喂得” 很 胖 ，曾重达一百一十公斤。以前朋友 或许只觉得我可爱，却从来没有人觉得我帅。十几岁时陪妹妹到日本发 展演艺事业时，我曾告诉妹妹的音乐老师自己想进演艺界，他开玩笑地 告诉我，我留在日本相扑界发展还比较有成功的希望。 (原 文 及 译 文 均 选 自 《光华》杂志）

Translation [[参考译文 J) My parents always felt that a child should b e chubby to be healthy. From the time I was nine, right up until when I started to break into show business, they always stuffed me nice and plump. At one point I weighed 110 kilos. My friends might have thought I was cute, but nobody considered me handsome. When Iwas in my teens, I went with my younger sister to Japan, where she was developing her career in the performing arts. I on ce told her music teacher that I wanted to get into showbiz, too. He said jokingly that if I stayed in Japan and got into Sumo instead my chances would be better.

Original II原文二〗 贪 污 的 事 ，古今中外滔滔皆是，不谈也罢。孟子所说穷不苟 求 的 “廉士” 才是难能可贵，谈起来令人齿颊留香。 东 汉 杨 震 ，暮 夜 有 人 馈 送 十 斤 黄 金 ，送 金 的 人 说 ： “暮 夜 无 人 知 。” 杨 震 说 ： “天知、神 知、我知、子 知 ，何谓无知？ ”这句话万古 流 传 ，直到晚近许多姓杨的人家常榜门楣曰“四知堂杨”。 原文和译文均选自梁实秋《雅舍小品》

Translation [[参考译文3 Cases of corruption have abounded in China and else­ where, in ancient as well as in modern times, and Iwould rather not talk about them. On the other hand, those poor but incorruptible people referred to by Mencius as ''men of integrity" are few and far between and deserve our highest esteem, and it gives us endless pleasure to talk about them. Yang Zhen, who lived during the Eastern Han dynasty, was one of them. One night he had a visitor who offered him ten catties of

Basic Concepts of Translation

11

gold as a present. The visitor said to him, "It's nighttime and nobody knows." Yang said, wHeaven knows. The gods know. I know and you know. How can you say that nobody knows?" His words have b e co m e an a d a g e that has passed from generation to generation. Since then, even in recent years, many houses with the same family name still keep on the lintel of their front door a w ooden tablet that reads: ''The Yangs of Four-Knows Fame."

Original C原 文 三 〗 祥 子 的 心 要 跳 出 来 ，一 直 飞 到 空 中 去 ，与白鸽们一同去盘 旋 ！什 么 都 有 了 ：事 情 ，工 钱 ，小 福 子 ，在几句 话里美满地解决了一 切 ，想 也没 想 到 呀 ！看这个天，多么晴爽干燥，正像北方人那样直爽痛 快 。人 遇 到 喜 事 ，连天气也好了，他似乎没见过这么可爱的冬晴。 （ 选 自 老 舍 《骆驼祥子》）

Translation [[参考译文3 Xiangzi’s heart seem ed about to take flight to circle in the sky with the white pigeons. He had everything—a job, wages, and joy. He had never thought it could all be settled so wonderfully with just a few words. Look at that clear crisp sky, just like the straightfor­ ward, easy-going people of the North. When one is happy, even the weather seems extra fine. He couldn't remember ever having seen such a lovely clear winter's day before.

Exercises Translate the following sentences, paying attention to whether you are doing a literal or free translation. Compare yours with the sample trans­ lations presented in the Answer Key, and see if you were literal or free in your approach. 1 . 人生是一个一个阶段积累而成的。我们常常没有意识到，原来上一个阶 段是为下一阶段做准备。

2 . 现在他已届退休年龄，正面临后继无人的困境。

3 . 年轻有梦，就要让他们闯一闯， • 否则老了有失落感。

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4 . 走过街头巷尾，赫然发现原来的店面又换了新名字。

5 . 夏先生手头紧，一个小钱也不肯轻易撒手。

6 . 他只把她当作个会给点零钱的女人，并不十分喜欢她。

7 . 姐姐的身子已不大方便，连上街买趟东西都怕有些闪失。

8 . 事实上，中国不是没有好作品，只是缺乏译介。

9 . 网络世界，通常让人联想到的青少年或白领阶层。

10.

“宁为鸡首，不为牛后”的中国谚语的确是中国人偏爱自己创业的最佳 注解。

Test Translate the following. There is no need to pay too much attention to how you translate, but when you have finished, examine your version from the perspective of literal and free translation, and then compare yours with the sample translations in the Answer Key and decide which technique is more appropriate. 1 . 他们的想法各有千秋，读者可以自己判断孰是孰非。

Basic Concepts of Translation

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2 . 虽然这些是少数人的行为，却影响多数人的观念。

3 . 你出身在一个华人家庭，接受的却是西方教育。

4 . 邓先生原本立志在去年底出满十本书。

5 . 许多人会对我外貌的急遽变化不能适应。

6 . 我想少不了要挨顿打骂，然后卷铺盖走路，但经理却十分平静。

7 . 旅澳的日子，她醉心于画画，创作的主题依然是她一生的最爱：舞蹈。

8 . 他与夫人种菜钓鱼，回归家庭生活。

9 . 单身者不能免除其社会责任，但是社会对单身女性却相当不友善。

1〇• 这本书提供给你一个基础。它不能引导你走向未来，但却会提醒你一些 潜在的危险，可能出现的问题。

CHAPTER 2

Some Comparisons between English and Chinese In the previous chapter we discussed some basic concepts and issues of translation. Before we get into the practical skills, however, we still need to understand a bit more about the process. Since most of the problems encountered in translation are caused by the differences between the lan­ guages involved一in this case, Chinese and English—some comparisons will be helpful in finding more precise and effective solutions. Of course, comparison means looking at both similarities and differences, since no translation is possible if the two languages have nothing in common. The purpose of this comparison is to identify the differences and similarities at various levels: ◊ pronunciation and writing systems 令 words sentence structures or syntax 令 discourse structures In this chapter, we will briefly compare the two languages on these four levels but will focus on those that have a direct bearing on transla­ tion. A full comparison falls outside the scope of this book.

Pronunciation and Writing Systems There are many differences between Chinese and English. For example, Chinese is strictly monosyllabic (one word/one character/one syllable), English is both monosyllabic and polysyllabic (one word/several syllables); Chinese has four tones, English has none. If a writer of Chinese employs these specific features to express meaning, the translation of the text will become extremely difficult, if not impossible. For example, Chinese tongue-twisters are untranslatable: 四十四只石狮子 can be translated for pure meaning into “forty-four stone lions” but the “tongue-twisting” part represented by the pronunciation of the characters is impossible to convey. 15

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As soon as sounds become part of the central meaning, the text becomes virtually untranslatable. Such different sound systems mean that the translator must sometimes pay special attention to transliteration (ren­ dering only the sounds) and to the rendering of rhyme and rhythm. Transliteration is mostly used for names of people, places and prod­ ucts. In the past it was also used for new words, for instance, for “telephone,” and “kowtow” for 礎头. This is now less common. The difference in sound systems also makes the exact transliteration of words impossible, as there is no way to convey the four Chinese tones in English. The names 王洪宝 and 王洪豹 are phonetically both written “Wang Hongbao” even though the characters 宝 and 豹 have completely different tones. People’s and place names in Chinese are transliterated syllable for syllable into English, as in “Beijing” （ 北京） and “Cao Xueqin” (曹雪拜)， but the reverse is not necessarily true: “San Francisco” has four syllables, but it is translated as 三 藩 市 （three characters, with the last character serving both as an approximate sound equivalence and also rendering the meaning “city”). Of course, the numbers of syllables are often identical: “Denver” becomes 丹佛 and “Rena” 丽娜. Some sounds don’t exist in Chinese at all, such as the “th” in “Martha” which becomes 玛莎， with 莎 a phonetic approximation. A table of English sounds with their Chinese equivalents (see Appendix 4 in The English-Chinese Dic­ tionary by Lu Gusun) can be used to achieve a measure of consistency in transliteration. An area that is often neglected is the use of rhyme and rhythm, and a writer often reviews and edits his own work on the basis of fluency, sound, and rhythm. All languages take these into account, since commu­ nication very often includes more elements than merely pure meaning. In poetry, for example, the lines are written down, yet how they sound is just as important as what they mean, and sometimes even more so, since the soul of poetry is rhyme and rhythm. It is also interesting to note that speakers of various languages respond similarly to the effect of sound. For example, repetition is often annoying. If “jingle bells” is repeated too many times, the result is monotonous, so the song’s lyrics vary the formula: “Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way...” Understanding the differences between Chinese and English is extremely important to the translator. An effective way to do so is by using the concepts of parataxis and hypotaxis. Parataxis means a rhetor­ ical and syntactic arrangement in which clauses are placed together in a series without subordination or obvious lin k s:我们唱歌，我们跳舞，我们 Hypotaxis, on the other hand, involves the syntactic subordination of one clause to another: “As we ran, we sang and told jokes.” English is a hypotactic language, Chinese a paratactic one. In some ways, this can

Some Comparisons between English and Chinese

17

be traced to their different rhymes and rhythms. A hypotactic language, like English, seeks a close-knit structure and concise meaning and there­ fore may sacrifice rhyme and rhythm. Consider the following example: “A new kind of aircraft—small, cheap, pilotless—is attracting increasing attention.” If the translation follows the source text’s form strictly, it will become _ 种新型飞机--体积小、便宜、无人驾驶••正在引起越来越多人的注 M, but if we take into account the rhythm that is so essential in Chinese, we will change things:便宜 will become 造价低，which is both more accurate in meaning and has three characters like 体积小•The result is far more pleasing to the ea r:—种新型飞机正在引起越来越多人的注意，这是一 种体积小、造价低的无人驾驶型飞机. Though we frequently make the mistake of thinking that rhyme and rhythm are only important to poets and do not apply to other types of writing, the paratactic nature of Chinese is apparent in other types of texts as well. Many novice translators working from English to Chinese produce Chinese texts that are correct in meaning but lack the polish of rhyme and rhythm. Working in the reverse direction from Chinese to English can also produce very awkward-sounding English (Chinglish). For example, the four-character poetic line 老马冀伏棚 is a well-known idiom that rolls off the tongue easily and smoothly, but if translated as uan elderly hero still cherishes high aspirations,Mthe effect is cumber­ some and wordy, totally devoid of any of the rhythm or rhymes of the source text. Due to these different language systems, except for cases of a few specific kinds of poems, the translator neither can nor needs to match phonetically the sounds of the original. A language that places a greater premium on formal logic (English) will often follow the line of thought at the expense of rhyme and rhythm, whereas one that emphasizes imagery (Chinese) will tend to put more store on rhyme and rhythm at the expense of strict logic. Even something as prosaic as a set of instructions shows this inherent difference:车未停稳，请勿下车 can be translated “Do not get off before the vehicle stops.” The hypotaxis of English requires the link word “before,” and the number of words and their rhythm are less important than the message, but in Chinese the balance of the two sets of four characters is just as important as the meaning. Finally, any student of translation must pay attention to the very obvious differences between the two writing systems. English is an alphabetic language made up of phonemes. The letters convey sounds, not meaning, and are strung together into words. Chinese, on the other hand, is made up of pictographs that contain elements of sound, form, and meaning. These ideographic features of the language may have some bearing on Chinese cognitive processes, while the linear structure of English may have some influence on Western abstract cognitive process.

18

I ntroduction to Chinese -E nglish T ranslation

Comparison of Words in English and Chinese Students of language are familiar with the famous, much-debated SapirWhorf hypothesis, which argues that the nature of a particular language determines the thought patterns of its speakers. While it is hard to make an absolute case for language determining cognitive and thought pat­ terns, most linguists agree on the probability of a link between language and different ways of thinking. In this context, it is helpful to look at words and the objective realities for which they stand. Objective reality exists regardless of man: people of different cultures and languages have similar responses to many objects and use words with a similar meaning to represent them; e.g., “mountain” in English and 山 in Chinese both refer to the same physical reality and mean the same thing without containing very strong cultural connotations. Gen­ erally speaking, the translation of actual physical objects is relatively straightforward, such as “computer” into 电脑 or 计算机， and “water” into 水•All these words refer to specific physical things with few differences in various cultures. Not all words, however, match up so neatly. Abstract words used to describe concepts may seem to mean the same thing in both languages but in fact have vastly different cultural connotations. Por example, “individualism” and 个人主义 refer to more or less the same thing, but their associations for Chinese and Americans are completely different. A culture that sets great store on freedom of the individual will interpret the word in a largely positive way, while one that places the collective above the individual will understand it as primarily negative. There are many such words that look the same but carry very different meanings; e.g.， “Red China” in English has a pejorative connotation， but is completely positive in 红色中国. Colors have strong cultural associations: in many Western cultures white is worn at weddings, but Chinese traditionally wear white at a funeral and scarlet at a wedding. Many things that seem the same are in fact “false friends.” Here is another example: “It’s not funny!” can be translated 这并不可笑， which completely fails to convey the underlying angry feelings of the speaker; another example, “us and them” often means diametrically opposed (even hostile) sides, but if translated as 我们和他们 becomes a neutral statement. Many words have referential and additional meanings. Referential meanings are generally fixed—e.g.，“road” and 路 mean the same thing today as they did fifty or even a hundred years ago. The visual meaning associated with the colors red and white also have not changed signifi­ cantly; fifty years ago, Chinese and Americans all stopped when they saw red traffic lights, and today they still do so. Additional meanings, how­ ever, are much less fixed; the color white, for example, has changed over

Some Comparisons between English and Chinese

19

time in China. Whereas in the past the Chinese wore red when getting married, today many young urban Chinese also get married in white. Thirty years ago, the term 女 朋 友 （ girlfriend) would elicit shyness and embarrassment from the couple, but today, young people are completely at ease using it, showing that the additional meaning of the word has changed with the times. Another important point to bear in mind is the fact that Chinese and English categorize physical things differently. Here is an example: it is pos­ sible to mix and produce innumerable different shades using three basic colors, but different cultures have taken this infinite number of colors and placed them into a finite number of categories. Once humans use words to describe colors, they are forcing reality into their own linguistic frames. It is said there are eleven basic colors in Chinese and English, and that combinations of these words can produce names for 2,048 different shades, but because the cultures have different groupings for colors, these do not necessarily correspond precisely. The basic colors of red, yellow, green, black, and white match up well, but the various other shades may not; Chinese has no single equivalents for “azure” or “maroon•” These examples remind us that all words are “tyrannical,” in the sense that reality is often forced into lexical structures that differ greatly from language to language, making exact equivalents difficult. Some­ times what appear to be the closest equivalents do not really match up in terms of meaning. Since all human communication has to make use of the same medium of language, even if we know that specific words do not represent exactly the same reality, we still have to use them. The well-known saying from general semantics “the map is not the territory” aptly describes the fact that words often do not reflect reality. There are many such examples, but most illustrative for Chinese-English are the terms for family relationships. In Chinese there are many different terms for relations on the paternal and maternal side, categorized by genera­ tion, sex, and age, so the simple term 表弟 should strictly be translated as “son of your mother’s sibling who is younger than yourself,” but since English does not distinguish such niceties, it is simply rendered as “ male cousin.” There are times, however, when there is no close equivalent, and then the translator has to create a new word. This happens most fre­ quently for scientific and technical terms. Since most modern technology has originated in the West, and many terms did not exist in Chinese, many new words have been created, such as 旁 道 术 （ bypass) and 因特网 (the Internet). The same applies to Chinese terms now commonly used in English, such as “Tai Chi” （ 太极)，“Qigong” （ 气功)， and many terms in traditional Chinese medicine.

20

I ntroduction to Chinese -E ngush T ranslation

Comparison of Syntax The parataxis of Chinese and the hypotaxis of English mean that their respective syntaxes are also very different. The relationship between words in an English sentence is clearly indicated by a link word—e.g., “Don’t come in until I call you,” where the two verbs are linked by the conjunction “until.” Chinese is different: the same sentence is rendered 不叫你不要进来， where the sense of “until” is implied and is filled in by the listener. English is thus sometimes described as an uobjective,> lan­ guage and Chinese a usubjectiveMone, or, to put it another way, English is a language of “objective rules” and Chinese a language of “subjective interpretations.” To convey meaning, English relies to a greater extent on strict rules of grammar and syntax, while Chinese has loose and flexible syntax and relies on the individual words themselves to carry more of the meaning. These differences often spell trouble for translators. Putting a hypotactic language into a paratactic one often means the features of the first get transferred into the second, so English into Chinese produces English-sounding Chinese, and the reverse produces Chinese-sounding English (Chinglish). Another comparison is word order. Both languages basically follow the SVO order (subject-verb-object), which makes simple sentences easy to translate. Chinese says 我买了一本书， and English says “I bought a book,” where the word order is exactly the same. On this level, even a computer can translate. However, both languages use more than simple sentences to express ideas, and as soon as things become more compli­ cated, the issue of word order arises. tll bought a book yesterday” cannot be translated as 我买了一本书昨天. The adverb of time must be moved forward to conform to Chinese usage. This is still an uncomplicated sen­ tence, and reordering is straightforward. When Chinese sentences become much more involved, however, reordering becomes a major problem. For exam ple,亚洲机会多、发展潜力大、生活刺激，确实是华侨共同的想法has been translated as “Overseas Chinese share the common belief that there are many opportunities in Asia, great potential for career development, and that life there is fast paced and exciting,” and here there have been many changes in word order. Differences in the order of subordinate clauses are another major issue in Chinese-English translation. Adverbial clauses in English can come before or behind the subject, but in Chinese, there is even greater flexibility (see Chapter 10, Adverbial Clauses). The attributive clause in English is always placed to the right of, or after, the modified element, so English is called a Right Branching Direction (RBD) language—e.g.,

Some Comparisons between English and Chinese

21

“The m u sician who played at the concert is from China.” In Chinese, this becom es在音乐会上演奏的那位音乐家是从中国来的, where the modi­ fier is placed to the left or before the modified element, making Chinese a Left Branching Direction (LBD) language (see Chapters 9 and 10 on relative and adverbial clauses). Another syntactical feature is the use of the passive voice. While Chi­ nese and English both have a passive voice, its usage varies considerably, both in context and in frequency. (For more details, see Chapter 11, The Passive Voice.)

Discourse Structures The term discourse can be used in a number of different senses, but in linguistics it mainly refers to structures beyond the sentence level. The study of discourse deals with the coherence of sentences, propositions, and turn-takings in conversation. An important aspect of discourse studies is thus coherence, or the logical unity of sentences. Chinese and English order meaning differently. In English, the jux­ taposition of a number of sentences forming a logical unit requires the following of cohesive rules and the use of linkages, which do not neces­ sarily function in the same way in Chinese sentences expressing the same meaning. The result will be a different way of arranging the text and its sections. In English, a topic sentence is placed at the start of the para­ graph, which usually ends with a concluding sentence. This is a deeply ingrained structure that children learn in primary school. In Chinese, in contrast, the topic sentence will often come in the middle or at the end of the paragraph. This difference can give Chinese learners of English and their teachers a lot of headaches. An English-language teacher will emphasize that the topic sentence must come at the beginning, to be fol­ lowed by the other sentences that expand or explain it. This, however, feels very awkward for a Chinese writer, who will usually end up put­ ting down one English sentence after another without using any cohe­ sive devices such as conjunctions or pronouns. Thus, translation between these two language systems, one more linear, the other more circular, raises the issue of whether to transfer the original compositional order. Keeping the source text order retains the cognitive process of the original but may be confusing for target text readers. On the other hand, restruc­ turing it to suit the target text will mean imposing an alien cognitive process on the source. Overall meaning may not be affected, but is this a “faithful” rendering of the original? Clearly, there are no easy answers. Whatever the translator decides to do must take into account these dif­ ferences, which may seem merely structural but in fact reflect different

22

I ntroduction to Chinese -E nglish T ranslation

ways of sequencing sentences (i.e., meaning), and are the result of very different cognitive processes. The specific circumstances of the translation play a major role in the actual decision of whether to reorder. In regard to cognitive differences, it is helpful to compare English and Chinese more broadly. The following are some general differences between IndoEuropean languages and Chinese that are reflected in written texts: In d o-E u rop ean L anguages

Chinese

from from from from from from

from from from from from from

inner to outer small to big near to far micro to macro individual to whole concrete to abstract

outer to inner big to small far to near macro to micro whole to individual abstract to concrete

Such differences are ubiquitous, even in practical conventions, such as the way an address is written on an envelope. In English, the name of the addressee comes first, then the street, the city, the state, and then the country (from small to big): John Smith 389 Pine St. Fresno, CA U.S.A. But in Chinese, the order is completely reversed (from big to small): 中国、北京 黄河大街十一号 李海林先生收 So when translating an addressed envelope, which usage should be fol­ lowed, the source or the target? Another aspect of discourse is formulaic expressions, which may or may not go beyond the sentence level. These expressions consist of several linguistic components, more often clauses or sentences. They look like regular sentences, but are culturally bound, or “frozen,” with a fixed sequence of language components. Polite language formulae are a good example. When we say t(l am sorry to be asking again, but you haven't yet replied to my question,n the required conjunction but links the two sentences in a specific way (“sorry … but ...”） that marks this as

Some Comparisons between English and Chinese

23

a formulaic structure expressing politeness. Native speakers of English routinely use but after sorry, whereas in Chinese this is not required. Translating the above sentence a s 对不起，又问你这个问题了，但是你还 没有回答我呢， maintains the English order of coherence but is awkward and confusing in Chinese, which would omit the conjunction altogether or use 因为 instead. Translation of formulaic language tends to emphasize meaning and tone over form. Now that we have discussed the basic concepts of translation and compared the two languages, let us examine some of the skills most fre­ quently used in translation.

Comparison Exercises Translate the following sentences, paying attention to how Chinese and English express the same idea.

Chinese-English i . 除了用镜头说话，林先生也努力笔耕。

2.

—路走来，总是到了山穷水尽他才发现新的可能性。

3 . 李先生的努力有了成果。

4 . 很多电影导演的作品都是反映他们的生活背景。

5 . 电影让林先生找到了自己，让一位父亲找到了儿子。

24

I ntroduction to Chinese -E ngush T ranslation

English-Chinese 1.

With so large a population on so small an island, the best parts of the coast are inevitably rather crowded during the summer.

2.

Most big companies have been built up by a process of mergers and takeovers.

3.

In Britain, rainfall is not that heavy, winters not that cold nor the summers that hot, and there are seldom violent storms or winds.

4.

Potatoes are an important source of starchy food in temperate coun­ tries, as are bananas in the tropics.

5.

In spite of many stories of prosperity in the United States, not only does poverty exist, but crimes of various types have been increasing at an alarming rate.

PART TWO

Basic Techniques

25

CHAPTER 3

Conversion Those who study a foreign language study grammar intensively and devote particular attention to the functions and uses of various parts of speech. While a good knowledge of grammar and parts of speech is extremely useful in mastering a foreign language, and especially for reading and writing, it can also hamper translation by tying the translator to rigidly fixed categories. The following examples of conversions of parts of speech are designed to illustrate the need for flexibility. 1 . 记录我们的感情和生活是非常重要的。 A record of our lives and feelings is very important. 2 .

多种东南亚热带蝴蝶在台湾落脚，也被怀疑与全球暖化有关。 The arrival in Taiwan of many varieties of tropical butterflies from Southeast Asia may also be linked to global warming.

3 .

茶叶专家们还能评出茶叶的制造过程。 Tea experts can also tell how the tea has been processed.

In example 1， the Chinese verb 记录 is converted into a noun, “a record.” In example 2，在 台 湾 落 脚 （literally “to set foot in Taiwan”） is translated into the noun phrase “the arrival in Taiwan.” In example 3,制 造 过 程 （literally “process of manufacture”） is translated into the passive verb form “has been processed.” Without this kind of conversion of parts of speech, the target text would be very awkward and stiff. One of the basic skills in translation between Chinese and English is the ability to convert nouns into verbs and vice versa, thus providing fluency and smoothness to the final version. Let’s look at this from the English perspective. 1.

The United States has long had a reputation as a pioneer in ad van ced technology. 美国作为高科技的先锋早已著称于世。

2.

The improbable pregnancy was big news for her family. 她竟然怀孕了，这对她的家庭来说是件重大消息。 27

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I ntroduction to Chinese -E nglish T ranslation

Example 1 could be translated美国早有高科技先锋的声誉， but the translation above has changed the noun “reputation” into the verb 著称于 世. Example 2 does the opposite by turning the English noun “pregnancy” into the Chinese verb 怀孕了 • Though these are all examples of conversions between nouns and verbs, conversions between other parts of speech are also very common. Source text nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions do not have to be retained as such in the target text but can be freely converted as the need arises. Here are some more examples from Chinese: 1 . 世界各国联手减少温室气体，希望新型小汽车能够早早上路。 Countries around the world are taking action to reduce green­ house gases, and it is hoped that new car models will soon be available. 2 .

出自国内设计师之手的产品价格并不低于国外产品。 Domestically designed products are not cheaper than those from abroad.

3 .

卫生部门以疫苗防治 ， 乙型肝炎病例已显著下降。 Immunization by public health departments has led to a signifi­ cant fall in cases of hepatitis B.

In example 1, 上路 is a verb, but in English it becomes the adjec­ tive “available.” In example 2, 国内 here is an adjective, but in English becomes the adverb “domestically.” In example 3 , 以疫苗防治 is a verbal phrase, but in English it becomes a nominal construction “immunization efforts,” and 显著下降 is also a verbal phrase but is translated into the nominal construction “significant fall.” The same applies to translation from the English, e.g.: 1.

The experiment was widely expected to b e successful. 实验的成功是人们普遍预期的。 （ 人们普遍预期实验能成功。 ）

2.

People nominated him to the vacant post. 人们推荐他来填补这个空缺。

3.

I showed my parents around the city. 我带父母游览这座城市。

4.

The country was in a financially difficult situation. 当时国家的财政困难。

In example 1，“successful” is an adjective, but in Chinese it translates equally well as the verb or noun 成功. In example 2, the preposition “to”

Conversion

29

is expressed by the Chinese verb 填补. In example 3, the English preposi­ tion “around” becomes the Chinese verb 游览 •In example 4, the English adverb “financially” is rendered by the Chinese noun 财政. These examples show that the translator does not have to render parts of speech rigidly and can adopt a flexible approach on the basis of the text. Sometimes conversion cannot be avoided, as in the sentence “The crowd waited for a sight of the queen passing by,” in which “sight” cannot be rendered by an equivalent noun in Chinese that would sound idiomatic or fluent (人群都等着想在女王路过时能看一眼女 王 .o r 都等着想 在女王路过时能看见她 both show that conversion into a verb is unavoid­ able). Such conversions are called “mandatory.” However, there are times when they are “optional,” determined not so much by correctness as by appropriateness. Translators often unconsciously engage in conversion of parts of speech, and the appropriateness of the conversion often demon­ strates the degree of the translator's skill.

Conversion Exercises Translate the following sentences without thinking too much about con­ verting parts of speech, but pay special attention to the idiomatic quality of the English. When you have finished, review your translations against the source text, and observe where you used conversion. This ordering of work by translating first and then reviewing the translation is helpful to gain a better understanding of conversion, and this is also how transla­ tions are done in real life. Translators seldom use conversion consciously, relying instead primarily on intuition and on a “feel” for the language. 1 . 大学扩大招生后，大学教育便从以往的精英教育变成普及教育。

2 . 在这些孩子的笔下，生活总是愉快的。

3 . 我记得那时我的打扮挺滑稽。

4 . 与这位将军的婚姻正是她传奇一生的起点。

30

I ntroduction to Chinese -E nglish T ranslation

5 . 西方人不太了解中国传统社会向来重视风水观念。

6 . 这话虽然夸张，却也有几分可信。

7 . 坦白说，我不喜欢这个穿着时髦衣服的年轻人。

8 . 那是个男孩，可能还不满周岁。

9 . 杭州素以风景秀丽著称。

1 0 . 我相信读者读完这本书，对长江各方面会有个概况性的了解。

1 1 . 我想我做的是科学普及的工作。

1 2 . 尽管理智上她接受这一切因素，但心情还是大受影响。

1 3 . 病人对教会办的医院的期望比一般医院来得高。

1 4 . 我对于是否接受这份工作仍然举棋不定。

Conversion

31

1 5 . 他知道你这样的肤色穿什么颜色较合适。

1 6 . 母亲承担下了所有的家务，却没有一声怨言。

1 7 . 疫苗是防疫的第一线，不过效果不是百分之百。

1 8 . 现在大学生的理想色彩淡化了。

Test Translate the following sentences, and then check your versions against the sample translations at the back of the book. Compare the conversions and decide which is better. 1.

一个家族做什么生意，孩子就被塑造成这一行的人。

2 . 空气严重污染，大家都不得不离开这个城市。

3 - 他的逝世是革命结束的象征。

4 . 明亮的色彩是他画作的一个特色。

5 - 绝对不许违反这个原则。

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I ntroduction to Chinese -E nglish T ranslation

6 . 大多数学生反对他的建议。

7 . 我作这个试验主要是为了获取新的数据。

8 . 因特网对于我的工作来说是必不可少。

9 . 所有与会代表都坚决地反对他的提议。

1 0 . 这个电脑公司财务十分困难。

CHAPTER 4

Amplification Translation is the rendering of a source text into a target text but not nec­ essarily using the same number of words or parts of speech. We dealt with conversion in the last chapter, and here we will talk about amplification. This is the addition in the target text of words that did not appear in the source text but without affecting the original meaning. For convenience sake, we can divide amplification into two categories: “grammatical” and However, in many cases in which there is no obvious pas­ sive marker such as IS, much less any "doer^ of the action, the implied meaning is still passive. For example: 1 . 这本书年底将完成。

This book will be com pleted by the end of the year. 2 .

新的教学法几年前就已采用了。

New methods of teaching were a d o p ted a few years ago. 3 .

两个物体相互摩擦时，电子便从一个物体转到另一个物体上。

W hen tw o objects are rubbed together, electrons are transferred from one to the other. Here, the actions 完成，采用，摩擦，转到 have no active subject, but since passive meaning is clearly implied, they are rendered in English in the passive. For translation in the other direction, from English into Chinese, the principle remains the same—e.g., “Heart murmurs are frequently heard in these patients” is translated a s 这些病人中常可听到心脏杂音， not a s 杂 音可以被听到; again, “Each candidate can make himself heard” cannot be rendered a s 每位候选人都能使自己被听到but more flexibly a s 每位候选 人都能让选民听到自己的政见. The passive m arker被 is actually not used that frequently, since there is often no obvious “doer” of an action, espe71

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daily in scientific and technical texts. In any case, the passive voice in Chinese does not have to be expressed with 被 but rather can be rendered by 给 ，遭，挨， or 使 •In many cases, an English passive sentence can be translated into different kinds of active Chinese sentences. Here are some examples:

1. X-ray examination of the chest should be routinely perform ed. 胸

部

X光

检

查

应

列

为

常

规

。

2. The decision to attack was not taken lightly. 进

3.

的

决

定

不

是

轻

易

做

出

的

。

I am scared to death of worms. 我

4.

攻

怕

虫

子

怕

得

要

死

。

I was most intrigued by the little gold lock. 我

对

于

那

个

小

金

锁

特

别

好

奇

。

Finally, the passive English phrases ult is said..., it is supposed..., it is reported …” are often rendered as 据说，据推测， or 据报•Sometimes an active impersonal subject can also be added—e.g.， “It is asserted” can be rendered as 有 人主张. When working fiom Chinese into English, 有人说 does not have to automatically be rendered as “Some people say ...” but instead can be conveyed as “It is said ...” Depending on the context， these are all options. In the examples cited at the beginning of this chapter, in which the active and passive structures are mutually interchangeable, there is no change in the overall meaning, although there may still be small differ­ ences of tone or nuance. At this point, however, we will not consider these more advanced aspects of the question.

Passive Exercises Translate the following sentences, paying special attention to the under­ lined portions. Some have explicit passive markers and others do not. There is no need to be limited to passive voice forms in translating them.

Chinese-English l.

他

儿

子

被

视

为

大

陆

籍

，

在

上

海

读

大

学

。

The Passive Voice

73

2 . 当年雅虎崛起的时代, 正是因特网萌芽的时期。

3 . 人们常说, 初生牛犊不怕虎。

4 . 火在一小时后被朴灭。

5 . 这项工程将在明年年底竣工。

6 . 到现在为止还没有得出结论。

7 . 政府预算一半以上塞赌博业的税收。

8 . 在研究中心，一区区的办公室隔板中, 一对对在显示器前专注的眼睛, 令人印象深刻。

9 . 在纽约过了三年以商业摄影为生的日子，每天像机器一样生 活 ，李先生 觉得日子索然无味。

1 0 . 从这些新近落成的公共艺术中可以发现,公共艺术的形式和材料千变万 化 ，并非只限干雕塑品。

74

I ntroduction to Chinese -E nglish T ranslation

English-Chinese The passive and active voices are two sides of the same coin, so a deeper understanding will help us to translate them in a better way. Here are some examples of English sentences. Translate them, paying special attention to the underlined parts, and then look at them from the Chinese perspective in the Answer Key. 1.

Nearly 8 million new cars are made each year.

2.

This sort of advertisement is seen everywhere.

3.

Railroad stations were so crowded with migrants that guards were called in to keep order.

4.

Although slavery had long been abolished, white landowners treated the black tenant farmers harshly and unfairly.

5.

Over the years, twenty-six amendments have been added, but the basic document has not been changed.

6.

The software is owned by the company and is protected by United States copyright laws and international treaty provisions.

The Passive Voice

75

7.

You have the right to be informed of such risks as well as the nature of the operation and its expected benefits or effects.

8.

It was said that he was jealous of her. People said that he was jealous of her. He was said to be jealous of her.

Test Chinese-English Translate the following sentences, paying special attention to the passive voice. You don't have to follow that structure strictly, since the translator should make the choice based on context and circumstances. 1.

土地属于国家。 （use the verb “to own” ）

2 . 有些问题仍有待澄清。

3 . 王先生的画最后终于被社区接受了。

4 . 这两本书的文字风格差别很大。

5 . 绝大多数今日知名的网站都是在那段时间建立起来的。

76

I ntroduction to Chinese -E nglish T ranslation

English-Chinese 1.

Although they were promised better housing in the North, some families were forced to live in overcrowded and unhealthy quarters.

2.

He is thought to have information that will be useful to the police.

3.

When the market is very low, companies with large retained earn­ ings may be tempted to buy up other companies, rather than use their funds for capital expenditure.

4.

The operation will be carried out by the famous surgeon.

5.

The house next door has been bought.

6.

The house next door has been bought by a Mr. Jones.

7.

Soil analysis was widely employed to determine the elements needed by a particular soil to maintain or restore its fertility.

8.

So far, the guards have not been identified as suspects in the case.

PART THREE

Advanced Issues

77

CHAPTER 12

Translation of Metaphors When someone says 他像一座灯塔 we know that this is a simile from the use of the word 像， and it can be translated correspondingly as “He is like a beacon.” The expression 他是—座灯塔 is more unusual, since a person cannot literally be a beacon; however, we understand that the meaning is expressed in the form of a metaphor. Metaphors are expressions that use common everyday concepts to describe more abstract ideas. For example, a new manager takes over a failing company and makes it a success; the employees all praise him 经理是我们的蛇手•The term 蛇 手 （ “helmsman,” “pilot”） has nothing to do with business, but there is no misunderstanding here, and the image makes the concept clearer. Navigating is something concrete we all can understand, whereas the company situation is far more abstract, and therefore describing it would require a great many words. By saying that the manager is the helmsman, the writer is com­ paring the company to a ship and the manager to the person guiding it, thus neatly expressing a much more complex set of ideas. Formerly, we used to believe that metaphor was limited to literature and was one of the techniques of vivid literary writing. This is, however, inaccurate: nonliterary writing contains many metaphors, though often we fail to realize them. Few people are aware that 他语法掌握得不错 is actually a metaphorical expression, since 掌握 means 握在手掌之中. At the beginning of the 1980s, the old concept of metaphor as a purely lit­ erary device was strongly challenged by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson in their work Metaphors We Live By,1which expanded the range and scope of the concept of metaphor. Aspiring translators can learn much from this book, but here we are not going into the theoretical details of the subject. Rather, we are going to examine how to translate metaphors. Here are some examples in both Chinese and English: 1 .

又要顾事业，又要顾家庭，现代女性蜡烛两头烧。

Modern wom en have careers and families and are tiying to burn the candle a t both ends.2 2 .

他们俩人曾经走过婚姻中的低潮与风雨。

They have been through some difficult times in their marriage. 79

80

I ntroduction to C hinese-E nglish T ranslation

3 .

海水是这个海岛的护城墙，也是通往世界的£1。

The ocean is both the island's protection, and its jink to the world. 4. We refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt, 我们拒绝相信正义的锒行已经破产。 (我们拒不相信…）

5.

My principle is ''better to die in glory than live in dishonor." 我 的 原 则 是 “宁为玉碎，不为瓦全” 。

In the first example, is a metaphor describing the difficul­ ties of modern women faced with pressures of both career and family. Here the translator has kept the original metaphor in its entirety. It should be born in mind that this Chinese metaphor actually originates from the English one, uto burn the candle at both ends/' If the trans­ lator recognizes the source of the metaphor, then the literal rendering should be used. In example 2,低潮与风雨 is a metaphor describing prob­ lems and disagreements. Here the translator has refrained from using a literal translation and has used the nonmetaphorical “difficult times.” In example 3，护城墙 and 门 are both used metaphorically, and the trans­ lator has translated 门 using a different metaphor, “link,” but rendered 护 城墙 in a nonmetaphorical way, as “protection.” For example 4 in English, “bank of justice” and “bankrupt” are used metaphorically but rendered literally in Chinese. In example 5, there is no metaphor in English, but the translator has created two in the Chinese 玉 and 瓦. These examples show that common techniques for translating metaphors include the following: ^ Keep the original metaphor, as in examples 1 and 4. Use a new metaphor, as in example 3. ^ Replace a metaphor with a non-metaphor, as in example 2. ◊ Use a metaphor to replace a non-metaphor, as in example 5. The metaphors we have been dealing with are very easy to pick out: we can call them “visible” metaphors. However, both Chinese and English also have many not-so-visible ones, which can cause the translator many headaches. Any frequently employed verbal device tends to lose its originality, and metaphors are no exception. A striking image or expression no longer stands out if it is used a great deal. For example, “His theory has a solid foundation” contains a metaphor comparing the solidity of the theory with the foundations of a building, but we no longer even notice it. Such metaphors have become “conventional” and so deeply embedded in our everyday language that we hardly realize we are using them. Look at the following examples:

Translation of Metaphors

81

1 . 这会产生期望上的落差. 很容易引发焦虑和摩擦。

This will create different expectations, leading t。 anxiety and friction. 2 .

人连自己的命运都难以掌握。

No one really controls their fate. 3 .

面对全球化的经济变局，化知识为利润，已是不得不走的一条路。

In the fa c e of today's dram atic global econom ic transformation, the only choice is to try to turn knowledge into profit. 4.

I am in love. 我在热恋中。

5.

I am feeling very down. 我感觉糟透了。

6. They arrived a t the foot of the mountain. 他们抵达山脚下。 Example 1 contains the metaphor 落差， but this has become such a common expression that we no longer see the image, and the translation becomes the nonmetaphorical “different expectations•” The metaphorical 摩擦，however, has been retained as “friction.” In example 2, the meta­ phorical 掌握 (“grasp in the hand”) becomes “control,” and the metaphor is lost. In example 3,—条路 is a very common but usually unnoticed meta­ phor that becomes the nonmetaphorical “choice.” Examples 4，5, and 6 are in English. In 4, love is likened to a three-dimensional space in which a person is submerged, and this metaphor is kept in the Chinese 在热恋 中• In example 5, the mood is likened to the directional “down,” which signifies a negative shift (“up” has a positive meaning). These directional connotations are the same in Chinese, but since there is no equivalent expression for this particular context, the translator has removed the metaphor and rendered the meaning by 感觉糟透. In example 6, “foot of the mountain” is a metaphor, and though more striking than in the two previous sentences, it is still a very common expression and can be ren­ dered by the corresponding metaphor iJjSiPT. Such conventional metaphors need not be taken too seriously, and there is no need to spend too much time trying to retain them in the target text. Since most of them have already lost much of their “color,” niore attention should be placed on the readability and idiomatic quality of the final translation. Translating metaphors, however, can be quite challenging. The four options cited above must often be considered in conjunction with other

82

I ntroduction to Chinese -E nglish T ranslation

factors. Ultimately, the most important consideration is the readability and fluency of the final translation. Chinese often uses hyperbole—e.g., 弹丸之地， literally “land the size of a pellet,” which the translator is cer­ tainly not going to retain. A better, more idiomatic (though less colorful!) translation will be “a tiny area,” or “a small piece of land.” Another factor is the type of text involved. For example, literary writing relies heavily on carefully thought-out metaphors that characterize the style and dis­ tinguishing features of the author. It is therefore important to keep these metaphors in the translation, while in nonliterary texts keeping strictly to the metaphor is less important. Another factor involves the freshness and originality of the metaphor. The more striking it is, the greater the importance of retaining it, while tired and cliched images can be dis­ carded. Readability and the type of text are thus vital considerations for the translator and, most important, ensuring that the final product is an acceptable target text version.

Exercises Read the following sentences, find the metaphors and decide how to trans­ late them by referring to the options and techniques described above. These are single sentences without any context, so the focus here should be on readability and on the freshness of the metaphor. 1 . 正好他太太有意转换事业跑道。

2 . 李先生明知山有虎，偏向虎山行，决定接受这个任务。

3 . 艺术 是灵感（ inspiration)的舞台，思考是绘画的灵魂。

4 . 他们可以在农村住几个月，在那里作调查、交朋友，这 叫 “下马看花” 。

5 . 她的菜几乎一上桌几分钟就风卷残云。

Translation of Metaphors

83

6 . 斯坦福大学成功地将科学理论和产业结合，为硅谷提供了茁壮成长的沃 土。

7.

十年磨一剑

8 . 靠山吃山，靠水吃水

9 . 成年人一味地将成人的价值观灌输到儿童身上。

1 0 . 但许多传统的价值观若不破除，讲儿童权益不过是挂在嘴上的口号罢 了。

1 1 . 社会上儿童虐待、疏忽等事件频传，儿童成为父母面临生活压力时的替 罪羊 。

Test Translate the following sentences, paying attention to the metaphors, and then review your translations and the techniques you used. 1 . 有朝一日我回台湾， 我要让台湾人因为我在上海的成就用八人大轿抬我 回去。

2 . 在 城 里 ，我是无名鼠辈，可在乡下，大家都认为我是了不起的人物。

84

I ntroduction to Chinese -E nglish T ranslation

3

.

双

方

都

不

能

打

退

堂

鼓

。

4

.

有

些

领

导

人

在

农

村

呆

几

个

小

时

就

走

，

这

5

.

我

给

你

买

的

是

一

架

自

动

对

焦

的

傻

瓜

相

机

6

.

我

们

必

须

迎

接

高

科

技

时

代

的

种

种

挑

战

。

7

.

在

营

养

、

健

康

上

都

有

长

足

的

进

步

。

8

.

观

念

的

改

变

并

非

朝

夕

就

能

看

出

成

效

的

。

9

.

不

是

每

家

公

司

都

可

以

靠

品

牌

坐

享

厚

利

。

很

少

工

程

师

在

设

计

产

品

时

能

跳

脱

窠

臼

、

1

0

.

叫

“走

马

看

花

”。

。

锐

意

创

新

。

Note 1.

George Lakoff and Mark Johnson . M eta p h ors We L ive B y . ( Chicago : The University of Chicago Press , 1 9 8 0 . )

CHAPTER 13

Idioms and Four-Character Expressions Metaphors and idioms are closely related, and most idioms are in fact based on metaphors—e.g.，对牛弹琴 contrasts 牛 and 琴 in a metaphorical way, since we all know that it is not referring to real “cows” or “lutes.” However, not all metaphors are idioms. For example,少年儿童是祖国的花 朵 contains a metaphor but no idiom. Idioms contain the essence of a culture and provide a vivid picture of the people and civilization from which they spring. Since Chinese-language idioms are often closely associated with historical events, learning the idiom will provide insight and knowledge into Chinese history. The idiom 投鼠忌器 expresses “fear of repercussions,” “hesitancy before action” ；it derives from a story, and knowing that story makes the idiom more inter­ esting and vivid. Chinese idioms can be made up of many characters, as in 前怕狼后怕 虎， but most are usually composed of only four， such as 胆小如鼠，幸灾乐 祸， 手舞足蹈， and 竭泽而渔. This four-character structure is unique to Chinese. In Chinese-English translation, four-character structures cannot be rigidly rendered into four English words, and therefore the translator must dig beneath the surface to truly understand the meaning and con­ notations of the expression. Under most circumstances this is sufficient, for example: 1 . 我后来才发现，新闻系藏龙卧虎。

Later on, I discovered that the Journalism Departm ent was full of highly talented people. 2 .

他突然受到主管的赞扬，深感受宠若惊。

When his boss praised his work, he was quite overwhelmed. 3 .

这些发明多半都束之高阁，乏人问津。

Most of these inventions are shelved and forgotten.

85

86

I ntroduction to Chinese - E nglish T ranslation

4 .

他们俩虽然是夫妻，但却过着貌合神离的生活。

Though married and seemingly in harmony, in fact, e a ch is going his and her own wav, 5 . 这段山路崎岖难行，他老马识途, 就由他带路好了。

The road is rugged and winding, but he is an experienced guide, so let him lead the way. These examples illustrate the technique of understanding the idiom and of providing a free translation without trying to find a matching idiom in English. The translator should definitely not worry about the number of words used in the translation. While in general literal translation should be avoided, in certain specific situations, as when translating titles, such translation can be considered. Take, for example, the film 《臣卜虎藏龙》 which was translated as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon—quite dif­ ferent from the same idiom in example 1 above. Generally speaking, a flexible free translation will be the best choice, as in example 5, where the metaphor 老 马 识 途 （literally “the old horse knows the way”） has been completely eliminated in “experienced guide.” The English simile “like an old horse” has a different connotation (“creature of habit”） and cannot be used here. And the translator must always beware of false friends! In another very common form of idiom, the first and the second pairs of characters mean the same thing—e.g.,难分难解，长篇大论，志同道合，千 真万确，深情厚谊， 千丝万缕， 情投意合， 一举一动， 海誓山盟. This repetition is mainly intended to provide for the balance and rhythm of four characters and has little to do with meaning, rather like the English repetition of synonyms “reshape and restructure” in certain types of texts. The idiom 千真万确 can therefore be treated as one unit of translation rather than two and rendered simply as “absolutely true.” Other idioms are also made up of pairs of characters that, though not identical, are still closely linked in meaning and should be dealt with in the same way一 e.g•，返老还童，作 奸犯科. The principle of free translation without the metaphor applies even to some idioms that are not limited to four characters—e.g.，九牛二虎之力 is translated as “with all one’s strength,” without any reference to 牛 or 虎. And yet one more very typical Chinese form of expression: the play on words based on puns on homophonous characters (歇后语). An example is 外甥打灯笼一照舅. The play is on the sounds and the meanings of the combination of the individual characters. This is more or less untranslat­ able if efforts are made to retain the original wordplay. In this example, 照舅 is a play on the homophonous 照旧， which cannot be translated into English. The only recourse is a free translation, “Things will be back

Idioms and Four-Character Expressions

87

to what they were before,Mwhich has totally lost the humor of the pun. When a pun appears in a text, the translator must examine its function: if its purpose is solely to convey information, then its “cleverness” and humor can be ignored and the underlying meaning translated. Some­ times the translator is lucky and can manage to come up with a matching bit of humor. For example, the sentence 他 还 是 闹 个 瞎 子 点 灯 一 白 费 蜡 has been translated as “He was, as the saying goes, like a blind man using a candle—wasting wax.” To better understand Chinese-English translation of idioms, it is worthwhile to look at the same phenomenon from the other direction. When translating from English into Chinese, we can make use of this Chinese predilection to make the translation smooth and concise. Con­ sider the following:

1. He stood on the threshold of a distinguished career. 他

2.

似

锦

。

无

穷

无

尽

的

辩

论

之

后

.

众

人

望

眼

欲

穿

，

变

化

却

姗

姗

来

迟

。

M any people in the U.S.A m ake little effort to hide their emotions. 许

4.

程

C hange comes heartbreakingly slowly after endless d e b a te . 在

3.

前

多

美

国

人

根

本

就

不

去

掩

盖

喜

怒

哀

乐

。

Bruce Lee m astered every physical technique of fighting, becom ing almost supernaturally good. 李

小

龙

精

通

各

种

格

斗

术

，

套

套

招

数

几

乎

天

衣

无

缝

。

All the four-character expressions here are very aptly used, giving accurate meanings and demonstrating good style that is neither awk­ ward nor too literary-sounding. Such idioms have often been in use for a long time, and this has blurred the original analogy or metaphor so much that no one any longer thinks of the first meaning. For example 天 衣 无 缝 means “perfect,” or “complete,” and no one actually thinks of “clothes” and “holes” anymore (see Chapter 12 on metaphors). Be that as it may, the translator still needs to be very cautious when using Chinese idioms pre­ cisely because they are so strongly culture based. If used inappropriately, the result can strike the wrong tone and even be quite funny.

I ntroduction to Chinese -E nglish T ranslation

88

Exercises Translate the following sentences, paying special attention to the under­ lined parts. See if the idioms can be literally or freely translated. Compare your versions with the sample translations in the Answer Key. 实现这个目标易如反掌。

2.

几年的好收成使人民逐渐丰衣足食 了。

3.

跟

他

们

讲

爱

因

斯

坦

的

相

对

4.

看

到

火

灾

后

的

惨

状

，

就

是

5.

他们在高考中都名落孙山了。

6.

在

他

的

花

言

巧

语

哄

骗

下

,

此

项

提

议

对

各

方

面

都

有

利

论

铁

不

，

石

知

，

所

简

直

是

对

牛

心

肠

的

人

,

有

以

多

能

少

一

女

唱

孩

百

弹

也

琴

会

子

合

。

伤

上

.

了

立

心

他

即

落

的

获

泪

。

当

。

得

许

多

人

的

支

持

。

,

说

到

南

极

探

近年来各种贸易、企管顾问公司成立，犹如雨后春笋。

9

.

这

次

讲

演

的

题

目

险

家

的

生

活

上

去

应 了

是 ，

留

学

生

在

美

国

的

真

是

离

题

万

里

。

生

活

，

他

却

东

扯

西

拉

Idioms and Four-Character Expressions

89

1 0 . 自从他获得诺贝尔和平奖以后，便成为和平人士中的风云人物。

1 1 . 李四一事无成，想不到他儿子比他更糟，不肯上进又好吃懒做，真是二 蟹不如一蟹。

1 2 . 你事前不加防范，现在木已成舟, 后悔也来不及了。

1 3 . 对这事，我是擀面杖吹火_ 一窍不诵。

1 4 . 敌人又丈二和尚模不着头脑了。

Test Translate the following sentences, paying special attention to the idioms. See if the idioms can be literally or freely translated. Compare your ver­ sions with the sample translations in the Answer Key. 1 . 将军对此胸有成竹。

2 . 他接任后也不过萧规曹随，并无任何建树。

3 . 他们确信自己当选之后，彼此弹冠相庆，互相道贺。

4 . 孩子整天在托儿所，做父母的还是免不了牵肠挂肚。

90

I ntroduction to C hinese-E ngush T ranslation

5 . 日常生活中鸡毛蒜皮的小事虽无关大局，但还是不可忽视的。

6 . 他们两家的仇恨已是冰冻三尺，非一日之寒，并非三言两语能化解得开 的。

7 . 交友须谨慎，因为近朱者赤，近墨者黑。

8 . 这些政客最善于翻云覆雨，敌友之分完全取决于利害关系.

9 . 我在这个职位上滥竽充数了好几年，想起来真是惭愧。

1 0 . 只有持之以恒地锻炼才能保持身体健康，三天打鱼，两天晒网是不行的。

1 1 . 她心里总有十五个吊桶打水一七上八下。

1 2 . 他个性热情豪爽，与人初次相识也能称兄道弟，显得十分热情。

CHAPTER 14

Text Analysis In the previous chapters, we have described many useful principles and techniques of translation. By way of introduction to translation problems, however, we have until now only used single sentences taken out of con­ text. Yet since sentences only have meaning within a specific text and context, which will have a direct bearing on how they are translated, we must first decide on what specific kind of text we are dealing with. What special features does it have? Who wrote it, and for whom? What were the circumstances of the writing? In other words, who is translating what, for whom, when, where, why and in what circumstances? The answers to these questions will determine translation strategies— e.g., should we do a literal or free translation? Should we be more or less flexible? Should we preserve the form of the source text? Should we reproduce the meta­ phors? All such questions are directly related to the text, because in dif­ ferent texts the same sentence can be rendered in very different ways. This is why text analysis is so vital, and we will discuss some of the more important ways of doing it. This includes evaluations of function, degree of evaluation, culture, and register.

Function Each text has a specific function that must be determined before we start translating. Scholars have identified many different functions, some very detailed and complicated. For simplicity’s sake, we will use Peter Newmark’s functional categories: expressive，informative, and vocative. He has drawn up a table of these functions and their relation to specific translation strategies.

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I ntroduction to C hinese-E nglish T ranslation A

B

EXPRESSIVE Lit籲rotur暴 owthoritattv*

INFORMATIVE Scientific and ttchnica丨r*p〇ft» ondtaxtbooks

'Idtoi* ttyla T«t #rnpho*ii Focuk Method Unit of tron»l〇tion Maximum Minimum (7) Typ* of ionguag* (8) LM»of meaning

Individual Sourcfl kmguog* emewi to w a rd a goal,” so “progress to w a rd ” in V2 is b e tte r: “ O u r co u n try is ste a d ily progressing to w a rd a socialist society ru le d by la w .” 2 3 . 众所周知 is fre q u e n tly tra n s la te d as “as everyone know s,” w h ich is ra th e r in fo rm a l. H ere i t gives cohesion to the tw o paragraphs. “ O f course” serves the same purpose and im p lie s the same m eaning. T h is is an exam ple o f fle x ­ ib ility . A h ig h e r degree o f fo rm a lity could be uAs everyone is w e ll aware/* 2 4 . 共性 in V I is rendered “ u n iv e rs a lity o f la w o f various co u n trie s,” w h ic h is ha rd to understand. The p rin c ip a l m eaning o f 共性 is “co m m o n a lity” so “th e re is m uch in comm on” in V 2 is more accurate. Compare V I ，“H ow ever，we cannot deny the u n iv e rs a lity o f la w o f va rio u s countries, w h ic h reflects th e ru le of social developm ent and w orks as a tool to a d ju st social re la tio n s ,” w ith V2, “I t is also, however, undeniable th a t there is m uch in common in the w ay laws re fle ct p a tte rn s o f social m e d ia tio n and developm ent.” 2 5 . 有相互借鉴、共同发展的趋势 in V I is “tre n d o f le a rn in g fro m each o th e r and o f m u tu a l developm ent.” 的趋势 is rig id ly tra n s la te d “tre n d o f •"” ；共同发展 is in a ccu ra te ly tra n s la te d “m u tu a l developm ent.” V 2 is m ore fle x ib le and unpacks the m eaning o f 共同发展：“ the tre n d is to w a rd le a rn in g fro m each oth e r and evolving together.” 26. The 发 达 in 法 律 文 化 非 常 发 达 is tra n s la te d as “ advanced” in V l. “A dvanced” has the connotation o f “b e tte r th a n ” （ opposite is “backw ard” )，n o t the m eaning o f the source te xt, w h ic h is m erely s ta tin g a fact, not m a k in g a ju d g m e n t. The use o f “possesses a sophisticated le g a l c u ltu re ” b rin g s the sentence closer to the o rig in a l. 27.

法 系 独 具 特 色 in V I is “ (Chinese legal system) has its own ch a ra cte ristics” w hich is in a c c u ra te . 法 系 has connotations o f past practices and customs, w h ich is n o t expressed adequately by “ characteristics.” V 2 ’s “has its own tr a ­

d itio n s ” is more accurate. 28. V I gives “There is g reat p o te n tia l fo r m u tu a l exchange and cooperation betw een th e tw o countries.” “M u tu a l” is re d u n d a n t since “betw een the tw o countries” already states the “ m u tu a lity ， ” and in any case, “ exchange and cooperation” can o n ly ta ke place between several parties.

CHAPTER 17

Economic Text： Speech on China-U.S. Trade 马秀红在中美贸易投资合作研讨会上的讲话1 尊敬的各位中美企业家， 尊敬的各位来宾， 女士们、先 生们， 非常高兴出席今天在克里夫兰举办的中美贸易投资合作研讨会。我谨代表张 穹副 主 任 ，代表中华人民共和国商务部和中国政府法律交流代表团对研讨会 的成功召开表示热烈祝贺，对美国商务部、俄亥俄州政府、克里夫兰市政府 和克里夫兰市世贸中心为筹备此次研讨会所做出的努力表示衷心感谢。2 同 时 ，我也要特别感谢3 中国机电产品进出口商会、美国中国总商会、中国驻 美使馆经商处和中国驻纽约总领馆经商室，他们为此次研讨会成功举办做了 大量工作。 4 促进中美企业间的合作是中国代表团访问俄亥俄州和克里夫兰市的主要目的 之一。5 此次随访的中国企业家代表团由36家企业51人组成。6 这些企业都 是中国知名企业，其中部分企业已在美国投资，但大多数企业希望通过此行 在美国寻求投资机会或采购美国产品。7 此次中国政府和企业家代表团访问 俄 州 ，俄州人民对中国人民的友好情谊，俄州州政府和克里夫兰市政府促进 对华经贸合作所做的不懈努力，给我们留下了深刻的印象。8 我相信，今天 的研讨 会 ，将进一步增进中国企业对俄州和克里夫兰市投资环境和产品的了 解 ，并对扩大中国与俄州的贸易及相互投资，深化中国企业与俄州企业的经 贸合作起到重要作用。 9 俄 亥 俄 州 是 美 国 内 陆 水 运 和 州 际 公 路 系 统 的 交 叉 枢 纽 ，具有得天独厚的地 理 优 势 ，拥 有 较 强 的 制 造 业 、服 务 业 、农 业 等 产 业 基 础 ，以及良好的营 商环境、完善的基础设施、优越的办公条件和高素质的人力资源。1 Q 俄亥俄 州是美国三大工业基地之一， 11 也是美国唯一自1998年来出口持续增长的 州。1 2 目前俄州是全美第二大汽车产品和橡胶制品出口地、第三大钢铁制品 出口地、第四大塑料产品出口地、第五大机械出口地。近 十年 来，俄州投资 环境 不断改 善 ，经济迅速发展，为企业家提供了巨大的商机，成为外国企业 在美制造业投资的重要地区之一。 i3 113

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中国是俄州的重要贸易伙伴。中国政府十分重视发展与俄州的经贸关系，采 取积极措施，促进中国企业与俄州企业的交流与合作。1 4 近年来，俄州对华 出口迅速增长，2005年俄州对华出口额达到9.34亿 美 元 ，比2001年增长了 1 0 8 % , 目前中国已成为俄州第七大出口市场。双边投资合作也取得一定进 展 ，目前，俄州有190多家企业在华投资，经营状况良好，1 5 在取得丰厚利 润回报的同时，占有的中国市场份额不断扩大。1 6 中国企业在俄州投资也开 始 起 步 ，尽管目前投资规模还不大，但越来越多的中国企业对俄州投资环境 表现出浓厚的兴趣，积极寻求在俄州发展的机遇。俄州政府和克里夫兰市政 府积极拓展与中国的合作，继在中国香港设立贸易办公室之后，1 7 最近又在 中国上海设立了贸易办公室。1 8 这些举措19必将对进一步促进中美企业的沟 通 、交 流 ，加强企业间的合作，扩大双边贸易和投资起到重要作用。 2Q (节选自中国商业部网站）

Sample Translation：Version One Address a t China-U.S. Trade and Investment Conference M a Xiuhong, Vice Minister of MOFCOM Distinguished Am erican and Chinese entrepreneurs, Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlem en, I am very pleased to attend the China-U.S. Trade and Investment C on­ ference here in Cleveland. On behalf of Vice Minister Zhang Qiong, the Ministry of Com m erce of China, and the legal exchange delegation of the Chinese governm ent, I would like to congratulate on the successful convening of the conference. I would like to thank the U.S. Departm ent of C om m erce, the Ohio state government, the Cleveland municipal gov­ ernment, and the Cleveland World Trade Center for your preparation for the conference. At the same time, my thanks also go to CCCM E, China General C ham ber of C om m erce in the U.S., the Economic and C om ­ mercial Counselor's Office of the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., and the Economic and Com m ercial Counselor's Office of the Chinese Consulate General in New York for your tremendous efforts, which have m a d e the success of the conference possible. To promote cooperation betw een Chinese and Am erican businesses is one of the major objectives of the Chinese delegatiorVs vis to Ohio and Cleveland. The Chinese business delegation, which accom panies the government delegation, comprises of fifty-one entrepreneurs from thirtysix companies. The com panies are mainly Chinese big names. Some have 汁

Economic Text

115

already invested in the U.S., while the majority wants to take this oppor­ tunity to seek investment opportunities in the U.S. or buy products from the U.S. In visiting the state of Ohio, the Chinese governm ent and busi­ ness delegations are deeply impressed by the friendship of the Ohioan people and the unremitting efforts of the state governm ent and C leve­ land municipal governm ent to promote U.S.-China trade and econom ic cooperation. I believe to d a y ’s conference will play an important role in enabling Chinese com panies to learn more about the investment climate and product portfolio of Ohio and Cleveland and boosting trade and mutual investment betw een China and Ohio, as well as deepening trade and econom ic cooperation betw een Ohioan and Chinese companies. The state of Ohio is a hub of the U.S. inland w ater transportation and the interstate highway network, which gives it a unique geographical edge. The state possesses a com paratively strong industrial foundation in areas such as manufacturing, services, and agriculture, a favorable business clim ate, well-established infrastructure, superb office facilities, an d highquality human resources. Ohio is one of the three industrial bases in the U.S. and the only state seeing a sustained export increase. Currently, Ohio is the second largest exporting state of autom obile products and rubber products to C h in a the third largest of iron and steel products, the fourth of plastic products, and the fifth of machinery. In the past d e c a d e , the investment clim ate in Ohio has been improving and the econom y growing quickly, which has created huge business opportunities for entre­ preneurs, making the state one of the major areas for foreign investment in manufacturing. China is an important trading partner for Ohio. The Chinese governm ent attaches great im portance to the trade and econom ic relationship with Ohio and has taken positive steps to strengthen com m unication and cooperation betw een Ohio and Chinese businesses. In recent years, Ohio’s export to China has been increasing quickly. In 2005, Ohio's export to China stood a t $934 million with a year-on-year increase of 108 per­ cent. At present, China is the seventh largest export market for Ohio. Twow ay investment has also scored certain achievements. So far, more than 190 Ohio companies have m ade presence in China, performing quite well. While gaining big returns, their market share is enlarging. Chinese companies also b eg an to invest in Ohio, though the scale is not big yet. But more and more Chinese companies are showing interest in Ohio's investment environment and seeking for developm ent opportunities. The state governm ent of Ohio and Cleveland municipal governm ent have been actively exploring cooperation with China. After the Trade Office in

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I ntroduction to C hinese-E nglish T ranslation

Hong Kong, another trade office was set up in Shanghai. The moves will play a pivotal role in strengthening communication and exchanges and promoting cooperation betw een American and Chinese businesses, as well as increasing bilateral trade and investment. Excerpt from a speech posted on the Web site of the Ministry of Commerce of the PRC (2006-12-31)

Sample Translation：Version Two Address a t China-U.S. Trade and Investment Conference M a Xiuhong, Vice Minister of MOFCOM Distinguished Am erican and Chinese entrepreneurs, Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlem en, I am delighted to attend the China-U.S. Trade and Investment Confer­ ence here in Cleveland. On behalf of Vice Minister Zhang Qiong, the Ministry of C om m erce of China, and the Governm ental Legal Exchange Delegation, I would like to congratulate you on the successful convening of this conference. I would also like to thank the U.S. Departm ent of C om ­ m erce, the state governm ent of Ohio, the Cleveland municipal gov­ ernment, and the Cleveland World Trade Center for all their hard work preparing this event. At the same time, my thanks also go to CCCME, China General C ham ber of Com m erce in the U.S., the Economic and Com mercial Counselor's Office of the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., and the Economic and Com m ercial Counselor's Office of the Chinese Con­ sulate G eneral in New York for their tremendous efforts, which have all m ade this m eeting possible. One of the major objectives of the Chinese delegation's visit to Ohio and Cleveland is to prom ote cooperation betw een Chinese and American businesses. The Chinese business delegation, which is accom panying the governm ent one, is m a d e up of fifty-one entrepreneurs from thirty-six com ­ panies. These are all big-nam e enterprises in China. Some have already invested in the U.S.# but most wish to use this visit to seek out investment opportunities here or to buy American products. We have been deeply impressed by the friendship of the people of Ohio and the unremitting efforts of the State and Cleveland municipal governments to prom ote U.S.-China trade an d econom ic cooperation. I believe today's confer­ ence will play an im portant role in enabling Chinese com panies to learn

Economic Text

117

more about the investment clim ate and product portfolio of Ohio and C le v ela n d in boosting trade and mutual investment, and in increasing trade and econom ic cooperation betw een our respective companies. The State of Ohio is a hub of U.S. inland w ater transportation and of the interstate highway network, giving it a unique geographical edge. The state is relatively strong in sectors such as manufacturing, services, and agriculture; it has a favorable business clim ate, well-established infrastruc­ ture, excellent office facilities, and highly skilled hum an resources. Ohio is one of the three industrial bases of the U.S., and the only state th at has experienced sustained export increases since 1998. Currently, Ohio is the second largest exporter of automobile and rubber products, the third largest for iron and steel products, the fourth for plastic products, and the fifth for machinery. In the past d e c a d e , the investment clim ate in Ohio has improved and the econom y has grown rapidly, creating huge busi­ ness opportunities and making the state one of the most attractive for foreign manufacturing investment. China is an important trading partner for Ohio. The Chinese governm ent attaches great im portance to our trade and econom ic relationship with you and has taken active measures to strengthen com m unication and cooperation betw een our businesses. In recent years, O hio’s exports to China have increased rapidly. In 2005, these w ere worth USD 934 million, an increase of 108 percent com pared to 2001. At present, China is the seventh largest export market for Ohio. Two-way investment has also been fruitful. So far, more than 190 Ohio com panies have investments in C h in a and these are performing quite well. Returns have been good, and market share is growing. Chinese companies have also begun to invest in Ohio, though not on a very large scale yet. However, more and more are showing interest in Ohio's investment environment and are seeking devel­ opm ent opportunities. The state government and the Cleveland munic­ ipal governm ent have been actively exploring cooperation with China. Following the opening of the Trade Office in Hong Kong, another one has been set up in Shanghai. These will be pivotal in strengthening com m u­ nication and exchanges and in promoting cooperation betw een Amer­ ican and Chinese businesses to increase bilateral trade and investment. (Adapted by Shi Xiaojing)

I ntroduction to C hinese-E nglish T ranslation

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Notes 1.

T e xt analysis and tra n s la tio n strategies: T h is is an o ffic ia l speech ta ke n from the Web site o f the M in is try o f Commerce o f the PRC. I t is w ritte n in a fa irly hig h re g is te r and has the characteristics o f o fficia l style: n e u tra l, n o n -c u ltu re bound, fa ctu a l. L ik e the previous te x t on law , the tra n s la tio n should follow the o rig in a l logic and s tru c tu re s closely. A feature o f o ffic ia l speeches is the use o f standard, fo rm u la ic expressions th a t appear in d iffe re n t settings. These should be d e a lt w ith using e q u ivale n t fo rm u la ic expressions in the ta rg e t te x t to avoid C h in g lish . On the one hand, there cannot be too m uch fle x ib ility , on the other, C h in g lis h should be avoided as m uch as possible. The fo llo w in g notes co n tra s t the tw o versions o f the te x t V I and V2.

2.

Note how V2 adds “ also.” W ith the re p e titio n o f “I w ould lik e ...” i t is smoother to in s e rt “ also” in th e second expression o f th a n k s • 筹 备 ...所 做 出 的 努 力 in V I is “fo r yo u r p re p a ra tio n fo r the conference” b u t is changed to “fo r a ll th e ir h a rd w o rk p re p a rin g th is event” in V2, adding “h a rd w o rk ” and “ event” and avoid in g the re p e titio n o f “conference.”

3.

The tra n s la to r has been influenced by the source te x t and by the re p e titio n of “I w o u ld lik e ” and to avoid i t has used “ m y th a n k s go to.”

4.

V I has “y o u r trem endous e ffo rts， ” w h ile V 2 uses the possessive “ th e ir.” This use o f the w ro n g pro n o u n is a common e rro r in C hinese-E nglish tra n s la tio n , in cases in w h ic h the antecedent and the pronoun do n o t m atch. H ere the “ efforts” are by th ir d parties, not by “you,” and therefore “y o u r” is a m ism atch. V2 also leaves o u t “ success.” 成 功 举 办 means “successful convening,” n o t “suecess o f the conference.” Since th is is one o f the opening speeches, i t is n o t yet clear w h e th e r the conference is a success. The speaker is th a n k in g everyone fo r m a k in g i t possible to meet, n o t fo r the result o f the m eeting. F in a lly , note the use o f “ conference,” “ m eeting,” and “ event” in V2, w h ic h avoids th e repetitio n o f “conference.” W h ile Chinese does not s h rin k fro m re p e titio n s ，E n g lish u s u a lly avoids them .

5.

In V I ，the use o f “ to prom ote” a t the beginning o f the p a ra g rap h is typ ica l C h in g lis h . E n g lis h prefers to p u t a clear subject a t the s ta rt o f a sentence and does so even m ore often fo r a paragraph. V 2 th erefore gives “ One o f the m ajor objectives.” Since these k in d s o f Chinese sentence s tru c tu re s are very common, the tra n s la to r should be p a rtic u la rly sensitive to th is p itfa ll.

6.

N ote how V I uses the w o rd , M a in ta in in g the a ttrib u tiv e fu n ctio n w ith a “w ho” clause produces a clum sy E n g lis h sentence. The expression 与 星 辰 — 块 儿 啸 傲 环 宇 ，a ty p ic a l descriptive exaggeration in Chinese, has been o m itte d since the m eaning is contained in “ space tra v e l ”（ 可乘太空船直入天 际 ) . O f course，i f th is were a lite ra ry w o rk where the d e ta ils are im p o rta n t, such om issions w o u ld be tre a te d more carefully. 15. The lo n g 在 差 不 多 相 同 的 时 候 提 出 这 许 多 针 对 身 心 灵 合 一 问 题 的 类 似 ‘ 解 秘 ’ 之 道 has been s im p lifie d to “ are suddenly so absorbed by these s p iritu a l ques­ tions,” w ith 身 心 灵 合 一 问 题 rendered as “ s p iritu a l questions” and 差 不 多 相 同 的 时 候 o m itte d , the m eaning im p lie d in “ suddenly.” A n o th e r version could be alm ost s im u lta n e o u sly ••••” 1解 秘 ’ 之 道 has been o m itte d , since th is w ould repeat the n e xt sentence th a t also ta lk s about “ answers.” Once again,

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we em phasize th a t such om issions and s u m m a riz in g m u s t be done ve ry cau­ tio u s ly and alw ays a fte r consideration o f the te x t type and the reader. 16. The source te x t 来 自 is tra n s la te d as “ d ra w n fro m ” and 古 老 典 籍 has become “ a ncient beliefs,” w h ich are both d iffe re n t fro m the source te xt, b u t convey the same m eaning. 17. N ote th a t using “ dom inated” in place o f 信 仰 . . . 的 引 领 下 （ “b e lie f in ” ）conveys the m eaning accurately. 18. The tra n s la to r has changed the source te x t sentence s tru c tu re , and so some k in d o f a lin k is necessary between the tw o new sentences; th is is p rovided by “ so now.” Such ra d ic a l syn ta ctica l changes are som etim es necessary in these k in d s o f texts, and since the stru ctu re s them selves are n o t th a t im p o rta n t, the re s u ltin g fin e r differences o f m eaning or nuance are g e n e ra lly acceptable. In o th e r te x t types, however, the tra n s la to r m u s t be m ore c a re fu l . 企 盼 从 中 找 至 丨 J无 解 之 解 is s im p lifie d to “fin d some answers,” w h ic h im p lie s th a t n o t every­ th in g w ill have an answer, or could be rendered as “ in the hope o f solving some o f these m ysteries.”

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CHAPTER 20 :女

Vocative Text： Beyond the Spotlight 热点之外1 “这是个最好的时代，也是最坏的时代，” 2 英国大文豪狄更斯的这句名言3 曾在各个时代被引用过千百次，特别是变动的时代，正处于战争、灾难、艰 苦的时刻。但 仔 细 想 来 ，在步入世人引颈企盼的千禧年之际，这句话却是特 别的贴切。 4 想 想 看 ，我们这一代人是多么的幸运，能生活在这百年一次的世纪之交，并 且正逢几十代才躬逢一回的千禧年^5 虽然说这也不过是人类文明计时计年的 某种方法罢了，但全世界的人能一块儿期待、欢庆同一个时刻的来临，仍然 令人想来就觉得不可思议、兴奋莫名。 6 当然，千禧年能带来如此大的意义与震撼，7 还是因为这个资讯时代己经不知 不觉地将地球凝聚成村，天涯若比邻，8 而这也不过是这半世纪以来，通讯快 速发展的结果。不要说二十世纪初期的百年前想象不到，现在就连让我们回 头想想几年前的事，都觉得恍如隔世。 9 是不是，i c 除了圣诞卡之外，你多久没拿出笔来，选择浅蓝、鹅黄的信笺写 一封给朋友的信了？ u 你又收藏了几封朋友的信，或者情书作纪念？你有多 久和人谈话的主题不是当前最热门的新闻？广告？ 电影？股票？ 1 2 你有多久 不曾坐下来，想想自己的生活方式，和家人、朋友的关系，1 3 对未来的憧 憬和惶惑？ 我 们 是 不 是 已 经 活 生 生 地 被 人 类 自 身 的 文 明 所 吞 噬 .每 天 在 广 播、电视、电脑网路的声光讯息中流转，忘记了生命本身的喜悦与悲怆？ 不是说我们应该抛下文明的便利、资讯的滋养，“ 只是想提醒，资讯的丰沛15 给予我们的应该是更深入的观察与思考，而不是人云亦云，1 6 随著新闻事件 的韵律起舞，在萤光幕的闪烁间，情绪波涛汹涌，1 7 又在下一波的讯息里完 全忘却了几天前才似淹没整个感官世界的大事。 18 节 选 自 《光华》杂志2000年25卷第2期

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Sample Translation Beyond the Spotlight ''It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." This quote from Dickens has been used on countless occasions to describe periods in history, espe­ cially those of rapid change, war, or disaster. It seems particularly a p t now as w e enter the next millennium. Just think how really lucky our generation is: w e experience not only the arrival of a new century, but also a new millennium, which com es only once in dozens of generations. You m ay scoff that this is nothing but an arbitrary point determ ined by an artificial calculation of time. It is none­ theless am azing and exciting that everyone is celebrating this m om ent together. Of course this excitem ent and significance is due in large part to the fact that the information a g e has turned our world into a global village, yet this has really only occurred in the last half century. No one could have imagined such things a t the beginning of the century, and even just a few years ag o this would all have been unthinkable. Looking back now, those days truly seem to belong to a different world. After all, just think, besides a few Christmas cards, when was the last time you put pen to p ap er and wrote a letter, after carefully choosing betw een pale blue and cream paper? How m any notes or love letters have you saved as souvenirs? Or, when was the last time your conversa­ tion with a friend didn't revolve around the latest breaking story, advertise­ ment, movie, or stock market news? When was the last time you just sat quietly by yourself and thought about your life, your family, your friends, and your hopes and fears for the future? Have w e been devoured by our civilization, drowned by the constant flow of bright and loud information pouring over us from radio, television, and the Internet? Have w e forgotten the true m eaning of life's joys and sadness? O f course, I am not saying w e should give up the conveniences of civi­ lization. I just w an t to remind people th at information should lead us to observe and think more profoundly, not simply to d a n c e to the tune of the latest news. Yet, as the screen flickers with some scintillating new story, w e have already forgotten the equally captivating tale that w e heard just a few days before. A d ap ted from a translation in S inoram a, Vol. 25, No. 2 ,2000

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Notes 1.

T e xt analysis and tra n s la tio n strategies: T h is is an excerpt fro m an essay by the e d ito r o f a jo u rn a l, describing personal th o u g h ts and feelings on the ra p id spread o f science and technology. I t does contain a lit tle fa c tu a l in fo rm a tio n , b u t i t focuses m ostly on the w rite r’s emotions, a ttitu d e s , and opinions. I t is not, though, a re a l piece o f lite ra tu re w ritte n w ith a tr u ly d is tin c tiv e personal style, and therefore though the tra n s la to r should ta ke note o f its fla vo r, there is no need to be o ve rly s tric t in fo llo w in g the o rig in a l language. F luency o f the ta rg e t te x t should take precedence. Since the piece comes fro m a p o p u la r jo u rn a l o f opinion th a t aim s to influence its readers, i t has vocative functions, and th e o ve ra ll effect created by the tra n s la tio n on th e reader is v e ry im p o r­ ta n t. The re g iste r is q u ite standard, and lit tle special c u ltu ra l know ledge is re q u ire d fo r com prehension o f the text. T ra n s la tio n strategies should concentrate more on the fu n c tio n a l, e q u iva ­ le n t effect produced and less on in d iv id u a l w ording. In cases where the source te x t is a w kw a rd or even stilte d , the tra n s la to r should “ s tra ig h te n ” th in g s out and m ake them flu e n t, even re s o rtin g to om ission and a m p lific a tio n as long as the o rig in a l m eaning is n o t distorted.

2.

T h is is the f ir s t sentence o f C harles D icke n s^ novel A Tale of Two Cities and m u st be quoted accurately.

3.

The tra n s la to r o m itte d 英 国 大 文 豪 since B ritis h and A m e rica n readers are a ll fa m ilia r w ith C harles D ickens. N a tu ra lly , since a person or event m ay be ve ry w e ll kn o w n in one c u ltu re b u t n o t in another, th e tra n s la to r m ay have to add a m o d ifie r or a d d itio n a l in fo rm a tio n .

4 .

但 仔 细 想 来 is o m itte d . T ra n s la tin g i t lite ra lly as “i f we th in k c a re fu lly ” is in fa ct confusing. Such expressions are often used as cohesive lin k s o r tra n s i­ tion s w ith m ore rh e to ric a l significance th a n m eaning, and th erefore o m ittin g them is an acceptable s tra te g y . 引 颈 企 盼 is also o m itte d . T h is is a vivid , p hysical idiom , lite ra lly “crane the neck in expectation” w h ic h can sound exaggerated in tra n s la tio n . F o r such concrete, s tro n g ly v is u a l expressions, i t is g enerally advisable to tone down or even e n tire ly e lim in a te th e m etaphor or sim ile. T h is p o in t w ill come up again la te r. R efer to C h a p te r 13 on the tra n s la tio n o f idiom s.

5.

N ote th a t the long Chinese sentence is composed o f three p a rts … 幸 运 ，… 之 交 ，and 并 且 正 逢 … loosely s tru n g together. In E n g lish , however, the m eaning lin k s m u s t f ir s t be teased o u t in order to co n stru ct a good sentence. H ere the tra n s la to r has understood the tw o source te x t clauses th a t come a fte r the fir s t clause as the reason fo r feeling “ lu cky” and in th e ta rg e t te x t has used a colon instead o f fo llo w in g the p a ra lle l construction. Such syn ta ctic re a rra n g e ­ m ents are m a in ly fo r reasons o f gram m ar, n o t m eaning. In a d d itio n , in th is sentence , 几 十 代 should be tra n s la te d as “dozens” and n o t “ tens” o f genera­ tions because E n g lis h calculates in “ dozens,” n o t “ tens” — one o f the c u ltu ra l headaches a ris in g from d iffe re n t counting systems.

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I ntroduction to C hinese-E nglish T ranslation

6.

A ty p ic a l Chinese s tru c tu re 虽 然 … 但 是 has been com pletely changed. The single Chinese sentence has been divided in to tw o E n g lis h ones. T ra n s la tio n o f ce rta in w ords here is also w o rth n o tin g : 也 不 过 as “ n o th in g b u t,” 期 待 、 欢 庆 ro lle d in to the single “ celebrate,” and 不 可 思 议 、 兴 奋 莫 名 as “ am azing and excitin g .”

7 .

震 撼 is tra n s la te d as “ e xcitem ent” and n o t as “ shock,” w h ic h has a strong negative connotation in E n g lish .

8.

天涯若 t 匕 令 P is a fre q u e n t quote from Chinese poetry, w h ic h here reinforces the previous clause about the “ global v illa g e .” Such re p e titio n s m ay be used fo r rh e to ric a l reasons in the source te x t b u t are often re d u n d a n t in the ta rg e t te x t in w h ic h th e y can sound strange, and therefore om ission is acceptable. A n o th e r problem is w h e th e r to use th is as a tru e quote or to paraphrase it. S tic k in g a quote in here is ve ry aw kw ard, and p a ra p h ra sin g (uw here we are a ll neighbors now >,) w ill com plicate the sentence w ith o u t re a lly adding very m uch to the m eaning. C onsiderations o f fu n c tio n a lity ta ke precedence here.

9.

N ote th a t the Chinese id io m 恍 如 隔 世 is tra n s la te d as “ those days seem to belong to a d iffe re n t w o rld .”

1 0 . 是 不 是 is a t odds w ith 有 多 久 . Inconsistencies and e rro rs in the source te x t are comm on headaches fo r the tra n s la to r, who often has to w o rk w ith sloppy prose. E ven the best w rite rs m ake m istakes! The tra n s la to r’s re s p o n s ib ility is to correct the e rrors and smooth o u t the inconsistencies. H ere “ a fte r all, ju s t th in k ” is used as a tra n s itio n to the series o f rh e to ric a l questions s ta rtin g w ith “w hen was the la s t tim e .” 1 1 . 你 多 久 is shortened to “w hen was the la s t tim e ...” in ste a d o f th e more rig id “how long ago is i t since you 12. Chinese and E n g lis h use p u n c tu a tio n m a rks d iffe re n tly . A s trin g o f question m a rks a fte r single w ords is n o t sta n d a rd E nglish, and th erefore the tra n s ­ la to r has instead used commas w ith one question m a rk a t the end. 13. S tric tly speaking, o m ittin g 方 式 and 关 系 has changed th e focus s lig h tly . However, the tra n s la to r here cle a rly feels th a t th is m eaning is im p lie d in

“think about your family ... etc.” Since nothing more specific and concrete is m entioned, le a vin g th e m o u t is acceptable. H ere we can once again em pha­ size th a t om ission should be used w ith caution and n o t too freely. 1 4 . 资 讯 的 滋 养 is o m itte d because i t is re d u n d a n t. 文 明 的 便 利 a n d 资 讯 的 滋 养 are placed on an equal footing, b u t the second phrase serves as the specific con­ te n t and illu s tra tio n o f the firs t. In th is context, o m ittin g the second one is acceptable.

15. O m ission o f vious paragraph.

does n o t m a tte r ve ry m uch since th is is im p lie d in the p re ­

Vocative Text

137

1 6 . 人 云 亦 云 is o m itte d , w h ic h seems acceptable, since “ dancing to the tune o f the la te s t news” means the same th in g . T ra n s la tin g the expression lite ra lly overburdens the sentence. 17. W h a t causes 情 绪 波 涛 汹 涌 m u st be determ ined before tra n s la tin g . According to the context, th is should be the in fo rm a tio n on th e screen, and so the tra n s ­ la to r has used ^ s c in tilla tin g news storyZ* I t m ig h t be argued th a t Ms c in tilla tin g ” does n o t have the vig o r o f the o rig in a l id io m , b u t th is “softening” in the ta rg e t te x t is acceptable here. Chinese w ritte n style often uses hyperbole, w h ich can re s u lt in strange, even a w kw a rd E n g lish . F o r example, tra n s la tin g th is id io m lite r a lly as “h ig h em otion,” or “waves o f em otion” is o ve rsta tin g th in g s — probably n o t w h a t the w rite r in tended— and w ould th erefore be a d is to rtio n o f m eaning. S im p lific a tio n is a good p rin c ip le to fo llo w here. One could also argue th a t the use o f such an id io m is in te n d e d iro n ic a lly , as a com m ent on people’s e x c ita b ility and love o f novelty, in w h ic h case the whole sentence can be rew orded: “Y e t instead, o u r he a rts are s tirre d and aroused by the la te s t piece o f news flic k e rin g a t us from our screens, and we co n ve n ie n tly fo rg e t how ca rrie d aw ay we were ju s t the week before by an e q u a lly g rip p in g story.” 18. The basic s tru c tu re o f th is sentence is 忘 却 了 … 大 事 ，and i t contains an a ttrib u tiv e subordinate clause ，几 天 前 才 似 淹 没 整 个 感 官 世 界 的 . In the tra n s la tio n , p a rt o f th is clause has become the phrase “ e q u a lly c a p tiv a tin g ,” w h ic h is placed in fro n t o f “ ta le ” and “ th a t we were to ld ju s t a few days before” behind. 淹 没 整 个 感 官 世 界 has been “ softened” to “ c a p tiv a tin g .” A lite r a l tra n s la tio n o f “overw helm a ll the senses” sounds exaggerated and w o u ld be strange in the ta rg e t te xt. In a tru e lite ra ry te x t i t would, o f course, have to be tra n s la te d lite ra lly .

va.a r t t i

it w ll f l:

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CHAPTER 21

Informative / Evaluative/ Culture-Bound Text： It's Not About Money —身傲骨，两袖清风1 虽然没落，3 但古德福自有一套人生哲学可以快乐度日。4 譬如他从未出过国 门 ，但终日忙碌之余，却 努 力 让 自 己 “不和国际动脉脱节” 。5 报上欧洲国家 总统的专访，他可以一字不漏仔细看完；6 平日一身邋遢在市场叫卖，也不 妨碍他和别人讨论美浓水库兴建利弊的兴头。7 他常自嘲： “ 像我这么爱讲 话 ，对什么都有议论的老人，在这里是很少很少的了。 ” 8 望 族 出 身 ，对 精 致 文 化 的 眼 光 及 对客家文化的 热爱，更使古德福成为研究 客家建筑人士眼中的瑰宝。9 各级学校要来美浓做文化巡礼时，往往会请他 导 游 ，他 一 向 来 者 不 拒 。字正 腔 圆 、漫条斯理、用词精准而风趣的客家国 语 ，每每让访客留下深刻印象。 1() 虽然家道中落，但古德福很开明，总是努力让孩子受最好的教育。 11 —般农 民孩子多半高中毕业后就在家境压力下去赚钱，1 2 但他的五个孩子都是大学 毕 业 ，其中老三古秀如和老四古秀妃为客家原乡美浓写镇志，带动了台湾写 地方志的热潮；1 3 四年前小儿子从台大经济系毕业后，也待在家里写旗山镇 志 ， “耕读传家” 的文人风骨十分鲜明。 14 在女儿古秀妃眼中，父亲是一 位 “生错了时代” 的悲剧人物。 15 “ 以我爸爸 的才华和热情，如果生在今天，可以受好教育、出外发展而不用被绑在家族 农事上，他一定会是位杰出的社会运动者！” 古秀妃如此形容。 以名利的角度看，1 6 古德福一生不算成功，1 7 然而繁华落尽见本性，在沧桑 中仍保有尊严和纯真，这才是古德福最令人敬佩之处。 u 节 选 自 《光华》杂志2000年25卷第 10期 （ 略有改动）

139

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Sample Translation It’s Not About Money His star m ay have w aned, but that hasn't affected Gu Defu's zest for life. For exam ple, although he has never traveled abroad, he neverthe­ less pays close attention to international events. When an interview with a European president appears in the press, he reads it from beginning to end. And the fruit-stained clothing he wears a t the m arket every day doesn't stop him from joining in anim ated discussions on the advantages and disadvantages of building a dam in Meinung. He pokes fun a t him­ self: Til talk your head off on any subject. You won't find m any old fogies like m e around here." As the scion of a once-prom inent family, Gu has a love of Hakka cul­ ture and all things refined, and his enthusiasm has m ad e him a favorite resource for people researching Hakka architecture. Everyone, from ele­ mentary schools right to universities, asks him to be their guide when they com e to tour the cultural sites of Meinung. Gu never refuses. He speaks Mandarin perfectly, but it is his slight Hakka lilt and clear and humorous language th at always m ake an impression on his audience. Although the family's fortunes have declined, Gu is very liberal minded. He always m a d e sure his children got the best education. Most farmers' kids have to start earning money right after high school to help the family finances, but all five of Gu's children are university graduates. Daughters Xiuru and Xiufei are compiling the local history and W/ho 3 for M e nung Township, and their work has sparked a w ave of interest in similar projects. Four years ag o , Gu's youngest son graduated with a degree in economics from National Taiwan University and returned to write the his­ tory of Qishan Township. Gu's family continues a deep-seated tradition of the "farmer-scholar." 卜

In the eyes of Xiufei, her father is a somewhat tragic figure born a t the wrong time. "With his talent and enthusiasm, had he been bom today and received a good education, he wouldn't have been tied down on the family farm. He would have been a great social activist of some sort!" she declares. If success is measured by fam e and fortune, then Gu Defu's life has not turned out all th at well, but on the other hand, a person's true colors are

Informative / Evaluative / Culture-Bound Text

141

revealed in adversity. In spite of a lifetime of hard knocks, Gu maintains a sense of pride and innocence that earns him a great deal of respect. A d ap ted from a translation in Sinorom a, Vol. 25, No. 10,2000

Notes 1.

T e x t tj^pe and tra n s la tio n strategies: These paragraphs are ta ke n fro m a p e r­ sonal p ro file , an a rtic le about an e ld e rly H a k k a m an. I t is an in fo rm a tiv e piece, and so the em phasis should be more on p ro v id in g in fo rm a tio n and less on the a ctual style o f the language. I t is also in e v ita b ly an evaluative/vocative te x t and therefore can be tra n s la te d in a more fle x ib le w ay. F ro m a c u ltu ra l perspective, there are v e ry few features th a t are s tro n g ly c u ltu re bound. The descriptions, however, contain some d iffic u lt expressions, such as 耕 读 传 家 ， w h ich has a strong fla v o r o f tra d itio n a l cu ltu re and m u s t be tra n s la te d freely. The re g is te r is m edium . Based on th is analysis, the strategies fo r tra n s la tio n should be fle x ib ility and focus on the message, w ith o u t being lim ite d by the s tru ctu re s o f the source te xt.

2.

The tra n s la tio n o f the title needs some comment. U n lik e some o f the o ther te xts in w h ich the title is e ith e r ve ry close to or an exact tra n s la tio n o f the source te xt, the tra n s la to r here has chosen a title based on the content o f the piece (excerpted here). The te x t type should be the decisive fa cto r in deciding w h e th e r to follow th is practice. The general ru le is th a t title s fo r fo rm a l, fu n c tio n a l te xts re la te d to p o litics, economics, business, and la w should be tra n s la te d lite ra lly . In fo rm a l, p o p u la r texts about life and people can be re n ­ dered m ore im a g in a tiv e ly . Thus, fo r example, a re p o rt on economic tre n d s should follow the source te x t title closely so th a t th e re ader is im m e d ia te ly made aware o f its contents, w h ile a description o f social tre n d s and a c tiv i­ ties can take a m ore free and o rig in a l title , one th a t m ay be more concise, or s trik in g , such as th is one. I t should be pointed out, however, th a t g iv in g an a rtic le a com pletely d iffe re n t title is n o t a recom mended tra n s la tio n practice and should be done o n ly w ith caution. In practice, the m ost common w a y o f dealing w ith title s is to fin d som ething close to b u t n o t exactly id e n tic a l to the o rig in a l. F or example, the E n g lis h title Seven Continents and Forty Years has been t r a n s la t e d 《七 夫 洲 风 云 四 十 年 》 .

3.

没 落 is tra n s la te d here by the m uch more v iv id m e ta p h o r “h is s ta r m ay have w aned,” whereas la te r in the th ir d pa ra g rap h 家 道 中 落 is tra n s la te d as “fa m ily fo rtu n e s m ay have declined.” T h is is a fre q u e n t practice fo r essays and com m entary in w h ic h the context dictates w h a t should be used— i.e.，the same w ord or expression does not have to be tra n s la te d e xa ctly the same way th ro u g h o u t. Once again, the te x t type is key: those th a t re q u ire a standard, specific te rm in o lo g y m u s t re ta in consistency th ro u g h o u t.

4.

The tra n s la tio n has s im p lifie d b oth the content and the form . A closer tra n s ­ la tio n o f m eaning w ould be ^possesses a philosophy w h ic h helps h im enjoy life ,” b u t here th is is rendered as “ zest fo r life ,” s u m m a riz in g the source

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I ntroduction to C hinese-E nglish T ranslation te x t w h ile d iffe rin g fro m i t e n tire ly . F o r a more fu n c tio n a l te x t type, such as a com m ercial contract, lite r a l tra n s la tio n is recommended. F o r th is k in d o f text, however, given its more personal and in d iv id u a l style, such a freer tra n s la tio n is n o t o n ly acceptable b u t even preferable. A n y e xp la n a tio n of the source te x t w ill, n a tu ra lly , re s u lt in a lim ite d degree o f d is to rtio n . F or these k in d s o f texts, accuracy takes on a d iffe re n t m eaning. H ere the sen­ tence has been dow ngraded from the clause uhas a p h ilosophy to a phrase “ zest fo r life .”

5 .

终 日 忙 碌 之 余 is o m itte d . S tric tly speaking, th is is in a p p ro p ria te since some m eaning is lost. The sentence in fro n t is not ve ry long, so a dding a phrase “even tho u g h he is v e ry busy” somewhere w ould be possible. Such omissions should be avoided, b u t here, given the te x t type, the tra n s la tio n objective, and the readers, we can be flexible. Since a jo u rn a l a rtic le lik e th is m ay w e ll have space lim ita tio n s , less im p o rta n t de ta ils m ay be e lim in a te d to f i t a spe­ cific w ord-count re q u ire m e n t. T h is k in d o f condensation, though, is closer to “e d ito ria l re visio n ” th a n to tra n s la tio n . In th is k in d o f a rtic le fro m a general in te re s t m agazine on c u ltu ra l and social topics, om ission has n o t d ra s tic a lly alte re d the source te x t and is therefore acceptable. 不 和 国 际 动 脉 脱 节 is tra n s la te d s im p ly as “pays close a tte n tio n to in te rn a ­ tio n a l events” w ith o u t th e q u o ta tio n m arks. I t is a p p ro p ria te th a t the metap hor 动 脉 脱 节 has disappeared: tra n s la tin g 动 脉 as “ a rte ry ” w o u ld sound very strange in E n g lish . O m ission o f the q u o ta tio n m a rks is also to the p o in t, since th e y add n o th in g here. The source te x t phrase is n o t a fam ous quote, o r a spe­ cia l concept, or even a fashionable slogan th a t requires a lite r a l tra n s la tio n re fe rrin g back to the source te x t person or event. The use o f the a ffirm a tiv e “pays a tte n tio n ” fo r 不 脱 节 is an exam ple o f change o f perspective.

6.

The tra n s la to r has changed perspective fo r — 字 不 漏 by re n d e rin g i t as “reads i t from b e g inn in g to end” and n o t as “ n o t m iss a w ord.”

7.

N ote th a t the source te x t 平 日 一 身 邋 遢 在 市 场 叫 卖 is a clause a cting as the subject fo r the la te r 不 妨 碍 ，b u t the tra n s la to r has dow ngraded i t to the noun phrase “ the fru it-s ta in e d clo th in g he wears a t the m a rk e t every day,” in w h ich the c e n tra l w o rd is “clo th in g.” 通 遢 is tra n s la te d specifically as “fr u itstained” even th o u g h the w o rd “f r u it” does n o t appear in the source text. H owever, in a n o th e r p a rt o f the a rtic le (not quoted here) he is described as being a f r u it seller, so adding th is d e ta il here is fin e . 叫 卖 is o m itte d b u t the general m e aning is covered in the phrase “ a t the m a rk e t.” T ra n s la tin g i t lite r a lly as “p e d d lin g his w ares” only burdens the te x t unnecessarily. O ther re n d itio n s o f n o te : 兴 头 as “ a nim ated,” tlie verb 讨 论 as the noun “ discussion,” and 和 别 人 as “jo in in g in .”

8.

A n a lysis o f th is sentence reveals a long a d je ctival m o d ifie r fo r 老 人 . S tric tly fo llo w in g th is s tru c tu re gives or change to a relative clause: uwhich quickly gives us accu­ rate results. 5.

H e in s is t e d o n b u ild in g a n o th e r h o u s e , fo r w h ic h h e h a d n o

n e e d , (e v e n t h o u g h h e d id n o t n e e d o n e .)

Here the subordinate clause is one of concession. Again, there are two options: retain the adverbial structure, or change to an adjectival one—“for which he had no need.” 6.

H e d id n o t r e m e m b e r h is fa th e r , w h o d ie d w h e n h e w a s o n ly

th r e e , (b e c a u s e h is fa th e r d ie d w h e n h e w a s o n ly th r e e .)

There is a clear expression of cause and effect here with 因为•The translator has to weigh the importance of emphasis: if cause and effect is important, then “because” is appropriate, with the resulting repetition of “father.” If this is weak, then another option is possible: the adverbial clause of time, “when he was only three.”

Chapter 10 English-Chinese Exercises：Sample Translations and Notes i.

text.

他改了名字，他的新朋友们就不会知道他曾经被指控杀过人。 The source text uso thatn indicating result is omitted in the target

Answer Key：Chapter 10

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教授不停地讲，有的听讲人都睡着了。 The source text asuch ... that,Jis omitted. It could be retained, but the sentence 如此之长，以至于... is awkward in Chinese. 2 .

3 . 他偷窃的目的不是钱，他就是喜欢偷。 The connectors “not …but” and “because” are omitted in Chinese. This is from an informal text.

4.

直皇整个地球上的人都能从经济和社会的发展中获益M ，人类才能有 全面、持久的和平。 The source text uonly when>, is retained in the target text. This is from a very formal text in which retaining the conjunction maximizes accuracy. 5 . 如果我们想要避免过去的错误. 确保一个公正的世界次序，就必须作这 个研究。 The conjunction M ifMis retained in the target text. 6 . 联合国仍然有很长的路要走，有很多旧的和新的障碍要克服，才能达到 《联合国宪章》中设立的目标。 The conjunction “before” is translated as “才倉巨•” A more literal translation is also possible:在 . . . 之前，联 合 国 仍 然 .... 7 . 虽然这两个人在公众场合客客气气, 但是他们几乎在美国外交政策的所 有方面都唇枪舌剑过。 The typical concession indicator “though” is retained in the target te x t虽 然 . . . 但是. 有些州早在联邦法律做出规定前就已经着手教育计划。 The source text “before” is literally rendered into Chinese as 早 在 … 前. This is also from a formal text. 8 .

9 . 基因工程成为20世纪的重大事件是因为它可能让我们结束疾病、饥饿和 污染。 The source text adverbial indicator of reason “because” is retained as 因为•This sentence is taken from a rather formal text. These examples all show that the more formal the English source text, the easier it is to retain the connecting words in Chinese and still achieve a fluent translation. Retaining them in a more idiomatic text, however, can produce awkward results.

Answer Key：Chapters 10-11

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Chapter 10 Test：Sample Translations (Bracketed sentences show another translation option.) 1. We’ll leave as soon as you get here. (The moment you arrive we will leave.) 2. The monks may run away, but the temple cannot go with them. (There is no escape from ...) 3. Because she didn’t want to see the teacher, the student didn’t come to class. (The student did not wish to see the teacher and so stayed away from class.) 4. The teacher reminds the students to hand in their homework as soon as possible, because they frequently forget. (The students, who fre­ quently forget to submit their homework on time, are reminded by the teacher to do so as soon as possible.) 5. When his people get a fresh catch from the sea, they always gather to share it. (His people always share their fresh catch from the sea.) 6. Electronic computers have many strengths, but they cannot be creative or replace humans. (Although they have many strengths, elec­ tronic computers cannot be ...) 7. Mr. Zhu’s bankruptcy created many hardships for his family, yet also increased his resolve to pursue an artistic career. (Mr. Zhu's family may have suffered from his failure in business, but it only served to strengthen his resolve to pursue art.) 8. After preparing dinner for a long time, my legs ached badly, and though I was not on the point of collapse, I certainly had no more energy to do anything more for my son. (My legs ached badly after my long dinner preparations, and though I could still stand, I certainly had no more energy to look after my son.)

Chapter 11 Chinese-English Exercises：Sample Translations and Notes 1.

H is so n is t r e a te d a s a P R C c itiz e n a n d a tte n d s th e u n iv e r ­

sity in S h a n g h a i.

Explicit passive in Chinese rendered as passive in English. 2.

Y a h o o w a s s ta r te d a n d b e g a n to d e v e lo p ju s t w h e n th e

In te r n e t w a s in its in fa n c y .

The original 掘起 is not translated simply as “rise” but instead is explicated as “started and began to develop.” It is possible to retain the original (“When Yahoo was rising .•••”).This sounds a bit awkward in English, although in Chinese this vivid expression is quite common. The passive voice must be used to explicate the expression.

Answer Key： Chapter 11 3.

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It is s a id th a t th e n e w b o r n c a lf is to o ig n o r a n t to fe a r th e

tig e r.

The phrase 人们常说 is converted to the passive. The idiom is translated literally, retaining the analogy of the “newborn calf， and the “tiger.” Without the analogy, it could also be rendered as ‘Toung people are fearless” or ‘Touth is rash.” 4.

T h e fire w a s p u t o u t an h o u r later.

Passive rendered as passive. 5.

T h e p r o je c t w ill be c o m p le te d by th e e n d o f n e x t y e a r .

There is no clear marker here, but the passive is implied. This is a very common syntactical form, and Chinese native speakers rely on instinctive understanding to interpret the passive connotation. In Chinese, if there is no explicit “doer” of the action, passive markers are often simply omitted. 6.

S o fa r n o c o n c lu s io n h a s b e e n r e a c h e d . (S o fa r th e r e h a s

b e e n n o c o n c lu s io n .)

As in the previous sentence, there is no “doer” and no passive marker, but this can be rendered in the passive. There is also another option: “So far there has been no conclusion.” If a “doer” is added, the sentence can become active: “No one has reached a conclusion yet.” 7.

O v e r o n e -h a lf o f g o v e r n m e n t e x p e n d itu r e is fu n d e d b y g a m ­

b lin g ta x e s .

In dealing with 靠， the translator has switched perspective (see Chapter 6 on change of perspective) and rendered the meaning in the passive, “to be funded” （ 被提供). 8.

I f s a n im p r e s s iv e s ig h t a t th e r e s e a r c h c e n te r , w h ic h is

d iv id e d in to a n u m b e r o f s e p a r a te o ffic e s p a c e s w h e r e m a n y p a ir s o f e y e s a re fix e d on g lo w in g m o n ito r s .

This example shows the flexibility of the translator who has used a number of techniques. For example, 隔板 in the source text is a noun but has been rendered as the passive “is divided into a number of separate office spaces” ；专注的眼睛 has been turned into the passive “eyes are fixed on glowing monitors.” The use of the attributive clause “which is ...J, has completely altered the original syntax. The lesson here is that the translator can freely reconstruct the sentence once he has thor­ oughly grasped its meaning. Since the overall context is a determining

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Answer Key： Chapter 11

factor, the sample answer above is certainly not the only way to trans­ late this sentence. For instance, the single word ,) is a metaphor but is seldom recog­ nized as such because it is a standard cliche. Here the translator has chosen to use the English non-metaphorical “inculcate.” 10. U n le s s so m e t r a d itio n a l v a lu e s a re r o o te d o u t, ta lk o f c h il­ d r e n ^ r ig h ts w ill r e m a in ju s t ta lk .

挂 在 嘴 上 （literally “hang on the lips”） is a common metaphor, but since it would sound awkward if translated literally, the translator has eliminated the metaphor of 嘴 and used “talk will remain just talk.”1 11.

In c id e n ts o f a b u s e a n d n e g le c t o f c h ild r e n a r e fr e q u e n tly

r e p o r te d , in w h ic h c h ild r e n b e c o m e th e s c a p e g o a ts o f t h e ir p a r ­ e n ts 5 r e a c t io n to e x te r n a l s tr e s s e s .

替罪羊 is a very common metaphor. English also has the metaphor “scapegoat,” and therefore a direct match-up is fine. Cultural contacts have created many similar metaphors in Chinese and English, and though it is often hard to determine in which culture they originated in, and who influenced whom, they are acceptable in both languages and provide the translator with good workable literal versions.

Answer Key：Chapters 1 2 -1 3

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Chapter 12 Test：Sample Translations 1. I hope that when I return to Taiwan someday, people will honor me as a returning hero because of my achievements here in Shanghai. 2. In the city I am nobody, but here in the countryside I am a big fish. 3. Neither side can back out. 4. Some leaders only stay for a few hours in the villages, which is called “admiring the flowers from horseback.” （ •••， which is called acquiring a superficial understanding through cursory observation.) 5. I bought a point-and-shoot camera with automatic focus for you. (I bought a fully automatic camera for you.) 6. We must face the challenges of the age of advanced technology. 7. Much progress has been made in nutrition and public health. (Great strides have been made in nutrition and public health.) 8. Attitudes cannot be changed overnight. 9. Not every company can rely on a brand name to bring in fat profits. 10. Very few engineers succeed in being completely innovative when designing products.

Chapter 13 Exercises：Sample Translations and Notes (Bracketed sentences show another translation option.) 1.

R e a c h in g th o s e ta r g e ts w ill b e v e r y e a s y (w ill b e a b r e e z e ).

The idiom 易如反掌 literally translates as “as easy as turning over one’s hand.” In certain contexts this might be necessary, but since this is merely a description, the simile can be ignored and rendered as uvery easy.” The idiomatic English expressions “as easy as falling off a log” or “be a breeze” could also be used, depending on the context and on whether the result is natural and appropriate. If the source text idiom is an attempt at achieving a specific rhetorical effect, it would be best to find something similar in English. Under most circumstances, though, this is not necessary. Some English expressions could well strike a jar­ ring or cliched note. 2.

S e v e r a l y e a r s o f g o o d h a r v e s ts m e a n th a t p e o p le a re b e tte r

fed a n d c lo th e d .

丰衣足食 has been rendered “better fed and clothed,” which is close to the original. This kind of factual expression is very different from the simile 易如反掌 and is best translated more literally.

Answer Key： Chapter 13 3.

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T a lk in g to t h e m a b o u t E in s te in ’s T h e o r y o f R e la tiv ity is lik e

p r e a c h in g to d e a f e ars.

对牛弹琴 is a strong metaphorical image that cannot be rendered literally into English without either sounding strange or obscuring the meaning—e.g., translating it as Splaying the lute to cows55is dif­ ficult to understand. Of course, this does not mean that it can never be translated this way. This might well be appropriate in a literary work in which the translator wishes to highlight distinguishing features of Chinese culture, and “playing the lute to cows” would then become a lively way of doing so. In this example, the idiom has been rendered by the English “preaching to deaf ears,” an example of using one idiom to render another. In a different context it could also be very freely trans­ lated as "choose the wrong audience 4.

E v e n a p e r s o n w ith a h e a r t o f sto n e w ill w e e p at th e d e v a s ­

t a t io n c a u s e d b y fire .

铁石心肠 is translated “with a heart of stone,” which is part literal and part free translation:石 there but not 铁，心、 there but not 肠. Here a set English expression “a heart of stone” matches the meaning of 铁石 心肠 and even uses some of the same metaphors. Other choices could be “hardhearted” or “with a heart of iron.” 5.

T h e y a ll fa ile d th e u n iv e r s ity e n tr a n c e e x a m in a tio n .

名落孙山 is an idiom containing a historical allusion, which has become irrelevant today. The common meaning of the idiom is to be unsuccessful in an examination and so is simply translated “fail the examination.” 6.

W h o k n o w s h o w m a n y y o u n g w o m e n h a v e b e e n d e c e iv e d by

h is h o n e y e d w o rd s .

花言巧语 should not be separated into its components 花 and 巧 and translated literally. A better solution would be a free rendering of the idiom in a single unit as “honeyed words.” “Pretty words” or “sweet talk” could also be used. 7.

T h e p r o p o s a l, b e in g a d v a n ta g e o u s to a ll, m e t w ith in s ta n t

g e n e r a l a p p r o v a l a n d w a s s u p p o r te d .

—唱百合 originally referred to singing (“when one starts singing, all the others join in,>), but here the numbers are used in typical Chi­ nese rhetorical fashion, which does not convey the literal meaning of the words and therefore can be freely rendered as