literal translation and free translataion.doc

literal translation and free translataionBut hat kind f translatin is literal translatin? And hat kind f translatin is free translatin?Fr exaple:1) Dnt lk the stable dr after the hurses has been stlen.Literal translatin: 不要等马被盗后,才去锁楖门.Free translatin: 不要贼走关门.2) Sashing a irrr is n ay t ake an ugly persn beautiful, nr it is a ay t ake sial prble evaprate.Literal translatin: 砸镜子不能使丑八怪变漂亮,也不能使社会问题烟消云散.Free translatin: 砸镜子并不能解决实际问题.Fr the exaple 1), free translatin is better than literal translatin. Fr the exaple 2), literal translatin is better than free translatin. But h t use literal translatin and free translatin? There is a sentene:Translate literally,if pssible, r appeal t free translatin.2. H t use literal translatin prperly?2.1 Translate literally, if pssible.hy translate, if pssible? hat is the advantage f literal translatin? Generally, rhetri is ften used in a passage t ake the passage lively. Literal translatin retains the rhetri f the riginal, s it is lively as the riginal. But free translatin nly expresses the general idea f riginal, lively rhetri f the riginal disappeared. S generally speaking, literal translatin is a gd hie in translatin. Fr exaple:3) Fr a father kn and I kn that if yu nly dig enugh a pasture an be ade free.Literal translatin: 因为我父亲知道,我也知道,只要挖到一定程度,早晚可以在这里辟出个牧场的.Free translatin: 因为我父亲知道,我也知道,功到自然成.4) Fr Kin and Juana this as the eaning f rning f their lives, parable nly t the day hen the baby had been brn.Literal translatin: 在Kin和Juana看来,这是他们一生中最了不起的早晨,只有宝宝出生的那一天,才可以与之媲美.Free translatin: Kin和Juana以为,这一天非常重要.Free translatin f exaples 3) and 4), nly express the general idea f the riginal sentenes. It is t siple. etaphr and disribtin f the riginal sentenes hava dissappeared. After free translatin, it as inferir and dull. S it is undesirable. But the literal translatin f exaple 3) and 4) is learer than the free translatin. Atually, literal translatin is the hief ay f translatin. It is lse t the riginal, lively and natural. It is aeptable. Aeptableness is very iprtant in translatin. Fr thery f translatin angle, translatin is a thery hih uses target language t express the idea, ntent and style f sure language.It shuld ard ith the ulture and usts f the target language. Translatin nt nly des express the idea and style f the riginal essage, but als need t ard ith the ulture and usts f the target language, s that the translatin an easy be aepted by target language readers. Beause the differenes f t languages, seties it is diffiult t retain the idea and style f the sure language. The advantage f literal translatin is that alstly retain the idea and style f the riginal. S st f translatrs like t use literal translatin. Fr all abve, that is the reasn f translate literally, if pssible.2.2 Literal translatinrd-fr-rd translatin.At first, hih kind f translatin is rd-fr-rd translatin? rd-fr-rd translatin is that: hen translating, nsider every rds. Every rds f sure language is translated ridnatly.Fr exaple:5) It as an ld and ragged n.rd-fr-rd translatin: 那是一个又老又破的月亮.6) any f his ideas are espeially interesting t dern yuth.rd-fr-rd translatin: 他的许多思想对当代青年特别有趣.Fr the exaple 5) and 6), e kn rd-fr-rd translatin des nt d any hanges t sure language. The fr is lse t the riginal, but it des nt express the eaning f the sure language. Stritly speaking, it is nt translatin. Nevertheless, se translatin hih did se hange t sure language and the struture f target language is als the sae as sure language, the translatin is sth, but the eaning and the style are far fr the riginal, usually, target language readers did nt kn hat it said. This is als rd-fr-rd translatin. Fr exaple: 7) Every at f yur flesh is as dear t e as y n: in pain and sikness it uld still be dear.rd-fr-rd translatin: 你的肉中的每一个原子，对我来说，都像我自己一样亲；即使在病痛中，仍然是亲的.8) Being a teaher is being present at the reatin, hen the lay begin t breathe.rd-fr-rd translatin: 当一名教师意味着是创造的见证人，他目睹人体开始呼吸，开始了生命.Translatin f 7) and 8) are sth. But they d nt ard ith the expressive ay f hinese. It is rd-fr-rd translatin. Fr all abve, rd-fr-rd translatin is s starhy, ges after the fr f sure language that it never think f the effet f target language. Beause rd-fr-rd translatin des nt ard ith the expressive ay f target language, it is bsure, hard t understand it even akes target language readers did nt kn hat des translatr ant t express. rd-fr-rd translatin akes target language readers nfused. It is unqualified translatin.Literal translatin als keeps the general fr f sure language,and keeps the struture and the etaphr f the riginal. But literal translatin des ake se neessary adjustent, ake target language sth, lean and aeptable. After reading, target language readers an have alst the sae feeling as the sure language readers. But rd-fr-rd translatin nly translate rd by rd, it is stiff and unitelligible. Quality f literal translatin is gd. rd-fr-rd translatin is inferir. Literal translatin and rd-fr-rd translatin an give different feeling t target language readers. All translatin hih is hard t aept, hih have bad effet, hih essage is indistint, hih eaning is far fr the riginal is rd-fr-rd translatin. This kind f translatin is abrtive. Se translatin thugh that all translatin keeps the fr f the riginal is literal translatin. That is errneus. They nfuse the neptin f literal translatin ith rd-fr-rd translatin. These translatrs translate like this: first, they lk up the eaning f every rd f sure language in ditinary. Then, they bine the eaning f every rd, never d any hange. They d nt kn hat translatin is, s rd-fr-rd translatin eerge. But exellent translatrs kn the eaning f the riginal. hen translating, they d se neessary adjustent, ake target language learer, sth and aeptable. They kn the differene beteen rd-fr-rd translatin and literal translatin. They an use literal translatin prperly, it is a skill f translatin.All in all. literal translatin is nt rd-fr-rd translatin. Literal translatin is aeptable and nible.2.3 Se sentenes shuld nt translate literally.Se sure language sentenes are very diffiult t translate literally. It nly thugh f the eaning f surfae, translate it literally, the result is unintelligible and indistint. Se sentenes d nt ard ith expressive ay in target language. Different untry has different ulture,different language, different ust and different ay t express the sae eaning, different language has different ay abut etaphrs, and has different idis. In hina, peple usually use se idis t desribe an event r a persn. S d in abrad. But hinese idis are unintelligible in estern untries. In these suituatins, if translate literally, usually, it uld have bad effet and be unaeptable. hen target language readers read, they uld nt kn the exat eaning f sure language. Beause the essage hih target language express as vague.There are t exaples: 9) ur sn ust g t shl. He ust break ut f the pt that hld us in.Literal translatin: 我们的儿子一定得进学校，他一定得打破这个把我们关在里面的罐子. Free translatin: 我们的儿子一定要上学，一定要出人头地.10) Their legs red a little jerkily, like ell-ade den dlls, and they arried pillars f blank fear abut the. Literal translatin: 他的腿轻轻痉挛地移动着，像做得很好的木偶一样，他们随身携带着黑色的恐怖柱子.Free translatin: 他们每向前迈一步，腿就抖动一下，好似精制的木偶一样，他们身上带着一股阴沉的杀气.Fr the t exaples, literal translatin is unintelligible even absurd. But after had translated it freely, translatin beae leaner, sth, aeptable and ard ith the ulture f target language.But in hih suituatin translatrs shuld nt translate literally? H t use literal translatin rretly?Any sure language hih des nt ard ith the expressive ay f target language shuld nt use literal translatin. Fr exaple: In exaple 9), Break ut the pt that hle us in, it is an English idi, it eans d sething suessful. But h t translate it int hines?There is als an idi in hina. It alst has the sae eaning asBreak ut f the pt that hld us in. It is 出人头地. S hen translating that sentene translatrs shuld nt use literal translatin, translatrs shuld use free translatin.And h t use literal translatin rretly? First, kn sure language and target language ulture as uh as pssible and translatrs shuld have extensive knledge ith the prbles hih the riginal rte r talk abut, translatrs shuld be nversant. e ften have experiene like that: Beause lake f se knledge that sebdy talking abut, even after thers explained, e still did nt kn r understand. S befre translatrs translating se aterials, espeially se prffessinal aterials translatrs ust grasp se knledge abut the aterials. Fr exaple, if translate se aterials abut eny,translatrs shuld kn se knledge abut eny; if translate se aterial abut nes, translatrs shuld kn se knledge abut nes;if translate se prfessinal aterials,translatrs shuld kn se knledge abut that prffessin, r be an exprt f that prffessin. If translatr as a an h did nt kn sething abut the aterial hih he anted t translate, his translatin uld be unqualified. Send, prehend sure language essage rretly and thrughly. It is very iprtant. Translatrs shuld nt nly kn the surfae eaning f the riginal and translatrs shuld read thrugh the surfae, kn hat des the riginal ant t express. If a translatr des nly kn surfae eaning f the riginal and translate it literally, his translatin uld be rrespndingly. After target language reader read his translatin, they uld be nfuse and have different feeling beteen the riginal and the translatin r even have errneus prehensin. Translatin is different fr reading. hen e reading, it n atter h uh e understand r an be understand r have errneus prehensin. Beause level f the readers is liited. Reading is nly a feeling f hiself. But translatin affets thers. Instead f the riginal authr, translatin is a an retell sure language assage t target language. S translatrs shuld prehened the sure language essage deeply and thrughly, then retell the eaning f the sure language rretly and lse t the sure language essage. If a translatr prehened the sure language just a little nbiguiusly,translatin uld be different fr the sure language essage. Therefre, prehensin is very iprtant. If translatrs had false prehensin t the sure language essage, his translatin uld be far fr the riginal. This ill lead his translatin t be unqualified. At last, enhane aeptability f translatin. Fr abve e kn that translatin shuld ard ith the expressive ay f target language, s that it an be easily aepted by target language readers. Atually, it is nt diffiult t retain the style f the riginal. But it is diffiult t translate the riginal ard ith target language expressive ay. A translatr h has abandant experiene an surunt bstale beteen t language. An exellent translatr ust have dne his best effrt n his translatin. This is translatrs duty. An exellent translatr has pratised a lt n h t handle the prbles in translatin. Exellent translatin are aeptable.Fr all abve, literal translatin is a basi skill f translatin. It keeps the fr f sure language, inluding nstrutin f sentenes, ataphr. Seties it shuld d se neessary hange t the riginal, ake the translatin ard ith the expressive ay f target language. S ake the translatin aeptable. A translatin hih translated literally is lse t the riginal. But literal translatin is nt niptent. Se sentenes shuld nt translate literally, beause these sentenes ntained idis hih are different in sure language and target language. Translatrs shuld have extensive knledge. prehened sure language essage rretly and thrughly, enhane aeptability f translatin. If translatrs ant t use literal translatin prperly and skillfully, they ust prehened all abve, and have se pratie. After all, pratise is the st iprtant aspet in translatin.3. H t use free translatin prperly?3.1 If it as se truble t understand a sentene in using literal translatin, use free translatin.In hih suituatin the translatrs an nt use literal translatin? hen se sentenes that the ay f expressive beteen sure language and target language are different, shuld nt use literal translatin. If use literal translatin, target language readers uld have se truble t understand, then ake the translatin unaeptable. In these suituatin, free translatin shuld in use. Free translatin expresses the general idea f the riginal arding t the eaning f the riginal, and des nt pay attentin t the details. But translatin shuld be fluent and natural.There are t exaples:11) I gave y yuth t the sea and I ae he and gave her ( y ife ) y ld age.Literal translatin: 我把青春献给海洋，我回家的时候便把老年给了我的妻子.Free translatin: 我把青春献给海洋，等我回到家里见到妻子的时候，已经是白发苍苍了.12) aybe Kin has ut ff his n head and destryed hiself.Literal translatin: 也许Kin会割掉自己的脑袋，把自己毁了.Free translatin: 也许Kin走了绝路，自己毁了自己.Fr the exaple 12), the riginal ut ff his head eans have dne sething badly, felt int prediaent. If a translatr translated the riginal literally, his translating uld ake target language readers nfused, after reading, target language readers uld feel unaeptable. S translatrs shuld use free translatin in the exaple 11) and 12). Beause free translatin an tell the ture eaning t target language readers. Se sentenes, if translate literally are als fluent and natural that it sees these sentenes shuld translate literally. But translated these sentenes literally uld nt express the deep eaning f the riginal. If e use free translatin,effet uld be better than literal translatin. Free translatin uld express the deep eaning f the riginal sentenes.Fr exaple: 13) ast pearls befre sine.Literal translatin: 把珍珠扔到猪面前.Free translatin: 对牛弹琴.14) Barbara as brn ith a silver spn in her uth.Literal translatin: Barbara嘴里叼着银调羹出生的.Free translatin: Barbara出生最富贵人家.Exaple 13) and 14) are etaphr, have deep ral. If translated literally, translatins are fluent and natural, but it uld nt express the deep eaning f the rginal, it is unadvisable.There is anther suituatin hih shuld use free translatin: a sentense that use idis.Fr exaple:15) Sething unexpeted ay happen ang tie.Free translatin: 天有不测风云.Literal translatin: 一些没有预料到的事会随时发生.In English, this sentene is very n. But if translated it literally int hinese, it did nt ard ith the habit f expressive. n the ntrarary, it uld be unitelligible and uld nt ahive the effet f the riginal. It uld ake target language readers inappreiatable. But in the exaple 15), free translatin used a hinese idis, after reading target language readers uld prehened and have nie feeling. S free translatin is a gd hie hen literal translatin uld nt be used.3.2 Dn nt add persnal etin t the riginal rks.Translatin is a brige beteen sure language and target language. Task f translatin is t express the eaning and anifestatin f the sure language essage by target language. The translatin shuld give target language readers alst the sae feeling as sure language readers. If target language readers and sure language readers had alst the sae feeling after reading the translatin, it as suessful. If target language readers and sure language readers had different feeling after reading the translatin, it shed the translatin as unqualified. Fr the angle f translatin, atually, the feeling f readers an judge a translatin. S the feeling f readers is the standard f translatin.Tugh free translatin gives se leeays t translatrs. Translatrs shuld prehened the riginal thrughly, and use the leeays rretly. Se translatrs usually use the leeays inrretly. They ften add their persnal etin t the riginal rks. S translatin as subjuntive and different as the riginal. It as unqualified translatin. Beause if translatrs added their persnal etin t the riginal rks that the eaning f the riginal essage had been hanged by translatrs. After reading, target language readers ight have different feeling beteen translatin and the riginal. Thse translatins hih added translatrs n etin ere nt arding ith the standard f translatin. Translatin shuld avid t add persnal etin t the riginal rks.3.3 Free translatin skill needs extensive knledge and ulture f bth sure language and target language.Free translatin gives translatrs se leeays. Translatrs shuld use then rretly. Nt nly shuld translatrs prehened the eaning f the riginal essage, but als they shuld be prvided ith extensive knledge and ulture f bth sure language and target language. Espeially, n literature rks, translatrs shuld be prvided ith literature training, and they als shuld kn extensive literature knledge. A translatr h anted t translate a literature psitin shuld d his effrt t auulate sething abut histry, gegraphy, ust, natural style and features, tranditinal ulture and s n abut the literature psitin. In additinal, translatrs shuld kn the bakgrund f age and the authr, style f the anthr. re extensive knledge the translatrs have, re thrughly he an prehend the eaning f the riginal. Free translatin is a skill in translatin. Translatrs shuld first prehend the riginal thrughly, then translate it rretly by target language, and aeptablely prehend the riginal thrughly is n the basis f extensive knledge and exellent literature training. Se suessful translatrs, hen they ere translating they did the researh n the riginal authr at the sae tie. After translating, they beae n expert t the authr and his psitin. This spirit is rthly t study.Lets see se exaples:16) hen the ging gets tugh, the tugh getsging. Free translatin: 沧海横流方显英雄本色. The rdsging and tugh have different eaning. The translatr used a sentene in a hinese pe t translate this sentene.17) Faults are thik here lve is thin. Free translatin: 一朝情义淡, 样样不顺眼.18) Yu an fl all the peple se f the tie and se f the peple all the tie, but yu annt fl all the peple all the tie.Free translatin: 骗人一夕一事易,欺众一生一世难.19) ut f the FULLNESS f the heart the uth speaks. Free translatin: 盈于心则溢于言.The exaple abve are all free translatin. Translatrs translated the nt nly sthly and fluently, but als aeptable and ardingly ith hinese ulture. In additin, translatrs shuld kn extensive idis abut bth sure language and target language. Different untries have different idis. S in translatin, se idis are unable t translate literally. Translatrs shuld hange the riginal fr int anthe