September 19, 2011
translation is a complex and challenging mental activities involved in multiple aspects of culture, knowledge, thinking, expression and experience. It requires not only the translator has a rich stock of knowledge, familiar with the differences between English and Chinese languages, have perfect presentation skills and long-term practice of translation and the translator has the ability to fickle. Translator neither out of raw materials, but not limited to raw materials; not only thinking in English, but also the use of Chinese thinking; expression should not only be faithful to the English, but also the Chinese habit; translation can pass shape, but also vivid. Therefore, for any translator, Translation from English, can do better and must not be the best; only to avoid errors, absolutely can not make mistakes. To Kaoyan translation, require candidates to read a 400 word article about the limited time, and five crossed part of a total of about 150 words in English translated into Chinese, also requires the translation is accurate, complete, fluent, the majority of the reference has not been professional translator training, candidates, it is not an easy task, error is inevitable.
Because you candidates uneven quality of the the Kaoyan translation error can also be described as strange, complex, from thinking to express Juyi to the meaning of the word, all kinds of error is really everything, it is difficult to 11 statements . Mistranslation, mainly due to the translator did not understand the real meaning of the English original, not caused by the context correctly infer the meaning of the words. Summarized together, the mistranslation of the candidates mainly from the following aspects: the lack of cultural background knowledge to understand the sentence structure, misunderstanding of the logical relationship and words do not convey, and so on.
First, the lack of cultural background knowledge
language and culture are inseparable twins body, not from the cultural impact of language, nor do not have the culture of the language spread. Either 6 or Chinese to English practice, whether it is in daily interactions or formal occasions, due to a lack of understanding of the Anglo-American culture caused by mistranslation abound, often farce, or even cause contradictions and loss. Such as:
[Example 1] Television has changed the importance of issues. It can be argued that since the 1960 presidential debates we have elected people, not platforms.
Lesson TV has changed the importance of political opinion. It can be proved, since the presidential election since 1960, we have chosen, rather than a political program.
[analysis] Platform the original intent of the word “podium, the pulpit, but often be extended to the U.S. party election platform, this is because during the U.S. presidential election, on behalf of the United States two partisan election candidates must be expounded in the pulpit of the party election platform. If you where the platform is simply translated as “the podium”, will produce the mistranslation, indicating a certain lack of understanding of the U.S. presidential election.
[Example 2] of The blue chip Dow Jones Industrial Average, too, although down 12% the form of its All time high, was broadly back to its November value.
[translation] brings together the blue chip stocks of the Dow Jones industrial average fell from a record high of 12 percent, also rebounded sharply in November last year the price.
[analysis] the original blue-chip literally means “blue chips” from the poker game; in the securities market, it is excellent performance in the stock market blue chip stocks, such as IBM good performance in the stock market of GM and other listed companies, their shares are usually the investors favor. Literally translated the “blue chip”, but the meaning translated as “blue chip” meaning more obvious.
[Example 3] Suddenly, being wined and dined was considered insulting, part of the male conspiracy to keep us (female) in our places, so we got out of of our chequebooks and went Dutch.
Lesson Suddenly, the men go drinking meal is considered to be an insult to think that it is the men behaved conspiracy, so we come up with their own checkbook, pay their own account.
[analysis] go Dutch refers to the pay of a phenomenon in American society, more and more social activities, when people pay usually go Dutch is the (AA) form. Mainly by women liberation movement formed a social and cultural phenomenon: more and more women to pursue independence is no longer dependent on men paying to take the form of a variety of pay.
So, understand the country culture of Anglo-American language is a required course for an English-Chinese Translation. Entrance Examination students who go abroad to experience this culture, it is unrealistic, but not on the unworthy, on the contrary, proceed from reality, using a variety of realistic way to actively understand the Anglo-American culture through newspapers, Internet, books and magazines, efforts to achieve the to Kaoyan goal at the same time, to effectively improve their translation, expression, and the ability to cross-cultural exchanges.
Second, do not understand the sentence structure
to be successful translation of an English article, it is necessary to understand the English language original is correct, they take Chinese expression was smooth and fluent. But in both cases, the correct understanding of the original is both the starting point is also critical. In order to achieve the correct understanding of the original, you need a solid foundation for English language, in particular, knowledge of English sentence structure and the ability to correctly analyze the English sentence structure. Analysis of English sentence structure is the basis of the understanding of English sentence meaning. Reflect many of the candidates, see the long sentence on panic; plus a few do not know the words directly on the fat ignorant, do not know what the original talk, we can only know a few words to translate a few words to write asked their own incomprehensible. How to get high marks? Here we look at a few of the more complex structure of the sentence:
[Example 1] My point is that the frequent complaint of the one generation about the one immediately following it is inevitable.
For I consider that the complaints of one generation to the next generation is inevitable.
[analysis] of the original sentence is short, but must correctly analyze the sentence structure is not easy. Due to the impact of the inevitable idioms, many people may be directly it is inevitable as a word, so there is no correct analysis of sentence structure, the result is bound to affect the quality of translation. In fact, the backbone of this statement is my point is that the complaint is inevitable, it is following the object refers to one generation. In addition, the sentence should pay attention to complaint … about the usage of the one refers to (the one generation).
[Example 2] In reality, the lines of division between sciences are becoming blurred, and science again approaching the “Unity” that it had two centuries ago-although the accumulated knowledge is enormously greater now, and no one person can hope to comprehend the more than a fraction is of it.
Lesson accumulated knowledge much more, and any individual may only understand a small part, but in fact, the boundaries between the various disciplines has become blurred not clear, science is again close to two hundred years ago as a “single whole”.
[of] the original dash in front of two conjunctions, but only two main predicate structure, so it can be concluded part of the predicate is omitted (… science is again approaching …); it instead of science. The dash after the Shopping sub-complete, it instead of knowledge. Translation, according to Chinese Expression, the first translation of the concession adverbial clause, and then translated parallel to the main sentence.
misunderstanding of the logical relationship
on the basis of the correct understanding of the original sentence structure, if limited to the original sentence structure did not really understand the logical relationship between each sentence will lead to mistranslation. This is because many conjunctions in English have different meanings, such as, either, even though there can also be the time you come and attributive clause, but also, and other words to constitute a new guide word and phrases; the surface of the logical relationship of some conjunctions the following sentence and the logical relationship is not the same, such as all the attributive clause looks as attributive, but sometimes never causes, results, purpose or conditions and other aspects of being modifier to limit them, so in order to more precisely express this logical relationship, often some of the attributive clause into the adverbial clauses. In addition, in terms of justice, anti-that, or antisense said adverbial modified finite verb or the whole sentence, some words as adverbial or attribute, or whether there are negative transfer of understanding, may lead to the logical relationship a mistranslation. For example:
[Example 1] In our travels, we did not find the power of women as pervasive in the communes as in the cities.
For the trip, we found that of women in the commune as they are as widespread in the city.
[Analysis] This is a significant negative transfer of the actual negative part of the sentence is not so pervasive in the communes as in the cities, rather than as the original looks like negate the find.
[Example 2] The composer began his musical career as a violinist.
Lesson (mis) composer began the musical career of the violinist.
(are) the composer is to play the violin began his musical career.
[analysis] of the sentence as a violinist, from the formal point of view, not only for adverbial, as attributive modification began. So, in the end it is the adverbial or attributive? Difficult to analyze the syntax is clear, then through the use of semantics, to judge from the logical relationship. As attribute, then should be translated as “composers began the musical career of the violinist.” This is illogical: Since it is a “composer”, and then, even if the musicians, how can you start violinist musical career? Can only be as adverbial, it should be translated as “the composer musical career is the beginning of the violin,” or “composer is to play the violin began his music career, so logical.
[Example 3] Now some merchants have been exposed to the charge that they reserve their soya beans with ulterior motives.
[translation] (mistaken) some traders have already received them stored soybean accused of ulterior purpose.
(positive) now some businessmen have been accused, said they stored soybean their sinister purposes.
[] the sentence of that clause is not a charge of attributive clause, but it appositive clause because that clause without any ingredients do not meet the attributive clause usage, so that the relative pronoun can only be a conjunction, the guide is the charge of the loan would be the description of the contents of the charge. Therefore, it should be translated into … been accused of, say … “, thus straightening out the logical relationship of the original, so that the translation is more faithful and fluent.
four, the words do not convey
both English and Chinese, in addition to some proper nouns, almost no absolute equivalent of the word, mainly because the two languages The vocabulary widespread polysemy, the term multi-class phenomenon. As a linguist said: “every word used in the new context are new words.” It is this ambiguity and change the ambiguity of the word determines the understanding of the English words and their Chinese expression of the difficulties of 6. Therefore, the translation of each word in English – Chinese need to consider very carefully, can not easily use their experience and translation. English so that the two sentences: “You know a Word by the company it keeps.” (Understand a word depends on its relationship with) and No. the context, no text. “(Out of context, it can not correctly understand the meaning ), the talk is to understand the word. In other words, is to be understood according to context and relationship with meaning.
Therefore, in the translation of a word, you can see should never be just the word itself must be fully considered in the context of the status and with the relationship with other words, isolated translation The word is under the under the policy. In fact, engaged in the translation will have such a strong feeling that the corresponding word of the literal, the actual meaning of a word in context is often not found in the dictionary. Therefore, Translation from English to follow the basic principles of the translated word sentences “, not only to comply with the meaning justifications, but also mastery, thinking through flexible and fickle grasp all the meaning of each word, do seek justice in the dictionary without stick Dictionary.
The following aspects have a significant impact on the Word Meaning a brief description about translation of the word, there may be a mistranslation: polysemy
(a) < br />
meaning of the word is complex, it is not only directly to the surface, the general meaning, as well as extended, the connotation of a specific meaning. This is the commonality of language, especially English. English people know casually opened the English dictionary, and almost every word has multiple meanings, and some even have dozens of meanings and complex. For example, take there are nearly 20 meaning to “get” can also “remove” and “carry”, “need”, “spend”, “treatment” and so on, and some of the meaning of the word there is little relationship, or even mean exactly the opposite, not to mention it all kinds of phrases. Therefore, if only to remember a word the most common of several basic meaning, they died regardless of the occasion to move rigidly, they tend to make the translation stiff difficult to understand, and even distort the original meaning. Therefore, the translator must be to achieve modest and prudent, even very simple words or phrases that constitute the sentence, must also be according to the context of the context to determine meaning, must not be taken for granted, despite the experience of translation. In fact, the more simple word or phrase sentence the more difficult to understand, more difficult translation, so need to be careful. For example:
[Example 1] of The set of equipment is quite late arrivals for doctors to use.
Lesson (mistakenly) the equipment is the stuff used by doctors for late arrival.
(positive) This is for doctors to use a new device.
[analysis] a common polysemous word in the sentence late, it has a “late, most recently, the latest” and other means. Obviously, the sentence can only choose the “latest”, but can not choose the “late”. Otherwise, the meaning is unknown, puzzling.
[Example 2] Unhappily, the this plentiful general literature about interviewing pays little attention to the journalistic interview.
[translation] (mis) Unfortunately, the large number of popular literature of the interview is not involved in news interviews.
(positive) Unfortunately, the interview a large number of general literature monograph less involved in news gathering in this area.
[of] the original sentence, not words, but should be noted that the phenomenon of polysemy. literature the word has two meanings: First, the “literature”, the second is the literature on a particular subject or topic. Depending on the context, the literature should be translated as “literature” rather than “literature.” In addition, the interview is also a common word, meaning “interview, interview (noun and verb)”. Depending on the context, should be interviewing translated as “interviews”, “journalistic interview” translated into “news gathering” is more appropriate.
(b) the meaning of the word
part of speech will also affect the terms, the same vocabulary will be different due to parts of speech have a different meaning. In English, the word more than the phenomenon is not uncommon. For example, the word well, to say what is the meaning of “well” as a noun; as a verb, to “gush, outflow, inrush current” solution; as an adverb, meaning more, “good, thorough, very, properly meaning; as an adjective, but also for health, a satisfactory solution; as an interjection used to express surprise, doubt, acceptance. In addition, the same part of speech but also because of its different forms and meanings of different In general, the same term may be its countable and uncountable, abstract and concrete of the points have a different meaning. Manner, means, manner, habits, attitudes, manners of the plural form is “courtesy, customs. Therefore, the translator in the translation of words, but also pay attention to the word form on the meaning of a word, in order to avoid mistranslation. For example:
[Example 1] – All members of the party, were dead against the war.
[translation] (error) of all party members are against the war dead.
(positive), all party members are firmly opposed to this war.
[analysis] is the translation of this sentence the key to understanding of the dead parts of speech, as an adjective, it will mistakenly translated “all party members are against the war dead”. In fact, the dead is an adverb modified to limit the prepositional phrase against the war, meaning “completely”, can be translated as “resolutely”, but be against the war is really the Department of table structure.
[Example 2] With the introduction of the electronic computer, there is no complicated problem but can be solved in a few hours.
Lesson (mis) due to the introduction of a computer, there is no complex issues to be resolved, but within a few hours.
(positive) due to the introduction of the electronic computer, is not within a few hours to solve the complex problems.
] The key to this sentence is but part of speech understanding, but do conjunctions (but), prepositions (in addition to) outside, but also can be used as a relative pronoun, and guide the attributive clause. However, it should pay special attention to but form certain sense, it is no equivalent to that / which guided its antisense attributive clause. This sentence, if you will but understood as a preposition, then the structure is wrong, they were presented with a verb; If you but understood as conjunctions, the semantic barrier; here but is a relative pronoun. That the attributive clause of this sentence can be used to replace: With the introduction of the electronic computer, there is no complicated problem that can not be solved in a few hours. Another example There is no the rule in English but has exceptions (in English there is no rule without exceptions. / in English, those who rule has an exception.)
(c) the meaning of the word appraise
English-Chinese glossary of the language of color, derogatory, compliment, and neutral points. Translation from English, the word emotion not like parts of speech, according to context, and Chinese expressed the need for translation, but must be translated according to the spirit of the original, that is, the neutral word must be translated into the neutral words. commendatory must be translated into commendatory, derogatory term must be translated into a derogatory term. However, the emotion of both English and Chinese vocabulary does not exist a direct peer-to-peer relationship, which resulted in 6 words and sentences Another difficulty also in accordance with the principle of justice “to be careful to identify English vocabulary emotional. For example: [Example 1] He is a bright and ambitious.
Lesson (derogatory) he is very clever, but ambitious.
(compliment) he is very clever, there are aspirations.
[analysis] ambitious word, emotional, can be used as a commendatory, derogatory, and neutral words. For general business activities is a neutral word for the underworld or improper industry is a derogatory term used for legitimate and they can be successful the industry is commendatory. The original sentence because there is no clear context, can be ambitious as a derogatory term, can also be seen commendatory, both translations are correct.
[Example 2] They are nameless nothings. (derogatory)
For a bunch of nobodies.
He is always saying the usual polite nothings. (compliment)
For He is always talking about the usual kind words addressed to me.
[analysis] nothing as a noun, meaning “insignificant things, there is no value” itself is not appraise points. However, due to changes in the specific context, especially the emotional modifier limited, with a certain emotion. This sentence, nothing to modification by the nameless, has a pejorative connotation; the second modification, by the polite compliment.
English
(d) meaning evolution, there are a lot of meaning evolution of the phenomenon. Semantic Evolution is due to social, cultural, reality factors, some of the old words have been given a new meaning, which evolved out of some of the new usage. For example, each year in the United States presidential election will have some new words, or some old words given new meaning. During the election, voters across the United States the favorite son to call his own beloved people, so the three most common word combination, on the evolution of a new meaning. If you do not understand the American election, it is difficult to understand the true meaning of the word. Therefore, we have to learn English to Chinese, not only to learn the original meaning of English words in the dictionary or books, but also understand the economic system of the Anglo-American countries, the political system, education system, religion and folk customs, and insight into the culture inherent in the English language contents. Lack of understanding of a country or a national culture will not be able to use the language of the country to express our thoughts, let alone insight into the real meaning. For example, some yellow publications (Pulp publications) translated as “yellow publication, it was the smoking gun (conclusive evidence of a crime) into the” pipe “, which are due to a lack of understanding of the Anglo-American cultural impact on the meaning the. For example:
When it came time for the U.S. Congress to approve, the of ITO, President Harry Truman, preoccupied with a plan for U.S. healthcare reform, failed to lobby vigorously for the of ITO.
Lesson to the U.S. Congress to discuss the motion by the International Trade Organization, President Truman busy to develop a health care reform plan, not the matter of the International Trade Organization hard lobbying.
[analysis] in the lobby of the original, the original meaning of “lounge”, but after years of evolution, it has become a commonly used words in American political life. Congress during the meeting of Members lobbying activities, mostly in the Parliament in front of the lounge, the lobby has been evolved into a verb, meaning “lobbying” Members.
In short, the meaning of a word and expression is a priority of 6, and a difficult, often to many facets to consider, a little imprudent, there will be mistranslation. In fact, simple, 6 is selected from the Chinese the right word to express the meaning in English. However, to find the expression of full compliance with the English meaning of Chinese is not an easy thing. To do the translation, it is necessary to choose the right meaning; to choose the right meaning, can not stick to the surface meaning of the original word, or ready English-Chinese Dictionary meaning. The basic approach is: the original meaning of the original word-based, according to the logical relationship of context, grammar, word mix to determine the specific meaning of the word. In order to improve capacity in this area, the best candidates usually read some books on the translation method, such as “the Kaoyan English score Policy – translation and sentence structure special Gifted” master translation skills and laws, coupled with appropriate practice, I believe the the Kaoyan translation will no longer be the Kaoyan English in the “stumbling block”.