英汉互译简明教程-Translation Techniques

英汉互译简明教程
Translation Techniques
Generally speaking, the basic translation techniques that merit our attention and are to be applied in English-Chinese or ChineseEnglish translations include: 1.Diction(遣词用字） 2.Repetition（重译法） 3.Amplification（增译法） 4.Omission（减译法） 5.Conversion（转换法） 6.Inversion（词序调整法） 7.Negation（正说反译，反说正译法） 8.Change of Voices（语态变换法） 9.Division（分译法） 10.Combination（合译法）
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Version1: 他的眼睛热情，凶猛又明亮，胡子又稀又粗。 Version2: 他的眼睛热情，锐利，炯炯有神，胡子稀疏 粗硬
Special Techniques Employed in Translating a Word.

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1.Deduction（推演法）
Deduction is to deduce the original meaning in the light of the explanation of an English dictionary.
4.1 Diction
Teaching Contents:
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Word Meaning
Conceptual Meaning Stylistic Meaning Linguistic Meaning Pragmatic Meaning
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Choice of Word Meanings
Choice of Word Meanings According to Their Parts of Speech Choice of Word Meanings According to Different Collocation. Choice of Meaning Shifts Between the Abstract and the Concrete. Choice of Affective Meanings. Choice of Contextual Meanings Special Techniques Employed in Translating a word. Deduction（推演法） Transplant（移植法） Extension（引申法） Substitution（替换法） Explanation（释义法） Combination（合并法） Pictographic（图形法） Transliteration（音译法） Zero-Translation（零翻译法） Transliteration + Explanation（音义结合法）
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In practice, words are actually classified into three categories as :
colloquial（口语） 2)common （常用语） 3)formal (书面语）.
1) 2) 3)
Take “wife” for instance: Colloquial: woman, old woman, better half Common: wife Formal: consort, spouse, helpmate.

I.
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Choice of Word Meanings According to Their Parts of Speech.
A word may have various meanings with different parts of speech.
For example: 他们省吃俭用，为的是替国家多积累资金。 They save food and expenses to accumulate more funds for the country. (save food: “把食物放起来”) 改译： They live frugally to accumulate more funds for the state . Note:不要进行字对字的死译。要考虑中英文的真正含义。
III.
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Choice of Meaning Shifts Between the Abstract and the Concrete.
Sometimes it is necessary to put the word with concrete image into one with abstract meaning and vice versa.
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2) 3) 4) 5)
Frozen（拘谨） Formal（正式） Consultative（商议） Casual （随意） Intimate （亲密）
For example:
Linguistic Terms Frozen Formal Consultative Casual Intimate Sample Words Quaff Imbibe Drink Swig Guzzle

Stylistic Meaning: is communicated of the social circumstance of languຫໍສະໝຸດ Baiduge use.

Linguistic Meaning: is built on the relationships of the signs with each other in the same system.
e.g.



V.
Choice of Contextual Meanings .
The same word has different meanings in different contexts or fields of discourse. Therefore, a translator should try to find it contextual meaning in TL. For example: His eyes were warm and fierce and bright and his moustache was thin and coarse.
IV.
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Choice of Affective Meanings.
Affective meaning refers to what is communicated of the feeling and attitudes of the writer towards the reader. The enemy’s scheme went bankrupt. 敌人的阴谋破产了。 This is our scheme for the term’s work. 这是我们这学期的工作计划。 He is very much interested in politics. 他对政治很有兴趣。 Mary always gets what she wants by playing office politics. 玛丽总是靠耍手腕来达到她的目的。
Choice of Word Meaning

In the practice of translation, what perplexes us most frequently is how to find an equivalent in the language to be translated into. Great care is called for in the translation of “familiar” English into Chinese, as their meaning vary with the change in collocation or context. By diction, generally speaking, the following are some commonly-used ways available to find an equivalent in the TL.
e.g. 千山鸟飞绝，From hill to hill no bird in fight. 万径人踪灭。From path to path no man in sight.

Pragmatic Meaning: is the study of the “relation of signs to interpreters”.
For example: Delicate Delicate skin Delicate porcelain Delicate upbringing Delicate living Delicate health Delicate stomach Delicate vase Delicate diplomatic question Delicate difference Delicate surgical operation 娇嫩的皮肤 精致的瓷器 娇生惯养 奢侈的生活 虚弱的身体 容易吃坏的胃 易碎的花瓶 微妙的外交问题 讲不大清楚的差别 难做的外科手术
II.
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Choice of Word Meanings According to Different Collocation.
The same word with the same part of speech may have different meanings due to different collocations.
e.g.
There are different views on classification of levels of formality of words, and Martin Joos classifies this into five categories in his paper “Five Clocks” as follows:
Speaking of word meanings ,there are conceptual meaning, stylistic meaning, linguistic meaning and pragmatic meaning.

Word Meanings

Conceptual Meaning: is the basic meaning and the main information carried by linguistic signs. e.g. No smoking（禁止吸烟）
e.g. If you dare to play the fox with me,I’ll shoot you at once
你要是敢和我耍滑头，我马上毙了你。
上海反映了中国的发展与现状。
Shanghai mirrors the development and characters of China.
大家见面，招呼声“吃了吗？”透着和气。 They greet with each other with a “Hi” just to show their good neighbourly feelings. 年夜饭 family reunion meal on the eve of the Spring Festival.
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Definition of amplification

Diction is one of the basic translation techniques to express meaning by using the proper choice of words and phrases. It must be based on the accurate comprehension of the original.