By Juan Daniel Pérez Vallejo Translation teacher, 

University of Cd. Del Carmen, Campeche, Mexico 

http://www.translationdirectory.com/article414.htm

The study of proper principle of translation is termed as translation theory. This theory, based on a solid foundation on understanding of how languages work, translation theory recognizes that different languages encode meaning in differing forms, yet guides translators to find appropriate ways of preserving meaning, while using the most appropriate forms of each language. Translation theory includes principles for translating figurative language, dealing with lexical mismatches, rhetorical questions, inclusion of cohesion markers, and many other topics crucial to good translation.

Basically there are two competing theories of translation. In one, the predominant purpose is to express as exactly as possible the full force and meaning of every word and turn of phrase in the original, and in the other the predominant purpose is to produce a result that does not read like a translation at all, but rather moves in its new dress with the same ease as in its native rendering. In the hands of a good translator neither of these two approaches can ever be entirely ignored.

Conventionally, it is suggested that in order to perform their job successfully, translators should meet three important requirements; they should be familiar with:

• the source language

• the target language

• the subject matter

Based on this premise, the translator discovers the meaning behind the forms in the source language and does his best to produce the same meaning in the target language - using the forms and structures of the target language. Consequently, what is supposed to change is the form and the code and what should remain unchanged is the meaning and the message. (Larson, 1984)

One of the earliest attempts to establish a set of major rules or principles to be referred to in literary translation was made by French translator and humanist Étienne Dolet, who in 1540 formulated the following fundamental principles of translation ("La Manière de Bien Traduire d』une Langue en Aultre"), usually regarded as providing rules of thumb for the practicing translator:

The translator should understand perfectly the content and intention of the author whom he is translating. The principal way to reach it is reading all the sentences or the text completely so that you can give the idea that you want to say in the target language because the most important characteristic of this technique is translating the message as clearly and natural as possible. If the translation is for different countries, the translator should use the cultural words of that country. It is really important the cultural words because if the translator does not use them correctly the translation will be misunderstood.

The translator should have a perfect knowledge of the language from which he is translating and an equally excellent knowledge of the language into which he is translating. At this point the translator must have a wide knowledge in both languages for getting the equivalence in the target language, because the deficiency of the knowledge of both languages will result in a translation without logic and sense.

The translator should avoid the tendency to translate word by word, because doing so is to destroy the meaning of the original and to ruin the beauty of the expression. This point is very important and one of which if it is translated literally it can transmit another meaning or understanding in the translation.

The translator should employ the forms of speech in common usage. The translator should bear in mind the people to whom the translation will be addressed and use words that can be easily understood.

翻譯理論

我們稱翻譯準則的研究為翻譯理論。這項理論以瞭解語言的運用為基礎：翻譯理論發現，不同的語言會以不同的字句編排來翻譯同一個訊息，然而此理論卻還是能引導譯者一邊尋求適當的方法保留原意，一邊採用譯入語中最貼切的字句。翻譯理論包含象徵性用語的翻譯，同時涉及詞彙誤用、修辭問題和連貫性標示的探討，另外，若要完成一篇具專業水準的譯文，譯者所必備的許多相關課題也在其論述範圍內。

基本上有兩種相抗衡的翻譯理論：其中一者是力求將原文裡每個字和詞的意思譯得分毫不差，另一個非但要使文章讀起來完全沒有翻譯加工的痕跡，反而要像是替原文換了一套新衣，卻又不失原汁原味。事實上，專業的譯者在下筆時都不能忽略上述任何一項要素。

一般來說，譯者若要成功翻譯出好的文章，就應該具備理解和運用以下三項基本要點的能力：

l          原語

l          譯語

l          主題

以此為前提，譯者必須先發掘原語中隱藏的含意，接著再盡量以譯語的形式和語法架構來闡述原意；最後，譯者應該只會改變原文的組成結構及用字，而保留其含意和訊息。

法國翻譯家和人道主義者艾比安‧杜雷曾試圖於文學翻譯裡建立一套主要的規則，而他也是最早採取此行動的人之一。杜雷在1540年制定了以下的基本翻譯規則（出自於"La Manière de Bien Traduire d』une Langue en Aultre"），這項成就常被世人公認是翻譯人員的經驗法則。

譯者須充分理解內容並完全明白作者的意圖。達成此一目標的首要方法，就是將原文所有的句子徹頭徹尾完整讀過，以便能以譯入語表達這些意念。這項翻譯技巧最顯著的特點就是盡其所能的將主旨表達得清晰明確且流暢自然。若是翻譯成不同國家的語言，譯者應選用譯入語國家中所使用的文化詞彙；如果將它們誤用，翻譯便會被誤解，因此文化詞彙在翻譯中確實佔有舉足輕重的地位。

譯者對於原語須有完備的認知，對於譯語也得具備同等精準的掌握。為了能用譯入語將原意絲毫不差的翻譯出來，譯者一定得廣泛地認識這兩種語言；因為，對於任何一方的認識不足，都將導致邏輯和意義上的誤譯。

譯者應避免逐字翻譯的傾向，因為這麼做會破壞原始意義並毀了書寫美感。這點相當重要。依照字面翻譯的壞處之一就是很可能在翻譯過程中傳達了別的意義或造成不一樣的理解。

譯者應使用普遍慣常的語言形式，並謹記誰是譯文的閱讀者，盡量運用易於他們理解的文字。

方暐婷(Jennifer)周詩珣(Mirabelle)