Translation
is communication. When the translation causes trouble in
understanding or results in zero communication, it is a
failure. This paper makes an analytical study on what causes
such failure: one is a misconception that translation is a
word-for-word process whereas the other is the translator』s
blindness to cultural differences. In an attempt to solve
these problems, two corresponding strategies are suggested for
beginners.
1.
Accommodate
to target linguistic conventions.
a.
Accommodate
to collocation in target language---We acquire them rather
than learn them as in learning a foreign or second language.
Most problems arise in translation owing to different
collocations in different languages.
b.
Lexicalization
with necessary annotation---By lexicalizaiton we mean to
invent a new word or phrase for something that does not exit
in the target language. The meaning may yet fail to be
conveyed, so it is necessary for us to append an explanation
immediately thereafter.
c.
Accommodate
to target sentential structure---The Chinese clauses are
connected through meaning while English uses functional words
to string them together. Another significant distinction is
that English is subject-prominent while Chinese is
topic-prominent. In Chinese-English translation, proper
subjects must be identified for each clause for subjectless
clause is grammatically wrong in English. In English-Chinese
translations many subjects can be omitted and the clauses can
be rearranged into a string of clause led by a general topic.
2.
Accommodate to target cultural acceptability.
a.
Accommodate
to target cultural conventions---what is significant in one
culture might lose all its significance in another. Take color
for example. In English green-eyed is synonymous with jealous
while in Chinese the same idea becomes yanhong (literally
red-eyed).
b.
Cultural
substitution---This strategy involves replacing a
culture-specific item or expression with a target-language
item which does not have the same propositional meaning but is
likely to have a similar impact on the target reader. The
translator』s decision largely depends on the purpose of
translation. Nord (2001) provides a pair of concepts that is
of great help for us: documentary translation (preserve the
original exoticizing setting) vs instrumental translation
(adaptation of the setting to the target culture). Whether a
translation ought to be instrumental or documentary when
cultural and historical elements are involved is therefore the
translator』s decision.
Conclusion
A
dictionary may be of some necessity for translators, but far
from enough. Without a strong consciousness of linguistic and
cultural accommodation, one would never become a qualified and
competent translator or interpreter.
翻譯錯誤探源與解決
翻譯就是溝通。當翻譯錯誤造成兩種語言之間無法溝通時，就是失敗的翻譯。這篇文章主要在分析兩種造成翻譯錯誤的原因：一是將翻譯誤解成逐字對照的過程；另一種則是譯者對於文化差異的無知。本文也將同時提供翻譯初學者以下幾種方法來解決這些錯誤。
1.
順應翻譯對象的語言慣例
a.
順應目標語言的慣例---不管是母語還是學習外語，我們都是慢慢習慣，而非學習，語言中的慣例。許多字的用法是一種慣例而非有依據可循。很多翻譯的問題就是源於不同語言間的語言搭配性不一而引起。例如:寫日記在英文裡是」keep」
a diary而不是「write」
a diary.
b.
以必要的註解來創造辭彙---有時候我們需要創造一些在目標語言中不存在的詞彙，這時候我們就必須為它加入必要的註解。例如:下午茶(afternoon
tea)就是在中文裡原本沒有的詞，而下午茶的意義並不只是在喝茶，翻譯時就要加以說明。
c.
順應目標語言的句法結構---中文的句子用意義來連接彼此，但英文卻是用功能字來連接。另一個句法差異是，英文句是」主詞取向」但中文句是」主題取向」，也就是說，在英文裡，一句話的重點是在主詞；而在中文裡，一句話的重點卻在於它的主題。在做中翻英時，必須要辨識子句的主詞並將它翻譯出來，否則就會造成在英文中缺少主詞的文法錯誤。而在英翻中時，就可以視情況省略某些主詞，並依中文語法重主題的慣例，順應主題來重新排列次序。
2.
考慮目標語言的文化接受度(考慮來源語言與目標語言間的文化差異)
a.
順應目標語言的文化慣例---在一個文化裡具有特定意義的詞彙可能在另一個文化裡並沒有這種意義。拿顏色來說，」green-eyed」在英文裡是忌妒的意思，不過同樣意義在中文來說就必須翻譯成」眼紅」。所以翻譯者必須要了解兩個文化的差異，考慮兩者之間意義的互通性，並且補齊不足的意義。
b.
文化替代---先舉一個例子來說明這個方法：如果有一部電影臺詞提到美國某個流行的電視節目名稱，那麼臺灣在翻譯時就會翻成另一個對等的、在臺灣流行的電視節目名稱。我們用一個能讓翻譯對象瞭解、對他們來說較熟悉、較有意義的東西，來代替原文中特有的文化主題，也許經過替代的詞彙，會失去原本的文化指涉，但卻能更有效的使讀者貼近原文所要傳達的概念。翻譯者的決定通常視不同的翻譯目的而定，諾得(2001)提出了一組概念來幫助譯者：忠實紀錄的翻譯vs.達成效果的翻譯。如果譯者注重的是忠實傳達給讀者原文的訊息，那麼他會選擇第一種；如果譯者要的是表達最基本的溝通，那麼他會選擇第二種。
結論
在以上的討論中,我們可以做出一個結論：對翻譯者來說，字典可能是必要的工具，但其實一本字典不足以幫助我們作出完美的翻譯。如果對於語言與文化的瞭解不夠全面的話，是無法成為一個好的翻譯者或口譯者的。
林尚儀、蘇意棻
http://www.translationdirectory.com/article129.htm
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