Version:
“Can this be another absurd maid to come to bury flowers like Taiyu ? ”He wondered in some amusement. “If so, she’s Tung Shih imitating His Shih, which isn’t original but rather tiresome.”
II. Solutions
Available translation procedures:
The translation procedures that are available in cases of lacunae, or lexical gaps, include the following: 1. Adaptation
An adaptation, also known as a free translation, is a translation procedure whereby the translator replaces a social, or cultural, reality in the source text with a corresponding reality in the target text; this new reality would be more usual to the audience of the target text. Adaptation is often used when translating poetry, works of theatre and advertising. 2. Borrowing
Borrowing is a translation procedure whereby the translator uses a word or expression from the source text in the target text holus-bolus. Borrowings are normally printed in italics if they are not considered to have been naturalized in the target languages. 3. Calque
Calque is a translation procedure whereby a translator translates an expression (or, occasionally, a word) literally into the target language, translating the elements of the expression word for word. 4. Compensation
Compensation is a translation procedure whereby the translator solve the problem of aspects of the source text and cannot take the same form in the target language by replacing these aspects by other elements or forms in the source text.
5. Paraphrase
Paraphrase, sometimes called periphrasis, is a translation procedure whereby the translator replaces a word in the source text by a group of words or an expression in the target texts. An extreme example of paraphrase can be found in the BBC reports of June 22, 2004 of the identification of the ‘most untranslatable’ word. The word chosen is Ilunga, a word supposedly
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from a language in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The BBC article states that “Ilunga means ‘a person who is ready to forgive any abuse for the first time, to tolerate it a second time, but never a third time’.” Here, the report proves that this word is not in fact untranslatable, as it provides an English translation by way of the periphrasis.
6. Translator’s note
A translator’s note is a note (usually a footnote or endnote) added by the translator to the target text to provide additional information pertaining to the limits of the translation, the cultural background or any other explanations.
Some translation exams allow or demand such notes. Despite this, resorting to notes is normally seen as a failure by many translation professionals.
★ 补充：undertranslation and overtranslation (欠额翻译与超额翻译 )
I. Definition of undertranslation and overtranslation
We can attempts to define undertranslation and overtranslation in terms of non-equivalence following the way Eugene Nida defines translation in terms of equivalence. Undertranslation (also named overloaded translation) and overtranslation consist in reproducing in the target language (TL) the non-equivalence of the source language (SL) message, in terms of meaning or style. To speak more specifically, undertranslation overestimates TL reader’s range of knowledge and ignores version’s understandability, so results in TL reader’s failure to thoroughly understand the ideas conveyed by SL due to the lack of necessary message. On the contrary, overtranslation makes TL reader receive more message than SL reader does, thus results in TL reader’s misunderstanding. In a word, both undertranslation and overtranslation are deviation from the ideal, faithful and expressive translation.
Eugene Nida’s definition of translation: Translating consists in reproducing in the receptor language the closest natural equivalent of the source language message, first in terms of meaning and secondly in terms of style.
Moreover, we can further explain the definition of undertranslation and overtranlslation as follows.
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G’ = source language structure （源语结构） G’’= target language structure （译语结构） M’ = source language meaning （源语意义） M’’= target language meaning （译语意义） Type 1
结构相似（structural similarity）+意义相似（meaning similarity） G’=G’’ M’ = M’’
original：It goes in one ear and out the other. version：这话从一个耳朵进另一个耳朵出。 Type 2
结构相似（structural similarity）+意义相异（dissimilarity in meaning） G’=G’’ M’≠M’’
original：I wish I had a green thumb like Mrs. Lee—Look at the beautiful roses in her garden. version：我真希望像李太太那样有个绿色的大拇指，瞧她那院子里的玫瑰花多漂亮。 Type 3
结构相异（structural dissimilarity）+意义相似（meaning similarity） G’≠G’’ M’ = M’’
original：That excuse simply doesn’t hold water. version：那个借口根本站不住脚。 Type 4
结构相异（structuraldissimilarity）+意义相异（dissimilarity in meaning） G’≠G’’ M’≠M’’
original：一径自来到院门前，看那凤尾森森龙吟细细，正是潇湘馆。 （曹雪芹《红楼梦》） version：
At last he came to a secret door which was hidden away behind a thicket of high ferns by the edge of a quiet pond. A mysterious thrumming, which seemed to come from a water dragon living at the bottom of the pond, filled the air.
-- Florence & Zsabel McHugh: The Dream of the Red Chamber
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II. strategies to minimize undertranslation and overtranslation.
Undertranslation and overtranslation as the typical mistranslation always puzzles translators. Hence, we can attempts to demarcate undertranslation and overtranslation by employing “receptor’s response” proposed by Eugene Nida and to make it clear that receptor’s response is a dynamic standard which will develop as language changes and cross-culture communication is deepened with the lapse of time. Moreover, strategies such as generalization, specification, contextual amplification, adaptation, annotation, taboos in transliteration can help translators minimize undertranslation and overtranslation. 1、概略化(generalization)
original：Shampoo the hair with a mild Wella-shampoo and lightly towel dry. version：用“维拉”牌香波清洗头发，然后用毛巾轻轻揩干。 2、具体化(specification)
original：The house was overrun with ivy, its chimney being enlarged by the boughs of the parasite to the aspect of the ruined tower. The lower rooms entirely given over to the birds, who walked about them with a proprietary air, as though the place had been built by themselves…
version：草房上面爬满了爬山虎，房上的烟囱都叫这种附生植物的枝叶缠得变粗了，看着好像一座废圮了的高阁。楼下的屋子全是那些公鸡母鸡的领土，它们在那儿走来走去把主人翁的架子摆得十足，好像盖这所房子的就是它们自己。 （张谷若译《苔丝》）
3、语境增益(contextual amplification)
original：……又向众人道：“当日娥皇女英洒泪竹上成斑……” (曹雪芹《红楼梦》)
version：…She told the others, “when the Emperor Shun died, his two queens turned into the river goddess and their tears became the spots you find on the bamboos that grow on the banks of river. ( Hawkes, “The Story Of The Stones”) 4、归化(adaptation) original version I-steel 工字钢 T-square 丁字尺 V-neck 鸡心领
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original：……两块胛骨高高突出，印出一个阳文“八”字。
version：…and his shoulder blades struck out so sharply, an inverted “V” seemed stamped there. 5、加注(annotation)
original：卢信侯道：“昨日在尊府，今日我方到这里。你原来在这里做神仙。令我羡杀！”庄征君道：“此间与人世隔绝，虽非武陵，亦差不多。你且在此住些时，只怕在来时就要迷路了。” （吴敬梓）
version：“I went to your honorable house yesterday,” replied Lu, “and came on here today. You are living like an immortal----How I envy you!” “We are completely cut off from the world here,” said Chuang, “Although this not Peach Stream,* it comes very close to it. I hope you will pay us a long visit, for next time you may not be able to find the way.” footnote：
*This is a fairy land described by the poet Tao Yuanming. A fisherman came here by accident, but though he marked the path by which he left, neither he nor others could find the way back again. （杨宪益、戴乃迭译）
6、音译禁忌( taboos in transliteration) original version
Aids 艾滋病（cannot be translated as “爱滋病”）
Mozambique 莫桑比克（cannot be translated as “莫三别给”）
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Unit 13 Translation of different texts不同文本的翻译
