Translation Art: English-Chinese and Chinese-English Bilingual Translation

Author: Chen Wenbo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: This book discusses theory not in an abstract way, nor does it waste effort explaining theoretical terms. Instead, it closely connects theory with practice, analyzing specific translations. Translation theory involves the similarities and differences between two languages, particularly the differences, as well as the methods involved. The so-called "literal translation" and "free translation" are ultimately issues of method. In the main chapters of the book, each translation is followed by an "Introduction" and "Key Points of Translation Method." The latter discusses both methods and theory but does so based on specific translations, making it highly practical. The book is divided into five parts. Part I and Part II draw on others' translations to attempt to establish some evaluation criteria. Without quoting critics' remarks or terminology, they examine others' translations in detail, conducting careful research to uncover the principles of translation. Part III primarily discusses translation from the perspective of self-translation, arguing that if the translator is the same as the author and excels in both languages, the resulting translation should be excellent and serve as a model. Part II primarily discusses translation from the perspective of others' translations, analyzing representative translations in both English-Chinese and Chinese-English directions. "Translation Comparison" involves comparing and evaluating two translations of the same original text, while "Excellence Appreciation" analyzes the strengths of highly praised translations. These contributions help form evaluation criteria for translations rather than simply talking about fidelity, expressiveness, and elegance in a vacuum. Part III includes 37 English-Chinese (E-C) translation examples, while Part IV includes 68 Chinese-English (C-E) translation examples. Most of the examples have been published in journals, with the former appearing in English World and the latter in English Salon. The fifth part provides theoretical summaries based on the translation examples in the third and fourth parts, discussing five issues in total. All examples are drawn from the book's translations, making them highly targeted and essentially a summary of practical experience.