翻译的重要视角:信息结构与信息焦点

An important perspective of translation:information structure and information focus

翻译长句的传统技巧没有考虑到信息结构和信息焦点这一视角。英汉信息结构和信息焦点分布存在差异 :英语结构受末尾焦点 (end focus)和末尾着重 (end weight)两条原则制约 ,而汉语结构只受末尾焦点原则的制约。翻译时不可照搬原文的信息结构 。

English and Chinese are different from each other in information structure and in distribution of information focus. English structure is governed by the two rules of end-focus and end-weight, while Chinese one only by the rule of end-focus. When translating, a translator can not copy the information structure of the source language into the target language. He/she, according to the characteristics of information structure and the distribution rule of information focus in the target language, must make some adjustments. This perspective is often overlooked by traditional approaches to translating long and complex sentences.