论汉语政论翻译中的取与舍

On Translator's Choice in C-E Translation

英译汉由重形转换为重意,汉语多能曲尽英意,颇为得力;汉译英由重意转为重形,英语往往力拙,舍弃较多。本文提出,有两大原因导致了汉译英的舍多于英译汉:一是汉语语义单位由字构成,意之密度大于由词构成的英语语义单位;二是汉语的兼容性大于英语,接受异域文化的机制更灵活。这两大语言因素与意识形态一样,对翻译的取舍都起有关键作用。有鉴于此,本文提出,操控翻译之力是一种由各种因素融合而成的合力。

In C-E translating, the translator often has to give up more than he does in E-C translating. This phenomenon exists in political writings, too, for which this paper suggests two explanations. One is that the semantic density in a Chinese semantic unit is usually higher than that in English. So when translating from Chinese into English, more semantic implications will leak than in translating from English into Chinese. The second is that the Chinese language and culture has a more flexible compatibility than its English counterpart. On the this linguistic fact, which plays no less important role as the ideological in- fluence on translation, we believe that what we call the manipulation of translation is actually a joint force originated from all elements that exert influence on the process of translation.