基于“NUTERM术语库”的中国艺术学术语系统英译研究——术语翻译的系统经济律视角

A NUTERM-based Study of English Translation of the Chinese Art Terminology System from the Perspective of the Law of Systematic Economy

基于“NUTERM术语库”的数据分析表明,艺术学术语英译基本呈现出共性于直译、意译方法之下的多种翻译样态,其中直译和意译是最主要的翻译方法,共占全体翻译方法的71.83%。翻译方法影响了汉语艺术学英译术语系统的形式特征,表现为英译术语系统的术语平均长度和单词平均术语构成频率均高于汉语术语系统。从系统经济律视角来看,艺术学英译术语系统的经济律指数高于汉语术语系统,表现出一定的系统合理性,但仍未达到理想的程度,这主要与英译术语系统的平均术语长度较长有关,其原因在于对释译方法的过度依赖。通过对艺术学术语英译的系统研究,可以看出探讨艺术学本土术语英译的有效方法和外来艺术学术语的正确回译是今后艺术学术语英译亟待解决的问题。

NUTERM-based data analysis showed that there were a variety of methods of translating Chinese art terms into English. Among them, literal translation and free translation are the two major ones, accounting for 71.83% of all methods. Translation methods affected the formal features of the resultant English art terminology system. The English art terminology system is higher than its Chinese counterpart in respect to average term length and term formation frequency. From the perspective of the law of systematic economy, the economic law index of the English art terminology system is higher than that of the original Chinese art terminology system. Thus, the English art terminology system showed some systematic rationality, but has not reached an ideal level. This was mainly due to the fact that English art terms are comparatively long in average length. The reason lay in the excessive reliance on the method of paraphrasing rather than providing equivalents. In the future, it is imperative that effective methods should be sought for both translating traditional Chinese art terms and back translating those art terms of foreign origins.