Single Sentence Chapter (7)

There are three difficulties in translation: faithfulness, expressiveness and elegance. It’s very difficult to ask for his trust! Therefore, if you believe it, if you don't reach it, even if you translate it, you still won't reach it. ...Yi said: "Rhetoric establishes sincerity." Confucius said: "It's just expressive words!" He also said: "Words without writing will not go far." The three are the right track of the article, that is, a model for translation. Therefore, be faithful and expressive, and seek elegance... - Yan Fu's "Tianyan Lun. Translation and Li Yan"

1. Original text:...but he had still at intervals a kind listener in Mrs. .Philips,and was ,by her watchfulness,most abundantly supplied with coffee and muffin.(Jane Austen:Pride and Prejudice)

Translation: However, Mrs. Phillips occasionally listened to him with good intentions, And thanks to her careful attention, she always poured him coffee and muffins. (Translated by Sun Zhili)

Appreciation: Comparing the original text and the translated text, you will find that: the subject of the original text is "he", the subject in the translation is changed to "Mrs. Phillips", and the noun "listener" in the original text is the object. After being translated into Chinese, it became the verb-object phrase "listen to what he said" and was used as a predicate in the translated sentence. Of course, "kind" was also translated into the adverb "kindly", modifying the predicate verb. The following preposition object "watchfulness" is also turned into a verb and used as a predicate in the translated sentence. In the original text, only one word "supplied" was used, but when translated into Chinese, it became two verbs: "pour" and "tian", each with its own object. These translation techniques are all used for expression needs. Although the situation has changed, the content remains the same, and the translation is as fluent as the original text.

2. Original text: He would carry a fowling piece on his shoulder, for hours together, trudging through woods and swamps, and up hill and down dale, to shoot a few squirrels or wild pigeons. (Washington Irving :"Rip Van Winkle")

Translation: Sometimes, in order to shoot a few squirrels or wild pigeons, he would carry a shotgun and trek through the woods and swamps, up mountains and valleys, for several hours. (Translated by Wan Zi and Yu Ning)

Appreciation: Putting purpose first and behavior last is a writing habit in Chinese. "Carry" is translated as "to carry" rather than "to carry", which is more delicious. "Through the woods and marshes, up the mountains and into the valleys" is translated more concisely and clearly, and it also contains a bit of humor. The word "trek" is used to describe Rip Van Winkle's tireless running around in order to hunt. It is quite expressive and also to convey a little bit of humor.

3. Original text: Let us go into this deserted woodman's hut, and see how he has passed the long winter nights and the short and stormy days. (Henry David Thoreau: "A Winter Walk")

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Translation: There is a woodcutter's cabin over there. The woodcutter himself is not here, but we might as well go in and have a look. The winter nights are long, the days are short and snowy, and this kind of life is really hard enough for the woodcutter to endure. (Translated by Xia Jian) ??

Appreciation: The original text is only one sentence, using "and" to connect two verb predicates together, and translated into Chinese, it becomes six clauses. The translation begins with "over there" to continue the above; "deserted" is just a word, which is turned into a sentence in the translation ("The woodcutter himself is not here"); "We might as well go in and have a look" is translated euphemistically, At the same time, it echoes "the absence of the woodcutter himself".

The second half of the translation has a larger structural adjustment compared to the original text. The two noun phrases ("the long winter nights", "the short stormy days") are translated into small sentences and juxtaposed together to highlight the life of a woodcutter. of hardship. Although the entire translation is very different from the original text in structure, the meaning is accurate and the expression is natural and fluent.

4. Original text: He was not mean in friendship nor in ambition.

Translation: He meant friendship and ambition.

Appreciation: Shakespeare once said: "Brevity is the soul of wit". Whether writing articles or translating, simplicity is a valuable quality. The translator here translated the negative version of the original text using two verb-object phrases with the same structure, forming a juxtaposition that is clean and neat.