The Role of Translator in Translation.doc

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1、译者在翻译中的角色The Role of Translator in TranslationContentsAbstract.1Key words.1I. Introduction.2II. Views on Translation from Different Aspects.21. Definitions of translation.22. Theories on translation.33. My views differ from mentioned above.4III. The Roles of Translator in Translation.41. What is tra

2、nslator.42. The roles of translator.51) Translator as mediator.52) Translator serves as artist.63. Summary .8IV. How to Play the Role of Subjectivity.81. Required knowledge .81) Syntactic knowledge.92) Semantic knowledge.93) Pragmatic knowledge.92. Required skills .91) Problem-solving and text-proce

3、ssing.102) Synthesis: writing.103) Analysis: reading .10V. Conclusion.11References.11Abstract: The paper, through analyzing the role played by the translators, is set to present translators act (like a media) in the respect of the translators subjectivity. The translators role of negotiation bridges

4、 over the gap between the producer of the source-language text and the receiver of the target-language text in the translating process, and also will explain the significance of translator in this cultural and commercial world. To fulfill this work, I will employ definitions of translation made by r

5、enowned linguists at home and abroad, by comparing these definitions and theories, in this way, to analyze translators role or practical function in the process of translating activity, and ultimately achieve the aim of introducing how the translator accurately and effectively convey the source-lang

6、uage text to target-language text through illustrating what essential knowledge and skills should be acquired by the translator. So as to decrease barriers in bilingual cultural communication and to promote mutually exact understanding in intercultural exchange on the international affairs. Key word

7、s: translator; media; subjectivity; source-language; target-language摘 要: 这篇论文通过分析译者在翻译活动所扮演的角色来说明译者在翻译过程中以及在跨文化交流中的主体性地位。在围绕这一中心思想的前提下，分别从译者所扮演的媒介角色、艺术家角色、及在原语作者与目标语授众，以及更广泛意义上的不同文化交流这一动态过程中起到的桥梁纽带作用这几方面进行了阐述，以此强调译者的重要性。特别是在当今日益频繁的文化、商业、科技交流活动中，译者的地位显得尤为突出。文章的最后提出译者应该掌握一定的必要知识和技能来完善、提高自身职业素质，让译者在这一活

8、动中发挥更大的作用，减少跨文化交流中的障碍，促进双方准确、有效的沟通交流。关键词: 译者；媒介；主体性；原语；目标语I. IntroductionNowadays, as communication frequently takes place among human activities, the world is becoming smaller and smaller. Traditional customs, values, life-styles from various cultural backgrounds, respectively, shake off restrictio

9、n of cultural-boundaries, blending with each other on the international stage. The sign of language communication, as I observe, is omnipresent. Nevertheless, people come to encounter enormous obstacles when they carry out their business. It is that they are unable to understand each other accuratel

10、y. Translation, at the same time, as a profession, plays a necessary and valuable part in the human act. Essentially speaking, the indispensable role played by translators, which enables them to share a more harmonious view of the world. It has built up bridges of understanding among different socie

11、ties. Therefore, we hope to have shown that the translator stands at the centre of this dynamic process of communication, as a mediator between the producer of a source text and whoever are its TL receivers. The translator is the first and foremost mediator, mutual communication between two parties

12、may not be achieved without themand this is true of translator of patents, contracts, verse, or fiction just as much as it is of the simultaneous interpreter. Even the most skeptical critics cannot but admit that if it were not for translators, we would be living in a far less friendly and less inte

13、resting environment. Meanwhile I hope my premature points of view I am going to present in my paper would help aspiring learners.II. Views on Translation from Different Aspects1. Definitions of translation There are varied versions about definition of translation made by different famous in this fie

14、ld. According to Roger T Bell, he defined translation as follows: Translation is the expression in another language (or target language) of what has been expressed in another, source language, preserving semantic and stylistic equivalences.As the provided definition of translation, it is easy to see

15、, which focuses on the requirement with the content and style of the original text should be preserved as far as possible in translation text. Therefore, taking into account the nature of equivalence is essential in translating activity. Moreover, the term translation is arguing by debaters has been

16、 given two meanings whether translation is the process or product. Hence we can suggest that:a).Translating: the process(the activity rather than the concrete object;b).A translating: the product of the process of translating;c).Translation: which is totally abstract concept which consists of two pa

17、rtsprocess of the translating and the product of that process;Clearly, translation is one ambiguous concept as mentioned above, in my paper, and then we should be selective, relating our view to the central concern of this aspect: translating as a communicative process which takes place within a soc

18、ial context.What is available for scrutiny is the end-product, the result of translation practice rather than the practice itself. Bell (1987) suggested that the tendency to ignore the process involved in the act of translating lies behind the relating stagnation studies in recent years. If we treat

19、 text merely as a self-contained and self-generating entity not as a decision-making procedure and an instance of communication between language users, our understanding of the nature of translation will be impaired. The view of that underlies this paper, and regards translation as a process, involv

20、ing the negotiation of meaning between producers and receivers of text.2. Theories on translation 1) Translation theory of German function school: Function school drive from Germany claims that translation is an act. Its theories focus on three aspects:a) Elaborate the nature of translation;b) Role-

21、analysis of participants in the translating process; c) advance function translation rules.2) Polsystem theory by Itamar Even-zoher. Polysystem refers to the entire work of correlated system-literary and extra literarywithin society. On the basis of Tynjanovs theory Even-Zohar develops an approach c

22、alled polysystem theory to attempt to explain the function of all kinds of writing within a given culture-form the central canonical texts to the most marginal non-canonical texts. This is a global term covering all the literal systems, both major and minor, existing in a given culture.3) Prague sch

23、ool and its translation theories: The main viewpoints of this school are:a) Different functions of language must be taken into consideration when translating, such as cognitive function, expressive function and instrumental function;b) Translations must attach importance to the comparison of languag

24、e, including the comparison of meaning, grammar, pronunciation, language style and literature types and forms.4) London school and its theory: London schools main concept is than meaning of language is decided by the social context of situation. In other words, in terms of translation studies, wheth

25、er the words in translated test are the same as the words in source text depends on if they are used in the same social context of situation.3. My views differ from the statements above After skimming over definitions, theories, and perspectives from these renowned scholars at home and abroad, all o

26、f them, apparently, failed to pay attention to the central position of the translator in translating activity. Translator, in terms of my premature view of point, sets up bridge over the producer of original text and receiver of target text. For another thing, the effect generated by the product of

27、translation works on the receivers of target language text varies according to the degree of translators capacity. If translator cannot meet the requirements they should have, misinterpretation or even misunderstanding would happen. Hence, from the aspect of translator, who must be placed in the cen

28、tral position in the process of translating activity. Furthermore, in inter-cultural communication, the translator, is a special communicator different from normal speaker, hearer, and message receiver, and should have the bilingual cultural vision, acting as a link in the dynamics cross-cultural co

29、mmunication.III. The Role of Translator in Translation1. What is translator?Basically, all the communicators are translators such as receiverswhether listeners or readers, monolinguals or bilingualsface essentially the same trouble, they receive signals containing messages encoded in a communication

30、 system is not, by definition, identical with their own. In other words, the role of translator is different from the normal communicators. The translator has been defined as a bilingual mediating agent between monolingual communication participants in two different language communities, namely, the

31、 translator decodes messages transmitted in one language and re-encodes them in another.There is no difficulty to know that translator as mediator and the role of negotiation bridges over the gap between the producer of source-language text and the receiver of target-language text, marking the bilin

32、gual translator off from the monolingual communicator.Therefore, translator plays dispensable part in the translating activity, as a leading role in translating process translator has obligation to take great effort to do well in translation work.2. The roles of translator1) Translator as mediaIn th

33、e former part, we have demonstrated that translation was regarded as a process in this paper. Specifically speaking，the procedure of translating can be presented well if it were considered to be text processing. Therefore, translator in text processing is thought to be a media decoding the original

34、text in one language and then encoding the message transmitted to receiver in another language. As we refer to media, generally, two parties must be mentionedsender and receiver. We can illustrate translator as a media clearly with the following draft: Language 1 Decode and editTranslator (media) So

35、urce text Target text Language 2Receiver Senderr EncodeRe-editApparently, the above draft contains seven steps which take us from decoding the message in Language1 and recoding in Language2 transmitted to receiver.(1) translator receives source text containing message;(2) selects Language1;(3) decod

36、es and edits source text;(4) comprehends the message;(5) translator selects Language2;(6) encodes and re-edits message by means of Language2;(7) transmits target text containing message;In universal sense, translation as a profession nowadays bridges the cultural gap through their translating activi

37、ties leading to mutual understanding, a unity that relates to two cultures. Between two cultures, there exists cultural gap as well as cultural overlap. When the American historian Henry Brooks Adams wrote,”words are slippery,” he must have been referring to the fact that language translation is dif

38、ficult and subject to countless misinterpretations. Translation frequently produces misunderstanding or incomprehension because of cultural orientations. For instance, the Qechua language of Peru uses past and future visualizing the past as being in front of or ahead of a person because it can be se

39、en, and it visualizes the future as being behind one because it cannot seen. Instead, Americans speak of the past being behind them and the future being ahead. If this difference in cultural orientation were not known or were ignored, translations about time, the past, and the future could be incomp

40、rehensible. People could be told to look behind them for what they normally expect to find ahead of them. Translation must grapple not only with structural differences between languages but also with cultural differences, which requires precision and the ability to convey the speakers or authors app

41、roach or attitude. Therefore, translator, to a certain extent, functions as the role of negotiation bridges over the gap between inter-cultural communications in human practice within social context.2) Translator serves as artistThe artistic feature should be recreated by the translator in the proce

42、ss of translation. Under this circumstance, artistic quality requires that the target language version should illustrate the original version characteristics. By this way, the unique style of the original version revealed. For instance: Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. Their

43、 chief use for delight, is in privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for ability, is in the judgment and disposition of business.It followed three different Chinese versions translated by Liao Yunfan, Wang Ji and Wang Zuoliang.The Liao Yunfans sample: 人们独居或退隐的时候,最能体会到读书的乐趣;谈话的时

44、候,最能表现出读书的文雅;判断或处理事物的时候,最能发挥由读书而获得的能力。The Wang Jis sample: 读书可以怡情养性,可以摭拾文采,可以增长才干。在幽居独处时,最能体现其怡情养性的作用;在友朋交谈中,最能体现其摭拾文采的作用;在处世论事之际,最能体现其增长才干的作用。The Wang Zhuoliang version: 读书足以怡情,足以傅彩,足以长才。其怡情也,最见于独处幽居之时;其傅彩也,最见于高谈阔论之中;其长才也,最见于处世判事之际。Compared with the three varied versions, three different lingua fea

45、tures emerged. However, Mr. Wang Zhuoliangs version mixed with the ancient yet elegant wording as well as cast equal efforts in the form and rhythm well-matched the original sentence structure. The target Chinese language selection of his version showed great effectiveness and conciseness, by which

46、the essence of Chinese language and the target language revealed. Therefore, Mr. Wang Zhuoliangs translation as we put it, preserved the primary flavor, and futhermore peppered by translators unparallelled word choosing, showed the smoothness and nature quality of the original sentence. As such, the

47、 target lanuage (Chinese) can be fully accepted by Chinese readers as well as enriched the Chinese language. The foundation was underlied for further interpretion as the deepened understanding of Chinese readers towards the English essay. Still, the real artistic features of the original work can only be conserved with painstaking effort in the target langua