Literal Translation And Free Translataion

Example 13) and 14) are metaphor, have deep moral. If translated literally, translations are fluent and natural, but it could not express the deep meaning of the oroginal, it is unadvisable.

There is another suituation which should use free translation: a sentense that use idioms.

For example:⑧
15) Something unexpected may happen ang time.
Free translation: 天有不测风云.
Literal translation: 一些没有预料到的事会随时发生.

In English, this sentence is very common. But if translated it literally into Chinese, it did not accord with the habit of expressive. On the contrarary, it would be unitelligible and would not achive the effect of the original. It would make target language readers inappreciatable. But in the example 15), free translation used a Chinese idioms, after reading target language readers would comprehened and have nice feeling. So free translation is a good choice when literal translation could not be used.

3.2 Don not add personal emotion to the original works.

Translation is a brige between source language and target language. Task of translation is to express the meaning and manifestation of the source language message by target language. The translation should give target language readers almost the same feeling as source language readers. If target language readers and source language readers had almost the same feeling after reading the translation, it was successful. If target language readers and source language readers had different feeling after reading the translation, it showed the translation was unqualified. From the angle of translation, actually, the feeling of readers can judge a translation. So the feeling of readers is the standard of translation.

Tough free translation gives some leeways to translators. Translators should comprehened the original thoroughly, and use the leeways correctly. Some translators usually use the leeways incorrectly. They often add their personal emotion to the original works. So translation was subjunctive and different as the original. It was unqualified translation. Because if translators added their personal emotion to the original works that the meaning of the original message had been changed by translators. After reading, target language readers might have different feeling between translation and the original. Those translations which added translator's own emotion were not according with the standard of translation. Translation should avoid to add personal emotion to the original works.

3.3 Free translation skill needs extensive knowledge and culture of both source language and target language.

Free translation gives translators some leeways. Translators should use then correctly. Not only should translators comprehened the meaning of the original message, but also they should be provided with extensive knowledge and culture of both source language and target language. Especially, on literature works, translators should be provided with literature training, and they also should know extensive literature knowledge. A translator who wanted to translate a literature composition should do his effort to accumulate something about history, geography, custom, natural style and features, tranditional culture and so on about the literature composition. In additional, translators should know the background of age and the author, style of the anthor. More extensive knowledge the translators have, more thoroughly he can comprehend the meaning of the original.

Free translation is a skill in translation. Translators should first comprehend the original thoroughly, then translate it correctly by target language, and acceptablely comprehend the original thoroughly is on the basis of extensive knowledge and excellent literature training. Some successful translators, when they were translating they did the research on the original author at the same time. After translating, they became on expert to the author and his composition. This spirit is worthly to study.

Let's see some examples:⑨
16) When the going gets tough, the tough getsgoing.
Free translation: 沧海横流方显英雄本色.
The words"going" and "tough" have different meaning. The translator used a sentence in a Chinese poem to translate this sentence.
17) Faults are thick where love is thin.
Free translation: 一朝情义淡, 样样不顺眼.
18) You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.转贴于 酷文网-论文下载中心 http://www.coolwen.net