只要一天有人类，或人有眼睛，
这诗将永存，并且赐给你生命。
Mr. Dai Liu-ling rendered the two lines by free translation like this:
天地间能有人鉴赏文采，
这诗就流传就教你永在。
In spite of adopting different translation strategies, both the two versions achieve the source language expressive function. However, in terms of the revelation of the source language aesthetic function, there is still a gap between each version and the source text. Liang’s version contains twelve Chinese characters each line while Dai’s version includes ten each line, both versions rhymed. But the source poem’s iambic feet are missing. Admittedly, the two versions are academically of high level, but both fail to completely reveal the formal beauty of the source poem. Furthermore, this kind of revelation is impossible.
In brief, translation is exactly like making furniture of different kinds of timbers. Although the finished woodworks ensure the same contour and usage, the physical properties characterizing different kinds of timbers are irreplaceable, such as wood grain, tint and luster. Therefore, when the translator finds that the source text tries to achieve some aesthetic function through the source language formal features, he or she is obliged to employ a target language formal features for substitution to realize analogous aesthetic effects, which is precise one manifestation of Creative Translation only to come up to “the closest natural equivalence” instead of “fully adequate translating”.
5 Zero Translation
This paper borrows the concept “zero translation” coined by Qiu Maoru who defines such kind of translation phenomenon as: “The so-called zero translation is not to use the ready-made words in the target language. Here, it includes two implications: (1) SL words are not translated into TL words purposely; (2) The ready-made words in TL are not employed to translate the SL words.”
In the early period, we seldom find Source Language(SL)words directly entering Chinese language, because transliteration was employed to deal with those loanwords. Today, a great deal of words such as “CPU”、“DVD”、“WTO”、“BBC” are found everywhere in newspapers and magazines. The fact that those loanwords are directly taken to use in Chinese language is challenging translators and still providing translation researchers with a new research topic. However, there are no adequate acknowledgement and definite translation term to such phenomenon. Qiu Maoru defined such phenomenon in the article “Translatability and Zero Translation”.[14]
5. 1 The Types of Zero Translation
Zero Translation is employed to deal with loanwords. Then what kinds of words are necessary to be directly transferred from English language? Historically, all languages are in the process of self-refinement. Chinese language is not exceptional. Vocabulary is the most active aspect and enriches itself all the time. Zero translation is one of the most direct and simplest ways to introduce new loanwords nowadays. “CEO”, “MTV”, “VIP”, “NBA”, “XO”, “GDP”, “WINDOW98”, “MP3”, “CDMA”, “FDMA”, “TDMA” are all directly from English language and have been familiar to Chinese people, The examples have shown that a certain proportion of words are borrowed directly from English. The obvious characteristics of these words are that they are identical to SL words in sound and writing form. Zero-translated words can be divided into three types. The first type is abbreviated organization names, which belong to proper names such as “WTO”, “WHO”, “FIFA”, “APEC”, “ICSID”. The second type is considered as special terms. With the social over-all development, a large great deal of special terms has been zero-translated. They are appearing in the documents in the form of English letters, such as“C&F”(成本加运费)，“FCA”(货交承运人)，“CTP”(运费付至)，“FOR”(铁路交货)，etc. Especially, in the contracts, such kinds of special terms are often used for the sake of convenience. The greatest number of loanwords that are zero-translated now is no doubt to be technical terms. It is estimated that 100,000 technical terms come into being yearly. To be convenient for international communication, countries are all active to translate those words into their native languages in most cases. Zero–translated words speed up its output without any hesitation yearly.
5. 2 The Value and Future Development of Zero Translation
What is the role of zero translation playing in the course of cultural exchanges and communication? The author will view zero translation in a dialectical way, i.e. from its positive and negative perspectives.
5.2.1 Positive value
1.More and more loanwords have come into our daily life. To some extent, zero translation enriches the vocabulary of our mother tongue and infuses Chinese with the fresh blood. Some linguists assert that “Language, like culture, can seldom be self-sufficient.” and “No language can be self-sufficient. The enrichment and development of language attributes to adding foreign matters to itself. ” It is universal for a nation to borrow and absorb words from another nation. This phenomenon has started since the ancient time. It’s not exceptional to any language.” In particular, the words describing western civilizations flood into Chinese cultures through communication and exchanges with foreign world in many ways. The permeation of language and culture is inevitable. Since 1970’s, zero-translated words have been more frequently applied to mass media such as newspaper, radio, television and advertisement slogan. Therefore, they have been probing into Chinese civilization and accepted by their Chinese readers. Though these zero-translated words have not been formally listed in the Chinese “Xin Hua Dictionary” or “Ci Hai”, the popularity of such kind of words will be no longer neglected. For example: SOS----求救信号; BP机-----传呼机; X光-----医学上的透视设备; T恤-----一种短袖圆领背心; 卡拉OK-----娱乐方式; HB铅笔------铅笔的型30; WTO-----世界贸易组织; BBC------英国广播公司.
2.Zero Translation simplifies the introduction of the acceptance of loanwords so that they are easily employed in the Chinese mass media. Simplification will enhance the efficiency of information transmission. Most of loanwords are technical terms or computer terms. When they are translated into Chinese characters, they are not convenient for readers in use, because they are of clumsy Chinese characters. The special terms are very abstract, so it deserves the great efforts of translators in translation for their Chinese readership. Now the following is the list of some computer language words: COPY-----文件复制指令; DEL-----删除文件指令; DISKCOPY-----软盘全盘复制命令; FORMAT-----磁盘格式化命令; EML-----电子邮件.
The above words are all from the computer language. The orders and documents are written in English letters, which are easily employed for the users, while their Chinese equivalents are seldom seen in daily use.
3.Zero Translation also widened the vision of Chinese readers. In the previous years, the world in the minds of Chinese people is felt through Chinese characters. No English words directly enter Chinese language. Now, its entering Chinese language makes people know foreign world in a direct way. It may link Chinese people with the foreign advanced knowledge closely. For example, in the course of academic exchange, the employment of zero-translated words is helpful to promote information communication and understanding capability. In certain sense, it has broadened the vision of Chinese audience to the new foreign things.
5.2.2 Negative value
Zero translation promotes the fast increase of Chinese vocabulary, but its negative role has to be paid attention. The author will summarize its negative values in the following.
1.The overuse or abuse of zero translation certainly will lead to the heavy polution of Chinese language. The following is the example collected from newspapers:由MTV全球音乐电视台举办的大型的“MTV-美宝莲NT大搜索：主持人选拔赛8月30日在广州举行决赛。（《羊城晚报》，September 10,2004）
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