An Introduction to Business Translation

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1 An Introduction to Business Translation
2010

2 Step I Definition of translation
As a biblical story explains, at one time the whole earth had only one language. People lived together and communicated with each other easily. One day, they came up with a bold idea: to build a tower named Babel, the top of which was high enough to touch heaven. God said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.” He reasoned that anything that they put their mind to would be possible. It was for this reason he confused their language and then they were scattered each to their own kind over the face of the earth and the project of building the tower was halted. Consequently, people had to translate in order to understand each other.

3 翻译的“是是非非” 1. 意大利谚语说：traduttore, traditore. 译为翻译即反叛。
2. 有人说，翻译如女人，忠者不美，美者不忠。 3. 德莱顿说，翻译就是戴在脚镣在跳舞。 4. 译者，仆人也？媒婆也？ 5. 翻译如婚姻，是一种妥协的艺术？ 6. 翻译是竞赛，是征服，是妥协，是再生？ 7. 翻译如做人，不能放弃立场，随波逐流；也不能毫无原则，迎风飘荡？

4 1. 寻寻觅觅，冷冷清清，凄凄惨惨戚戚。 译文：I look for what I miss, I know not what it is. I feel so sad, so drear, so lonely, without cheer. (许渊冲) 2. Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. 译文：读书之用有三：一为怡神旷心，二为增趣添 雅，三为长才益智。（曹明伦） 读书足以怡情，足以傅彩，足以长才。（王佐良）

5 Good good study, day day up.
Try to translate the following sentences and give a tentative definition of translation. 同一个世界，同一个梦想。 Good good study, day day up. A diamond is forever. 眼见为实。 Q: What is translation?

6 1.3 Difficulty in defining translation
Both translation in English and “fanyi” in Chinese are polysemic. It may refer to “翻译行为”（translate or interpret）, “翻译过程”（translating）, “翻译结果”（translations or translation）, “翻译事业”（translation cause）, “翻译者”（translator or interpreter）. Roger Bell holds that translating refers to the process to translate, a translation to the product of the process of translating, and translation to the abstract concept which encompasses both the process and product.

7 1.4 Definition of translation
Linguistic view on translation: Translation consists in reproducing in the receptor language the closest natural equivalent of the source language message, first in terms of meaning and secondly in terms of style. (Nida & Taber) 所谓翻译，是指从语义到文本在译语中用最切近而又最自然的对等语再现原语的信息。

8 Communicative views on translation:
The translator attempts to produce the same effect on the target language readers as was produced on the original source language readers. (Newmark) Semantic view on translation: Translation is rendering the meaning of a text into another language in the way that the author intended the text. (Newmark) PS: In other words, translating means to find the closest semantic equivalence between the target language and the source language or to “give the meaning of something said or written in another language.” 把一种语言文字的意义用另一种语言文字表达出来。---现代汉语词典。

9 Cultural view on translation：
Translation is a process which occurs between cultures rather than languages. A translator who uses a cultural approach is simply recognizing that each language contains elements which are derived from its cultures (such as greetings, fixed expressions), that every text is anchored in a specific culture, and that conventions of text production and reception vary from culture to culture. (Shuttleworth &Cowie) 翻译是译者将一种语言文字所蕴涵的意思用另一种语言文字表达出来的文化活动。--王克非

10 Step II Translation criteria
By criteria, we mean “a standard by which to judge or criticize. In 1898, Yan Fu had established three-character standard in translation, that is, faithfulness, expressiveness and elegance. Faithfulness requires that the meaning in the target language should be faithful to the meaning of the original; expressiveness is the requirement of intelligibility of the target language text; the translated text should be in accordance with the language rules of the target language; elegance requires a translation to be aesthetically pleasing.

11 Alexander Fraser Tytler:
1. A translation should give a complete transcript of the ideas of the original work; 2. The style and manner of writing should be of the same character as that of the original; 3. A translation should have all the ease of original composition. 而商务翻译文本必须做到：1.准确通顺；2. 术语规范；3、语气贴切。

12 Step III Translation methods
Literal translation & Liberal translation. 1982年，周煦良在“翻译三论”一文中写道：直译可以分为三类：第一类是译音而不译意。如democracy译为“德谟克拉西”，而不译为“民主”。第二类是照字面译。如crocodile tears译作“鳄鱼的眼泪”，而不译作“虚伪的眼泪”。第三类是不按照中国语言习惯和词序而按照原文的结构或词序的翻译。如“‘你来了，’她说”。最后，他指出“这样一些直译好像为数不少，但就一篇文章，一部书来看，直译的成分毕竟是少数。”

13 To draw a snake and add feet to it
Paint the lily To spend money like dirt A pearl in a palm the apple of one’s eyes To stir up the grass and alert the snake Wake a sleeping dog To send charcoal in snowy weather Help a lame dog over a stile 竭泽而渔 to drain a pond to catch all the fish Kill the goose that lays the golden eggs

14 1964年，钱钟书先生提出了“化境”说：“文学翻译的最高标准是‘化’。把作品从一国文字转变成另一国文字，既不能因语文习惯的差异而露出生硬牵强的痕迹，又能完全保存原有的风味，那就算得入于‘化境’”。

15 所谓直译是指翻译时要求译文与原文在词语，语法结构及表达方式上保持一致的方法．
例：Many investors no longer treat a stock as an instrument of ownership in a corporation but only as a derivative of economic factors, risks and potentials. 许多投资者不再把他们拥有的股票看作是拥有某一公司一部分权益的工具，而只是将它视为经济因素，风险，潜力的衍生物．

16 格林斯潘作为全球最有实力的中央银行的掌舵人，在其近２０年的任期中，美国仅在１９９０－１９９１年间遭受过一次短暂的经济萧条．
意译是指摆脱原文形式的束缚而传达原文的内容． During Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan’s nearly 20 years as the world’ most powerful central banker, the U.S has suffered only one recession, a brief one in 格林斯潘作为全球最有实力的中央银行的掌舵人，在其近２０年的任期中，美国仅在１９９０－１９９１年间遭受过一次短暂的经济萧条． 本句意译主要体现在句子结构层面上，将only one recession和a brief one in 进一步融合，更加符合汉语的表达习惯.

17 Step IV Translator’s competence
Translation is the most complex type of event in the history of the cosmos.(Richards 2004:14) A translator must be a “Jack of all trades and master of some.”(宋宪超，韩子满：169) Q：What are the basic qualities required of a business English translator? Basic Qualities: 1. A strong sense of duty 2 .A good command of the languages involved 3. An encyclopedic knowledge, especially knowledge of international trade 4 .Basic knowledge of translation techniques 5. A sense of transcultural communication

18 Step V: Introduction to this course
1.课程内容介绍 ①商务英语翻译的角色认知（翻译的性质与商务英语翻译的素质） ②商务信函的翻译（商务英语翻译的基本原则与技巧） ③成语、颜色词、商标、商务名片、广告的翻译（英汉文化差异与翻译） ④会议记要、产品说明书、商务合同、招标书、企业介绍的翻译（ 商务文书的翻译技巧） ⑤其他国际商务文献资料的翻译（语篇分析与翻译技巧） ⑥商务英语翻译能力模拟综合实训.

19 2. 考核方式介绍 课程的考核包括形成性考核和终结性考试。 A、形成性考核 《商务英语翻译》课程的形成性考核占课程总成绩的40%，由学生平时上课的出勤率、完成作业的情况、在课堂上的综合表现以及参加小组活动的情况综合而成。《商务英语翻译》课程的作业要求学生课后时间完成，每学期至少完成十二次书面，作为形成性考核的主要依据。 B、终结性考试 《商务英语翻译》课程的终结性考试占课程总成绩的60%，考试采取闭卷的形式，考试总时量为100分钟。 C、总成绩构成的比例如下： 期末闭卷考试 分钟 % 平时出勤 % 课堂综合表现 % 书面作业与实训 %

20 Step VI: After-school assignment
(1) 进入90年代以来，上海抓住浦东开发的机遇，深化改革，进一步开放，成就显著。国内生产总值连续十年保持10%以上的增长，2002年全市GDP突破650亿美元，人均GDP突破5000美元。

21 (2) Essential Balm Specifications: 3m/bottle Characteristics: It is a clear oily liquid in light green with special aroma, cool and peppery Ingredients: menthol, methyl salicylate, camphor, eucalyptus oil ,liquid paraffin, chlophyll, essence. Functions: with effect of cooling, smoothing pains, expelling wind evil stopping itch, it is used for mosquito bites ,insect stings, car sickness, and also for headache and dizziness caused by cold. Dosage: apply to the affected pats. Intake 4-6 drops each time. Attention: Cautiously use for pregnant women and the children under 3years. Avoidance to the scalds, injured and ulcerous skins. Storage: To be kept closed in the cool place. Validity : 3 years