Chapter 1 Discourse & Translation
Objectives
? To formulate the concept of text translation, and appreciate their appropriate and authentic
use in practice.
? To get to know the difference between text translation and sentence translation. ? To be aware of cohesion, coherence and Intertextuality.
? To grasp the concepts of cohesive ties: reference, substitution, ellipsis, conjunction, lexical
cohesion.
? To learn to accomplish application of coherence in translation.
? To practice using proper sentence patterns while translating, considering context.
? To learn to perceive the emotional coloring and the cultural differences between English and
Chinese, and try to avoid the mother tongue interference. Main Contents Preface
Part I Cohesion and Coherence Section A Cohesion
? reference ? substitution ? ellipsis
? conjunction ? lexical cohesion Section B Coherence
Part II Tactics for Coherence
Tip 1: Diversity of sentence patterns Tip 2: Avoiding repetition of the subject Tip 3: The continuity of the paragraph Tip 4: Rhythm of Translation Part III Passage translation ? ? ? ? ?
Literary Translation
News Report Translation
Translation of the practical writing
Translation of the scientific research articles Advertisement Translation
Teaching Plan
Preface
What is Discourse (Text)? 什么是语篇？
所谓语篇, 指不完全受句子语法约束的在一定语境下表示完整意义的自然语言。它具有形式和逻辑的一致性。语篇并非是互不关联的句子的简单堆积，而是一些意义相关联的句子为达到一定交际目的，通过各种衔接手段而实现的有机结合。
篇章（text）是表达整体概念的语义单位。篇章是语言在交际中，特别是在书面交际中
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的对象和理想单位。它不只是一连串句子和段落的集合，而是一个结构完整、功能明确的语义统一体。（陈宏薇）
篇章翻译是指高于句子层次或句以上的语言单位的翻译。（王治奎）可见，在交际功能上相对完整和独立的一个语言片段可以成为语篇（“text” or “discourse”） 。例如，内容相对完整的文章或著作节选。
语篇意义：语言的组成部分互相联系所产生的意义。相互联系的手段也叫衔接手段（cohesion）。因此，语篇衔接手段自然成为语篇研究的重要对象之一。语篇翻译即用译语语篇传达原语语篇的信息, 以实现原语语篇及译者的交际目的。原语语篇的信息大体包括基本信息和文体信息两类。前者是作者要说的话, 后者作者说话的方式。 语篇处理：
1）大处着眼，了解其内容，特别是语言在语境中的意义。 2）以句子为基本单位，采用各种翻译技巧。
3）从语篇角度出发，实现意义和文体的最近似、最自然的复制。
翻译策略和技巧体现在每一层面上都有一定的侧重点。在词及词组层面上主要是解决搭配问题; 在小句及句子层面主要要解决信息的组合以及句子的构建问题, 而在段落和篇章层面则主要解决小句及句子之间的逻辑连接问题。当然, 在整个翻译过程中译者不能忘记语篇的文体特征、作者的风格等。
What is the difference between discourse translation and sentence translation? 语篇翻译与单句翻译的区别:
语篇翻译与单句翻译在翻译标准与技巧等方面有许多共同之处。但篇章翻译还别具自己的特色，即它拥有一个范围较大的舞台——语境。在一定的上下文的帮助下，译者有可能比较准确地掌握原篇的中心思想，理解其疑难隐晦之处；表达时也有比较宽松的回旋变通的余地，有可能把译文再现得更加通顺可读。从这个角度来看，篇章不失为一个比较理想的翻译单位。
Part I Cohesion and Coherence
Section A Cohesion
衔接与连贯 (cohesion and coherence )
衔接是语篇的有形网络。 连贯是语篇的无形网络。 衔接手段(cohesive ties):
Halliday 在Cohesion in English一书中将英语的衔接手段分成五大类：
1.照应 (reference) 2.替代 (substitution) 3. 省略 (ellipsis) 4. 连接 (conjunction) 5. 词汇衔接 (lexical cohesion)
1.照应 (reference)
照应关系是正确理解语篇中句与句，段与段之间关系的纽带。 照应又称指称照应:按指称范围分：
语外照应（外指） （exophoric reference） 例如：张明是我的朋友。
(外指，“张明”存在于客观世界之中)
语内照应 (内指）: （endophoric reference） 1)前照应（回指）（anaphoric reference） 2)后照应（下指）（cataphoric reference） 例如：
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张明是我的一个朋友。他是西安人。（内指，“他”回指“张明”） 他在那边！张明。（内指，“他”下指“张明”）
这件事我不清楚，我不知道他是否参加了那次会议。 （下指） 他参加了那次会议？ 这我不清楚。 （回指） 指称照应按指称手段分：
1.1 人称照应（personal reference）
人称照应是通过人称代词(they, she, him 等）、所属限定词（his, your, its 等）, 和所属代词（hers, theirs，mine 等）来实现。英语人称代词以及相应的限定词的使用频率远高于汉语。无论汉语语篇还是英语语篇，主语都起着重要的衔接作用。在汉语语篇中，主语的衔接作用主要是通过对原词的重复，省略或代词替代来实现。而英语语篇中的主语则往往避免重复原词，更不能省略原词，而更多地使用照应和替代来衔接上下文。根据汉语的习惯，若一个主题第一次提出后，下文又是同一个主题，那么主语常常可以省略。
柯灵，生于1909年，浙江省绍兴人。中国现代作家。1930年任《儿童时代》编辑。1949年以前一直在上海从事报纸编辑工作，并积极投入电影、话剧运动。解放后，曾任《文汇报》副总编辑。现任上海电影局顾问。
任《儿童时代》编辑→be one of the editors of Children Times
从事报纸编辑工作→be engaged in editorial work in newspaper offices
任《文汇报》副总编辑→fill the post of deputy editor-in-chief of Wenhuibao 任上海电影局顾问→be adviser of Shanghai Film Bureau
但是，在英语这种主语突出的语言中，只要是句子就须有主语；如果主语是相同，那么同一主语在第二次出现时往往用代词指代照应。
Ke Ling was born in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province in 1909. He is a modern Chinese writer. He was one of the editors of Children Times from 1930 onwards. Before 1949 he was all along engaged in editorial work in newspaper offices and took an active part in activities of film and modem drama in Shanghai. After liberation he filled the post of deputy editor-in-chief of Wenhuibao for a period. He is at present adviser of Shanghai Film Bureau. 孔乙己是站着喝酒而穿长衫的唯一的人。他身材高大；青白脸色，皱纹间时常夹些伤痕；一部乱蓬蓬的花白的胡子。穿的虽然是长衫，可是又脏又破，似乎十多年没有补，也没有洗。（《孔乙己》）
Kong was the only long-gowned customer to drink his wine standing. He was a big man, strangely pallid, with scars that often showed among the wrinkles of his face. He had a large unkept beard, streaked with white. Although he wore a long gown, it was dirty and tattered, and looked as if it had not been washed or mended for over ten years.
每年农历十二月二十以后，海岛上的居民便开始进入过年倒计时。先搞卫生，掸去一年尘土。接着准备食品，做年糕，炒倭豆、炒番薯片、打米花糖。二十五、二十六起，家家户户开始“谢年”：祀祖先。
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Every year after the 20 of the lunar 12 month, inhabitants on the island would start their countdown on the Spring Festival. They would sweep their houses clean, flickering every bit of dust off the furniture. After that they begin to prepare various foods: steamed New Year cakes, th
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fried beans, fired sweet potato chips, and baked rice cookies. On the 25 and 26 of the month, households start their “New Year Thanks-giving” rites to pay homage to their ancestors.
那年冬天， 祖母死了，父亲的差使也交卸了，正是祸不单行的日子，我从北京到徐州，
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打算跟着父亲奔丧回家。到徐州见着父亲，看见满院狼藉的东西，又想起祖母，不禁簌簌地流下眼泪。父亲说：“事已如此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路！” （朱自清 《背影》
In that winter, my grandma died and my father lost his job. I left for Xuzhou to join him in hastening home to attend my grandma?s funeral. When I met him in Xuzhou, the sight of disorderly mess in our courtyard and the thought to my grandma started tears trickling down my cheeks. He said, “Now that things have come to such a mess, it?s no use crying. Fortunately, heaven always leaves one a way out.” (张培基 译)
汉语常重复名词作为衔接手段，但英语习惯用人称代词照应。例如： 许多家用电器都是在中国制造的。这些家用电器性能可靠，操作方便。 A lot of home appliances are made in China. These home appliances are reliable in performance and easy in operation. (×)
A lot of home appliances are made in China. They are reliabe in performance and easy in operation. 再如：
他的指教对我的成功帮助很大。我决不会忘记他的帮助。 His advice is a great help to my success. I won?t forget his help. (×) His advice is a great help to my success. I won?t forget it. 1.2 指示照应（demonstrative reference）
指示照应指说话人通过指明事物在时间和空间上的远近(proximity)来确定所指对象。 王治奎：“汉语的?这?和?那?以及英语中的this和that 都常用于指示照应，在语义上基本相同，但指称功能却大不一样。汉语的?这?往往起一种化远为近的作用，其功能负荷量大于?那?，因此使用频率也高于?那?。而在英语中却恰恰相反。” 例如：
“这倒难以说定。可是你只要看看这儿的小客厅，就得了解答。这里面有一个金融界的大亨，又有一位工业界的巨头；这小客厅就是中国社会的缩影。” （《子夜》）
“It?s a tall order, your question. But you can find an answer in the next room. There you have a successful financier and a captain of industry. That little drawing room is Chinese society in miniature.” (Tr. Sidney Shapiro)
这幅画是一部用思考和修养完成的杰作，它既有历史感又有现代艺术语言的独特性。（袁运甫 《我所认识的吴冠中及其绘画》）
The painting is a masterpiece reflecting deep insight and artistic attainment; it expresses a sense of history by using specific modern artistic vocabulary 稍稍能安慰我们的，是在那石上有一个不大不小的坑凹儿，雨天就盛满了水。（贾平凹 《丑石》）
The only thing that had interested us in the ugly stone was a little pit on top of it, which is filled with water on rainy days.
这种力， 是一般人看不见的生命力，只要生命存在，这种力就要显现…… (夏衍《野草》）
It is an invisible force of life. So long as there is life, the force will show itself.
再如：
To be, or not to be, that is the question. 生存还是毁灭，这是一个值得考虑的问题。 （朱生豪译） 生或死，这就是问题所在。（王佐良译）
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活下去还是不活，这是问题。（卞之琳译）
是死去还是活着，这是一个需要仔细掂量的问题。 （宋天锡译） 例如：
“High” and “tall” are synonyms: this may be used in speaking of what grows---a tree; that in speaking of what does not grow---a mountain. “High” 和“tall”是同义词：这个用以指生长的东西，如树；那个用以指不生长的东西，如山。(×)
“High” 和“tall”是同义词：后者用以指生长的东西，如树；前者用以指不生长的东西，如山。(√)
注释：句中this 和that 都起着指示照应的作用，不作“这个”、“那个”讲，this用来指代两个事物中较近的一个，即后面的，一般可译为“后者”；that用来指代两个事物中较远的一个，即前面提到的，一般可译为“前者”。 再如：
Health is above wealth, for this cannot give so much happiness as that. 健康高于财富，因为这个不能像那个那样给人们带来幸福。(×) 健康比财富更重要，因为财富不能像健康那样给人们带来幸福。(√) 照应关系是正确理解语篇中句与句，段与段之间关系的纽带。
Everybody has a responsibility to the society of which he is a part and through this to mankind.
每个人都对社会负责，在社会里他是一分子并且通过一部分到全人类。(×) 每个人都对他所属的社会负有责任，通过社会，对人类负有责任。(√) 再如：
I could not feel my heart. It had stopped beating. I have since been induced to come to the opinion that it must have been beating, but I cannot account for it. 我感觉不到我的心脏。它已经停止跳动。后来使我得出这样一种结论, 即我的心脏一直在跳动, 但我无法对我的心脏作出解释。(×)
我曾经摸不到我的心跳。它已经停止跳动，后来使我得出这样一种结论：我的心脏一直在跳动，不过我无法解释为什么我摸不到我的心跳。(√) 再如：
Americans have a warmth and friendliness which is less superficial than many foreigners think. They are considered sentimental. When on ceremonial occasions they see a flag, or attend parades celebrating America?s glorious past, tears may come to their eyes. Reunions with family and friends tend to be emotional, too. They like to dress correctly, even if “correctly” means flamboyantly. They love to boast, though often with tongue in cheek. They can laugh at themselves and their country, and they can be very self-critical, while remaining always intensely patriotic. They have a wide knowledge of everyday things, and a keen interest in their particular city and state. Foreigners sometimes complain, however, that they have little interest in or knowledge of the outside world.
美国人热情友好，这感情并非象许多外国人认为的那样浅薄。美国人被认为多情善感。当他们举行仪式见到国旗，或者缅怀光荣的往昔举行游行的时侯，总是热泪盈眶。家庭团聚，朋友相会也总是很动感情。美国人讲究衣着“得体”，甚至“得体”意味着奢华。美国人好说大话，虽然常常前说后忘。美国人可能会嘲笑自己，嘲笑自己的国家，严厉地自我批评，但始终保持强烈的爱国热情。美国人有广泛的日常知识，对他们所在的城市和所在的州甚为关注。不过，外国人有时说，他们对外面的世界不大感兴趣，或者说知之甚少。
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