Literal Translation And Free Translation

1. what is the conception of literal translation and free translation?

        literal translation and free translation are two basic skills of translation. literal translation refers to translate a sentence originally, keep the original message form, including construction of sentence, meaning of the original words, metaphor of the original and so on. translation would be fluent and easy to comprehend by target language readers.

        free translation refers to, according to the meaning of the original, without paying attention to the details and translation would also be fluent and natural. free translation need not pay attention to the form of the original, including construction of the original sentences,meaning of the original works, matapher of the original and so on . but free translation does not mean to delete or add content to the original and translators must consider the original carefully, know its stress, translate it natually, express the meaning of the original. free translation is a skill which translators must know the culture of both source language and target language, and must have extensive knowledge.

     when translating, should not use literal translation completely or use free translation completely. according to the passage which you are translating, you should use literal translation frequently and use free translation when neccessary.

     but what kind of translation is literal translation? and what kind of translation is free translation?

     for example:①

        1) don't lock the stable door after the hourses has been stolen.

        literal translation: 不要等马被盗后,才去锁楖门.

        free translation: 不要贼走关门.

        2) smashing a mirror is no way to make an ugly person beautiful, nor it is a way to make social problem evaporate.

        literal translation: 砸镜子不能使丑八怪变漂亮,也不能使社会问题烟消云散.

        free translation: 砸镜子并不能解决实际问题.

        form the example 1), free translation is better than literal translation. from the example 2), literal translation is better than free translation. but how to use literal translation and free translation? there is a sentence:"translate literally,if possible, or appeal to free translation."

     2. how to use literal translation properly?

     2.1 translate literally, if possible.

        why translate, if possible? what is the advantage of literal translation?

        generally, rhetoric is often used in a passage to make the passage lively. literal translation retains the rhetoric of the original, so it is lively as the original. but free translation only expresses the general idea of original, lively rhetoric of the original disappeared. so generally speaking, literal translation is a good choice in translation.

     for example:②

        3) for ma father know and i know that if you only dig enough a pasture can be made free.

        literal translation: 因为我父亲知道,我也知道,只要挖到一定程度,早晚可以在这里辟出个牧场的.

        free translation: 因为我父亲知道,我也知道,功到自然成.

        4) for kino and juana this was the meaning of morning of their lives, comparable only to the day when the baby had been born.

        literal translation: 在kino和juana看来,这是他们一生中最了不起的早晨,只有宝宝出生的那一天,才可以与之媲美.

        free translation: kino和juana以为,这一天非常重要.

     free translation of examples 3) and 4), only express the general idea of the original sentences. it is too simple. metaphor and discribtion of the original sentences hava dissappeared. after free translation, it was inferior and dull. so it is undesirable. but the literal translation of example 3) and 4) is clearer than the free translation. actually, literal translation is the chief way of translation. it is close to the original, lively and natural. it is acceptable. acceptableness is very important in translation. from theory of translation angle, translation is a theroy which uses target language to express the idea, content

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