3 Literal Translation Literal Translation Literal Translation Literal Translation Literal Translation[曹5]

　　3.1 The Necessity of Literal Translation Necessity of Literal Translation

　　Why translate is necessary? 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:

　　(3) For my 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 discretion of the original sentences have disappeared. 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 theory which uses target language to express the idea, content and style of source language. It should accord with the culture and customs of the target language. Translation not only does express the idea and style of the original message, but also need to accord with the culture and customs of the target language, so that the translation can easy be accepted by target language readers. Because the differences of two languages, sometimes it is difficult to retain the idea and style of the source language. The advantage gee of literal translation is that almost retain the idea and style of the original, so most of translators like to use literal translation.

　　From all above, that is the reason of “translate is necessary.”

　　3.2 The Principle of Literal Translation

　　At first, which kind of translation is word-for-word translation? Word-for-word translation is that: When translating, consider every word. Every words of source language is translated coordinately.

　　For example:

　　(5) It was an old and ragged moon.

　　Word-for-word translation: 那是一个又老又破的月亮.

　　(6) Many of his ideas are especially interesting to modern youth.

　　Word-for-word translation: 他的许多思想对当代青年特别有趣.

　　From the example (5) and (6), we know word-for-word translation does not do any changes to source language. The form is close to the original, but it does not express the meaning of the source language. Strictly speaking, it is not translation. Nevertheless, some translation which did some change to source language and the structure of target language is also the same as source language, the translation is smooth, but the meaning and the style are far from the original, usually, target language readers did not know what it said. This is also word-for-word translation.

　　For example:

　　(7) Every atom of your flesh is as dear to me as my own: in pain and sickness it would still be dear.

　　Word-for-word translation: 你的肉中的每一个原子，对我来说，都像我自己一样亲;即使在病痛中，仍然是亲的.

　　(8) Being a teacher is being present at the creation, when the clay begins to breathe.

　　Word-for-word translation: 当一名教师意味着是创造的见证人，他目睹人体开始呼吸，开始了生命.

　　Translation of (7) and (8) are smooth. But they do not accord with the expressive way of Chinese. It is word-for-word translation.

　　From all above, word-for-word translation is so starchy, goes after the form of source language that it never think of the effect of target language. Because word-for-word translation does not accord with the expressive way of target language, it is obscure, hard to understand it even makes target language readers did not know what translator wants to express. Word-for-word translation makes target language readers confused. It is unqualified translation.