By Juan Daniel Pérez Vallejo Translation teacher, 

University of Cd. Del Carmen, Campeche, Mexico 

http://www.translationdirectory.com/article414.htm

The study of proper principle of translation is termed as translation theory. This theory, based on a solid foundation on understanding of how languages work, translation theory recognizes that different languages encode meaning in differing forms, yet guides translators to find appropriate ways of preserving meaning, while using the most appropriate forms of each language. Translation theory includes principles for translating figurative language, dealing with lexical mismatches, rhetorical questions, inclusion of cohesion markers, and many other topics crucial to good translation.

Basically there are two competing theories of translation. In one, the predominant purpose is to express as exactly as possible the full force and meaning of every word and turn of phrase in the original, and in the other the predominant purpose is to produce a result that does not read like a translation at all, but rather moves in its new dress with the same ease as in its native rendering. In the hands of a good translator neither of these two approaches can ever be entirely ignored.

Conventionally, it is suggested that in order to perform their job successfully, translators should meet three important requirements; they should be familiar with:

• the source language
• the target language
• the subject matter

Based on this premise, the translator discovers the meaning behind the forms in the source language and does his best to produce the same meaning in the target language - using the forms and structures of the target language. Consequently, what is supposed to change is the form and the code and what should remain unchanged is the meaning and the message. (Larson, 1984)

One of the earliest attempts to establish a set of major rules or principles to be referred to in literary translation was made by French translator and humanist étienne Dolet, who in 1540 formulated the following fundamental principles of translation ("La Manière de Bien Traduire d’une Langue en Aultre"), usually regarded as providing rules of thumb for the practicing translator:

The translator should understand perfectly the content and intention of the author whom he is translating. The principal way to reach it is reading all the sentences or the text completely so that you can give the idea that you want to say in the target language because the most important characteristic of this technique is translating the message as clearly and natural as possible. If the translation is for different countries, the translator should use the cultural words of that country. It is really important the cultural words because if the translator does not use them correctly the translation will be misunderstood.

The translator should have a perfect knowledge of the language from which he is translating and an equally excellent knowledge of the language into which he is translating. At this point the translator must have a wide knowledge in both languages for getting the equivalence in the target language, because the deficiency of the knowledge of both languages will result in a translation without logic and sense.

The translator should avoid the tendency to translate word by word, because doing so is to destroy the meaning of the original and to ruin the beauty of the expression. This point is very important and one of which if it is translated literally it can transmit another meaning or understanding in the translation.

The translator should employ the forms of speech in common usage. The translator should bear in mind the people to whom the translation will be addressed and use words that can be easily understood.

翻译理论

我们称翻译准则的研究为翻译理论。这项理论以了解语言的运用为基础：翻译理论发现，不同的语言会以不同的字句编排来翻译同一个讯息，然而此理论却还是能引导译者一边寻求适当的方法保留原意，一边采用译入语中最贴切的字句。翻译理论包含象征性用语的翻译，同时涉及词汇误用、修辞问题和连贯性标示的探讨，另外，若要完成一篇具专业水平的译文，译者所必备的许多相关课题也在其论述范围内。

基本上有两种相抗衡的翻译理论：其中一者是力求将原文里每个字和词的意思译得分毫不差，另一个非但要使文章读起来完全没有翻译加工的痕迹，反而要像是替原文换了一套新衣，却又不失原汁原味。事实上，专业的译者在下笔时都不能忽略上述任何一项要素。

一般来说，译者若要成功翻译出好的文章，就应该具备理解和运用以下三项基本要点的能力：

l          原语

l          译语

l          主题

以此为前提，译者必须先发掘原语中隐藏的含意，接着再尽量以译语的形式和语法架构来阐述原意；最后，译者应该只会改变原文的组成结构及用字，而保留其含意和讯息。

法国翻译家和人道主义者艾比安?杜雷曾试图于文学翻译里建立一套主要的规则，而他也是最早采取此行动的人之一。杜雷在1540年制定了以下的基本翻译规则（出自于"La Manière de Bien Traduire d’une Langue en Aultre"），这项成就常被世人公认是翻译人员的经验法则。

译者须充分理解内容并完全明白作者的意图。达成此一目标的首要方法，就是将原文所有的句子彻头彻尾完整读过，以便能以译入语表达这些意念。这项翻译技巧最显著的特点就是尽其所能的将主旨表达得清晰明确且流畅自然。若是翻译成不同国家的语言，译者应选用译入语国家中所使用的文化词汇；如果将它们误用，翻译便会被误解，因此文化词汇在翻译中确实占有举足轻重的地位。

译者对于原语须有完备的认知，对于译语也得具备同等精准的掌握。为了能用译入语将原意丝毫不差的翻译出来，译者一定得广泛地认识这两种语言；因为，对于任何一方的认识不足，都将导致逻辑和意义上的误译。

译者应避免逐字翻译的倾向，因为这么做会破坏原始意义并毁了书写美感。这点相当重要。依照字面翻译的坏处之一就是很可能在翻译过程中传达了别的意义或造成不一样的理解。

译者应使用普遍惯常的语言形式，并谨记谁是译文的阅读者，尽量运用易于他们理解的文字。

方暐婷(Jennifer)周诗珣(Mirabelle)