定义1:
Translation is a process of "deverbalizing" and "reverbalizing"; it leads from an SLT
to a TLT which is as close an equivalent as possible and presupposes an understanding
of the content and style of the original. Translation, according to this definition,
is a process which can be subdivided wit:hin itself. It comprises two main phases, a
phase of semasiological understanding, during which the translator analyzes the SLT
for intended meaning and style, and a phase of onomasiological reconstruction (TL
recomposition) during which the translator reproduces the SLT, analyzed as to
content and style, while giving optimal consideration to points of communicative
equivalence. (Wills.1982:62)
翻译是一个“词语解构”和“词语重构”的过程,它从源语文本走向目标语文本,使后者尽可能接近等值,并以理解原文的内容与风格为先决条件。根据这一定义,翻译作为一个过程本身还可再细分。它由两个主要阶段构成:一是语义理解过程,在这一过程中译者为获得原作意思和风格而分析原作文本;二是语义重构过程,在这一过程中译者再造源语文本,从内容与风格两方面进行分析,同时对交际对等的各个要点给以优化考虑。
从翻译的技术操作层面来讲,这个定义非常精确。它提出的“词语解构”和“词语重构”这两道工序是任何一位译者都能感同身受的事(当然从翻译的整个过程而论,似乎还应有一个“句法重构”过程,即按接受语的语法规则重新行文)。值得特别注意的一点是,定义最后还提到在语义重构时“同时对交际对等的各个要点给以优化考虑”。又如:
定义2:
I have defined translation as information offered in a language z of culture Z
which imitates information offered in language a of. culture A so as to fulfill
the desired function. That means that a translation is not the transcoding of
words or sentences from one language into another, but a complex action in which
someone provides information about a text under new functional, cultural and
linguistic conditions and in a new situation, whereby formal characteristics
are imitated as far as possible. (Snell-Hornby, 1995: 46)
我将翻译定义为:用属Z文化的语言z提供信息,它仿制用属A文化的语言a提供的信息,以便完成想要达到的功能。这就意味着翻译并不是词与句从一种语言进入另一种语言的转码活动,而是一种复杂的行为。藉此,某个人在新的功能、文化与语言条件下,在一种新的情景中提供一种文本的信息,同时又尽可能地将原文的形式特点一一仿制下来。
定义2与定义1不太相同之处是,它明确否认翻译是两种语言之间的“转码”活动,而是一种“复杂的行为”;强调在尽可能保存原文形式特点的同时,突出一个“新”字,即“新的功能、文化与语言条件”、“新的情景”(当然应包括“新的受众”)。不再将翻译与文字的机械对应相提并论已成为译学界的一种共识。这就意味着,译者在进行文字转换的同时,语言层面的考虑应当涉及到整个篇章的架构意义及其风格表达。正如下面这一定义所强调的那样,翻译一种语言并不只限于单词孤字的处理。
定义3:
The translator, as stated before, does not translate words or ind.i.vidual
sentences(unless an isolated sentence has text status), but texts. Translation,
therefore, is a text-oriented event. It follows from this that the most pertinent
definition of translation is text-oriented: Translation is a procedure which
leads from a written SLT to an optimally equivalent TLT and requires the
syntactic, semantic, stylistic and text-pragmatic comprehension by the
translator of the original. (Wills, 1982: 112)
翻译并不是翻译单词孤句(除非一个单句具有篇章地位),而是翻译篇章。翻译因而是一个以篇章为导向的事件。据此,翻译最贴切的定义是以篇章为导向的:翻译是将书面的源语文本导向一个优化的对等目标语文本的过程,并要求译者对原文在句法、语义、风格与篇章语用等方面都领会、理解。
定义3实际上告诉我们,运笔翻译之时,最重要的是要做好谋篇的工作,即要从整体上来思考如何处理语言的转换。另外,如同定义1一样,定义3也提到“优化目标语文本”这一点。这里所谓的“优化”应当含有对译文进行必要语言加工的意思,使之在新的语言环境下更好地为新的文本受众所接受。
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