Practical Operation Mode of Translation based on Cultural Details

Yanshi LIU

Sichuan University of Arts and Science, Dazhou, Sichuan, 635000, China

Keywords: Cultural Details, Translation, Practical Operation.

Abstract: During the development of China, English translation has experience a difficult start to today’s situation.

The exploration on translation based on cultural details not only shows clearly directions for translators, but

also further expands the operation mode of translation. Then, translators will devote more emotion and inner

perception, thus increasing the vividness and value of translation works. This work studied and analyzed the

practical operation mode of translation based on cultural details.

1 INTRODUCTION

As the medium of daily communication, language

also carries the information of culture, custom and

individual emotions. Besides, the languages in

different countries have formed their unique feature

during development. Ostensibly translation is the

transformation of two different languages, trying to

express the same meaning. While in practical

operation, the effectiveness always has a close

connection with translators’ specific flows,

individual attitudes and abilities. Therefore,

translators should keep prudent and show enough

professional quality to achieve the standard of Yan

Fu’s “Faithfulness, Expressiveness and Elegance”.

Only in this way, the goal of promoting the

civilization of knowledge will be achieved by

translation. Nowadays, many translators are trying to

seek the skills and experience of translation in

practice. At the same time, the masses also hope to

obtain more abundant foreign resources and

outstanding literary and television works by the

efforts of translators. Cultural details are of

significant importance in practical translation. Both

the translations of foreign language to Chinese or

Chinese into foreign languages need the

consideration of culture and history of different

regions. Chinese is concise and implicative, while

most foreign languages are concrete and changeable.

So it is necessary to combine the different cultural

features of regions for accurate expressions.

Therefore, outstanding works always need

painstaking and rigorous modification by

professionals.

2 PROBLEMS IN THE CURRENT

OPERATION MODE OF

TRANSLATION

2.1 Laying Stress on Literal Meaning

While Ignoring the Extending

Meaning

At present, the population engaged in translation is

increasing. The reasons are related to the

popularization of English and other foreign

languages, the frequent communication of Chinese

and foreign literatures and spontaneous behaviors of

translation amateurs. With the translation surging

forward, it is difficult to avoid that someone would

mix the genuine with fictitious. Take Chinese-

English translation for example, passionate literary

works with complex plots will cost translators’ more

effort on emotional expression compared to foreign

investigation report and academic papers. Domestic

fiction and prose have obvious characteristics of

traditional Chinese culture, and their languages are

relatively concise and implicative. Few words or

even the special use of punctuations can express

fantastic emotions and artistic conception. It is the

space reservation in Chinese that leaves readers the

room for imagination. The charm of works is the

thinking and creation of readers with their own

feelings based on works. This show the profound

meaning of Chinese traditional culture and thoughts,

and this is why Chinese works attracts foreigners so

much. Many junior translators excessively pursue

the semantic meaning of words. Such imbalance of

the whole view will easily deviate from the theme of

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Lu Y.

Practical Operation Mode of Translation based on Cultural Details.

DOI: 10.5220/0006023602550258

In Proceedings of the Information Science and Management Engineering III (ISME 2015), pages 255-258

ISBN: 978-989-758-163-2

255

works, thus losing the flavor. Therefore, such

incorrect approach should be avoided in further

translation. In fact, some distinguished translator

would also make such mistakes. For example,

Arthur Waley, a great translator, has translated the

“celestial being with barefoot” into “celestial being

with red feet” while describing Sun Wukong (a

character in Pilgrimage to the West). Therefore, not

only a correct attitude, but also a whole mastery of

related cultural knowledge is required to avoid such

problems.

2.2 Emphasizing Too Much on

Innovation While Losing the

Precise of Translation

With the change of people’s concepts and grades,

each field is trying to interpret their own definitions

of innovation. So does the translators. In different

cultural fields, new words, sentence and things are

emerging rapidly, and the object of translation are

also updating timely. More modish translation goals

have impelled translators to improve their translation

modes, thus providing readers the enjoyment of

reading. However, some translators blindly use some

fashionable words or new expression methods in

order to make their works eye-catching. Such

practices not only perplex the readers, but also

deviate from normal translation and guidance, thus

resulting in penny wise pound foolish. For example,

if the word of “Dwelling Narrowness” was

translated into “Snail’s House”, then foreigner can

hardly understand it, or even interpret as dirtiness or

laziness. Such innovative translation can also be

interpreted as irresponsibility for the original works,

so it is not desirable. It is reasonable for people to

accept and use new things, so there is no cause to

give much criticism. Innovative translation should

be built on certain accuracy, because strictly

following the rules of translation is the basis of

innovative translation. Only using several new

words or translating operations cannot achieve the

accuracy, felicitous and fluency of translation, or

even violate original intention of cultural

communication by translation.

2.3 Stereotyped Operation, Losing the

Characteristic of Works

Each literature has its own life. Especially for some

special works, only their verve has been sedulously

reserved by professionals can these works exhibit

special values. Besides, this can also reflect

translators’ high-level. In this aspect, some

translators always face the bottlenecks. Especially

for some experienced ones, they will easily be lost in

their own idiomatic patterns while translating any

work. Although such method may shorten time and

procedures, it will harm the effectiveness of

translation. Furthermore, mechanical translation will

not only tarnish the works packed by native

language, but also confine translators’ thoughts,

bringing no good for both translators and works.

Currently, more and more works have been labeled

as products rather than making readers’ eyes glow.

These pipelined translations bring readers nothing

but dull works, or even bring translators into a

vicious circle. For example, the Chinese word

“Zouhong” was translated into “well-known” or

“popular”, or the “Baofu” into “joke”. These

handlings will indeed allow readers to acknowledge

the meaning, but its effect is not good. If it goes on,

the shortage of works and restriction of translating

thoughts will influence translators, thus reflecting on

their works. Furthermore, the whole translation of

literary field will face bigger crisis. Then, the

experiences and consuetudes will become the

stumbling block in the development and

communication of culture, thus slashing the

significance of translation.

3 IMPROVED METHOD OF THE

OPERATION MODE OF

TRANSLATION PRACTICE

COMBINED WITH CULTURAL

DETAILS

3.1 Emphasizing the Extension and

Preparation of Translation Works

Most of the foreign literary works bring certain

exotic elements, which is called the distinctive

expressions of each country and foreign scholars’

and writers’ individual language habit. While

translating such works, translators should fully

mobilize their learned knowledge. Only when

translators have learnt and investigated the history of

works and writers’ background can they make the

least mistakes, thus guaranteeing the quality of

works. To improve translating operation and solve

the existing problems in practice, many feasible

ways can be adopted combined with cultural details.

Prior to translation, certain necessary preparation

should be done by translators, such as the

acquaintance of language habits of writers’ country

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and writers’ character and belief. After all, as the

mothers of works, writers’ each word has been given

enough emotion, reflecting their own habits of

wording and arrangement. Therefore, it is necessary

to understand the culture in writers’ living places. In

practice, translators can also compare and arrange

other works or translations of writers to seek

inspiration. Besides, it is also possible for translators

to use the existing wording habit and translating

keynote for re-creation. With the help of existing

works and readers, such mode can be more

conducive for the consistency of original works and

connection between translators and writers. This is

obviously beneficial for both translators and writers.

Translations produced through above methods will

not only significantly decrease mistakes and

ambiguity, but also make the works be more

readable. Besides, translators will also gather more

experience in practice, thus improving their

individual ability and professional skills.

3.2 Stressing the Importance of

Faithfulness of Translation

Translators’ job is to transfer original works into

another language. So they will absolutely face

certain problems like the selection of terms, feature

description of characters and scenery and

interpretation of allusions. Generally, most of

foreign masterpieces have their bright lines and dark

lines, while academic papers with their logic and

specialty. So it is difficult for readers to obtain a

translation with high reduction degree of original

works. So in practice, translators should pay much

attention to the reduction degree and faithfulness of

words selection without breaking the rule of

“Faithfulness, Expressiveness and Elegance”.

Faithfulness is the basic and most important

requirement of translation, which is also the lowest

requirement of information transmission. Although

translators have enough space for re-creation, the

adjustment and alteration should be repeatedly

weighed. Therefore, inexperienced translators

should take pains to the faithfulness of originals

combined with works’ cultural background and

related professional knowledge. Especially for the

academic works of medicine and science and

technology, translators should pay attention to words

selection and logical order. That is because the fuzzy

expression or little mistake may bring harmful

influence to readers’ learning and investigation.

Translators are in fact the transfer station of

knowledge and culture. However, their job is not

merely mechanical transformation of languages, but

the propagation and extension of cultures. Besides

providing readers understandable works, translators

should also pay attention to the quality of works,

thus better propagating the wisdom crystallization of

human beings.

3.3 Differential Treatment for Works

and Emphasis on Re-creation

Although more and more translation software and

assistant are flooding the market, the job of

translation still has its position. Through perception,

reading and comprehension of original works,

translators can provide readers works with high

reduction degree, thus better meeting readers’ habit

of language and comprehension. And this is the

significance of translation. Therefore, it is necessary

to conduct detailed investigation and high-level re-

creation to produce foreign cultural works with high

quality. Methods of omission, amplification and

transformation are different in the practical

operation of re-creation, so enough energy and

emotion of translators should be paid. That is why

most excellent works are so vivid. Considering the

particularity of intercultural communication, several

adjustments should be made by translators on the

basis of original works’ cultural background.

Besides, translators can also add appropriate amount

of cultural elements for targeted readers, such as

allusion and slang. These elements will shorten the

distant between readers and writers, and also bring

bright spots to translations. Therefore, besides the

professional quality, translators should also widen

their knowledge range, learn cultural knowledge and

experience cultural atmosphere of related countries.

Then, translators can use translation skills more

freely, thus realizing re-creation.

4 CONCLUSIONS

Translation is not mere the language transformation.

The translation of most of foreign works is not the

combination of words. The value of translation lies

in the devotion of translators’ wisdom and emotion.

Therefore, prior to translation, translators should

make an exhaustive study of the cultural details of

writers’ country and writers’ other works. With the

guarantee of faithfulness, translators should make

some adjustments and choices to meet readers’

requirements. Then, readers can more choices to

select their desired works. This is also a way to

embody the charm of translations. Therefore, the

accurate grasp of original works will embody the

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unique charm of culture details in works, thus

producing more excellent works.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work was the phased achievement of

experiment teaching of construction project (Letter

of Sichuan Province Education Department, No.26,

2011) “quality project of higher education” in

Sichuan Province in 2011 and the field grade

scientific research (2013R015Y) of Sichuan

University of Arts and Science in 2013.

REFERENCES

Liu Guo, 2014(14): 203-203. Correctly handling the

cultural differences in english literature translation,

Guangdong Science & Technology.

Qiu Yang, 2014(6): 131-137. Culture trend of translation,

Academics in China.

Suolangwangmu, Gao Shuang, Tan Yilan, 2014(4): 164-

168. Foreignizing translation and cultural respect-a

study on the characteristics of english translation of

tales of the golden corpse-tibetan folk tales, Journal of

Tibet University.

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