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Common Skills of a Chinese translation company: Grasping the Writing Style

Author:kelly   Joined:2013/4/30   Clicks:1762 Secondary

  Writing style is something that is intangible. What’s the typical writing style? The experts believe that writing styles encompass the characteristics of thoughts and artistic features of a specific time, group of people, a class or an individual. If we say only the artistic works possess a writing style, does it make any sense? Some people have explored various styles of Chinese translation company especially those concerning the translation of literary works. There are two opinions concerning the issue whether the writing style can be done similarly in the translated text. One opinion believes that the style can be translated. Literal translation just translates the original text word for word; from an in-depth perspective, translators should endeavor to maintain the artistic concept and style of the original text. Literary translation requires conveying the artistic concept of the original text via another language to ensure that the reader’s get the same feeling and impression as what the original text’s author wanted to transmit in his/her writing. 

  Such translation requires the translators to have an in-depth understanding of the artistic creation of the original writer through the language of the original text. A translator should seek the actual experience being conveyed by the writer by grasping the theme of the original work and be able to render such emotions and experience completely through the proper application of language, content and form in his/her translation. The key point is to translate the style of the original work. For instance, the translation style of Gogol’s works is different from that of ‎Gorky’s works; likewise, Bernard Shaw’s works is also distinct from Galsworthy’s.

  It’s quite hard to translate a writer’s style which requires the proper translation of the language in the original text and present a completely correct display of the content and pattern of the original text. Such translation demands the creation of the translators to be faithful to the outline of the original text. These two mentioned above are the utmost requirements for the translation of literature. Proficiency in writing and the expression of the style of the original text are required. The style is difficult to be translated rather than non-translatability. The difficulty lies in the two required conditions of translators: one is the translators’ capability for identifying the styles; the other is the translators’ capability for displaying the style.

  Another opinion holds that writing styles cannot be translated. It’s been said that it’s just an act of boasting on the part of the translator if he/she claims to be able to restore the features or style of a writer; not a few translators advocate that their translation were able to manifest the beautiful writing style of the original poems when in fact they did not have a profound understanding of the original text. The Chinese translation company style also arises from the understanding of the text; otherwise it will make no sense. Those who teach foreign literature prefer to talk about the style, but style is difficult to understand for a person doing the actual translation. Generally speaking, the style will have an intangible influence on translators who in turn affect readers through their translated works. Therefore, translators should focus on the style rather than wasting unnecessary energy. A translator had better to cultivate one’s grasp of foreign languages instead of wasting too much time on the study of the literary style since translation involves the interaction of languages and words. Language is not the same as the symbols which are abstract and void of feeling.

  Unpublished works of nationals of each Contracting State shall enjoy in each other Contracting State the same protection as that other State accords to unpublished works of its own nationals, as well as the Protection specially granted by this Convention.

   Generally speaking, there are more people who support the first opinion than the second opinion. The first opinion is perhaps a bit hard to achieve or too ideal while the second one is too extreme. Literary works may vary along with different writers, implying that every writer has his/her own style. However, non-literary works usually belong to a certain category of articles sharing some common features and a common style is usually formed. Whoever composes a piece will adopt this style. For example, science and legal documents require accurate wording, clear and plain expression, objective narration without individual bias just like a person who keeps a straight face when speaking. However, an essay and reading material demand vivid language, flexible sentences to give an impression that you are happily imparting knowledge or reasoning to readers. Writing in Chinese and English should follow the criteria mentioned above since these two languages are interlinked. For instance, paragraph 2 in the second article of the Universal Copyright Convention provides:Unpublished works of nationals of each Contracting State shall enjoy the same protection as what the other Contracting State accords to unpublished works of its own nationals, as well as the Protection specially granted by this Convention.

  The translated text above conforms to the style of the original text and the Chinese law. When handling the original text, you should apply strictness when translating. Hence, the Chinese translation company of non-literary works is much easier than that of literary works. Moreover, the style is not so elusive. As for the beginners-who are not specialized in the translation of literary works, we should just follow these two points below: first, be able to distinguish oral language from literary language. Literary works should be translated with literary language. Translation of a dialogue should be translated with a conversational style and translation of a narration should be translated in a narrative fashion. Second, be able to choose different language styles according to different types of writing: the translation of news in journalistic style, the translation of documents in an objective and straightforward style, the translation of stories in a narrative language, the translation of poetry with poetic language. It will be an ideal condition if the translators can meet the above-mentioned points based on the correct understanding of the original text.


 
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