OnStylesofLiteraryTranslationinDifferentPeriods

【摘要】《金銀島》是英國著名作家斯蒂芬森所著的一部描寫海外冒險的長篇小說。本文以《金銀島》為例，旨在探究不同時期下存在的不同的文學(xué)翻譯風(fēng)格。本文第一章給出了翻譯風(fēng)格的定義以及對《金銀島》進(jìn)行了簡要介紹；第二章，分別對二十世紀(jì)三十年代、八十年代和二十一世紀(jì)初的三個譯本中具體實例進(jìn)行了分析，對比得出在不同的時期下，由于意識形態(tài)和現(xiàn)實狀況的不同，出現(xiàn)了不同的文學(xué)翻譯風(fēng)格和語言；最后對全文進(jìn)行了總結(jié)，闡釋證明不同時期的文學(xué)翻譯風(fēng)格存在著多樣性和差異性。

【關(guān)鍵詞】《金銀島》 不同時期 翻譯風(fēng)格 對比

On Styles of Literary Translation in Different Periods

from Treasure Island

Abstract：Treasure Island is a famous novel written by British writer Stephenson describing overseas adventures. Taking Treasure Island as an example， this paper is designed to explore the different literary translation styles in different periods. In the first chapter， briefly define the translation style and introduce the plots of Treasure Island； in the second chapter， the specific examples from three translation versions--the 1930s， the 1980s and early 21st century--are analyzed respectively， and via the comparisons the conclusion is drawn that in different period， due to the different ideology and reality of that situation， different styles in literary translation appear； finally make a summary to the full paper that there are diversity and differences in literary translation styles of different periods.

Key words： Treasure Island， different periods， translation styles， comparison

Chapter One Introduction

1.1 The Definition of Literary Translation Style

Style can be defined as the way language used in a given language. Translation style is translators basic personality and distinctive characteristics revealed in translating（Dan Hanyuan 1996： 29）. The literary translation style is the personality and characteristics of the translator reflected in the process of translation of literary works. Besides， it also covers the background of the times of the source language and the target language， thus forming a unique style in the literary translation works （Dan Hanyuan 1996： 29）.

From the comparison of different literary translation works we can find that in different historical periods and different cultural background， literary translation works style is not the same. The reasons why this phenomenon occurs are complicated. Objectively speaking， different historical periods advocating different cultures makes the literary translation style present different features； in the different background of time， the different mainstream consciousness and political system make literary translation style various. Subjectively speaking， literary translation style is gradually formed through the translators daily practice and literature creation， influenced by different background of society， politics， economy， and culture，thus shows various styles. Literary translation style interpretation is never an isolated， static behavior of individuals， but is a profound art which is placed in a specific historical and cultural background（Jiang Qiuxia 2003： 34）.

1.2 Treasure Island

Treasure Island is the masterpiece of adventure novel of Robert Luis Stevenson who is one of the most famous English novelists. Treasure Island is a story mainly about adventure to find treasure， published in 1883. The hero of the novel is a boy， Jim Hawkins. A thick scar face man--Bill the pirate who died because of alcohol and stroke leaves behind a legendary treasure map which pirates Flint buried treasure. To dig the treasure， Jim and prestigious doctor Livesey who is the local sheriff and the squire Trelawney make a big sailing in Bristol， recruited captains， seamen and cooks， setting out together to the sea. The one-legged cooks Silver and the other seamen are pirates who want to get the treasures. Finally， the fellows of Jim， Dr. Livesey and squire Trelawney fight against Silver and other pirates with a series of battles， and they finally win with treasure.

Chapter Two Different Translation Styles in

Different Periods from Treasure Island

As everyone knows， in the different historical period， it will have a different historical background， and the mainstream of political， economic， and cultural backgrounds. Similarly， translation， an important part of the culture， also is limited by the historical and cultural background of the age. Whats more， different translators choose different language in their time to translate， thus， language of literary works has a strong flavor of the times and the characteristics. Following， the author introduces the three different periods， selecting the three representative versions in each period to analyze from words， phrases and sentences systematically. Finally highlight that the style of literary translation is different in different age.

2.1 Analysis of Three Translation Styles

According to the three periods in the former part， the author selects three domestic versions which are all representations in that era to compare and analyze. Respectively， they are Shizhi Xis version in 1937， Rong Rude's version in 1980 and Zhou Libo's version in 2010. The versions are all from famous translators who all have wide readers and large influences. But at the same time， they have a certain span in time， more than forty years from each other， thus， their translation methods are various， but in general each of them has its own merits and can be called as a good work of translation. This paper takes the first part of Treasure Island （a total of six parts） as an example to analyze and compare from words， phrases and sentences translation examples of the three different Chinese translation versions， thus， conclude not only that there is a more specific， clear， intuitive understanding of style of translation in different periods， but also get more inspiration from this. In the following contents， “1937” is on behalf of Xi Shizhi in 1937， “1980” is on behalf of Rong Rude in 1980， and “2010” is on behalf of Zhou Libo in 2010.

2.1.1 Translation of Words in Different Periods

The meanings of words have special significance in translation. Only the most appropriate use of vocabulary can accurately reproduce the original information of the literary work， so as to make the translation language more fluent. And in different periods， the usage and ways of language varies. Following， the author selects some examples from above three versions to prove this.

Example 1： squire

1937s translation ：紳董

1980s translation：鄉(xiāng)紳

2010s translation：鄉(xiāng)紳

Example 2： rum

1937s translation：甜酒

1980s translation：朗姆酒

2010s translation：朗姆酒

From Example 1， we can find that in different periods the appellations of the rich and officers are not the same. Because there are different historical background and social system. We can see in 1937 it was still in the control under the Republic of China and the landlords status is relatively high at that time. But when it turns into 1980 and 2010， the Peoples Republic of China has been established. The landlord had been knocked down and they just are ordinary people as citizens.

From Example 2， we see that in different periods the appellations of food are various. In 1937， Xi translated “rum” as “甜酒” while the others translated as “朗姆酒”. The former translated it by its meaning while the latter by pronunciation， also because of the otherness existing in different periods.

Example 3： though

1937s translation：雖則

1980s translation：雖然

2010s translation：雖然

Example 4： neck

1937s translation：頸項

1980s translation：脖子

2010s translation：脖子

From Example 3 we can conclude that， in 1937， the Chinese language is experiencing the stage of transition from classical Chinese to vernacular， showing the characteristics of vernacular with obvious old classical language. In 1980 and 2010， the vernacular has matured and formed a sophisticated system of Mandarin language.

From Example 4 we can see that， with the changes of the times， the usages and translation of noun are also changing. Besides， in different ages， there is a different Chinese corresponding word to a foreign vocabulary. For instance， 1937s translation of “neck”， “頸項”， and in 1980 and 2010， it is translated as “脖子”. As all modern Chinese know， “頸項” is the appellation of ancient Chinese， but it is the same meaning as “脖子”， which is the appellation of contemporary Chinese. And the phenomenon is the distinct reflection of the differences styles of language translation between three periods.

Example 5： I

1937s translation：吾

1980s translation：我

2010s translation：我

Example 6： we

1937s translation：吾們

1980s translation：我們

2010s translation：我們

This is the refection of the most significant difference between the period of the Republic of China and the modern period of PRC， that is the changes of first personal pronouns. In the past， people usually called themselves as “吾” and called “we” as “吾們”， which are typical language of ancient Chinese. But nowadays， China implies universal Putonghua system， which calls I as “我” and we as”我們”. We can also see the phenomenon at the translations of phrases and sentences.

2.1.2 Translation of Phrases in Different Periods

Status of phrases in a work of literature is also very important. In translation， whether the translated sentences can express the original meaning of the literary work vividly and authentically， depending on not only the understanding of literal meaning， but also on the understanding of cultural knowledge in the era. Different periods have different styles of translation， and phrases translation also do not in the same style.

Example 1： first of the month

1937s translation：月朔

1980s translation：一號

2010s translation：月初

Example 2： closed the door

1937s translation：閉門之時

1980s translation：把房門帶上

2010s translation：關(guān)上門的時候

The Example 1 shows the changes of the way of numbering years and month from 1937 to 2010. Because of the calender used in 1937， which called Chinese lunar calender， Xi translated “first of the month” as “月朔” which means the first day in a month of Chinese lunar calender， not the original meaning that the author wanted to convey. While in 1980 and 2010， the Gregorian calender is used and it is more in line with the western expression way.

From Example 2， we can see that in1937， the author always translated “的” in modern Chinese as “之” in ancient Chinese. The cause of the phenomenon is the differences of literary translation style between difference periods. In 1937， the ancient Chinese was in dominant while in 1980 and 2010 the mature modern Chinese was in major. And modern Chinese has changed a lot about the old Chinese.

Example 3： bring up alongside

1937s translation：就停在這里罷

1980s translation：往這靠近些

2010s translation：把車子靠邊

Example 4： if he had any

1937s translation：倘使他有錢的話

1980s translation：如果有錢財留下

2010s translation：如果他有的話

From Example 3， we can clearly find that in the end of all those

作者簡介：詹欣，女，江西人，1993年10月出生，南昌大學(xué)科學(xué)技術(shù)學(xué)院本科生，研究方向：英語。工作單位：南昌大學(xué)科學(xué)技術(shù)學(xué)院。詹欣 南昌大學(xué)科技學(xué)院 英語

sentences of the year of 1937， there were modal particles in each of them. This is an obvious characteristic of 1930s. In this period， the translator always uses such words to end a sentence， for instances， “罷”， “來” etc.. While in 1980 and 2010， the phenomenon is not as obvious as before.As mentioned before， Chinese language is experiencing the stage of transition from classical Chinese to vernacular， showing the characteristics of vernacular with obvious old classical language. Therefore， from Example 4， in 1937， “if” was translated as“倘使”， while in 1980 and 2010， the word was written as “如果....的話” by translators. But the meanings of them are same.

In conclusion as listing lots of phrases here， it can be drawn into a conclusion， that is the differences between 1937 and 1980 are much more clear than the differences between 1980 and 2010. Because the social background and used language were various in 1937， 1980 and 2010.

2.1.3 Translation of Sentences in Different Periods

In the original text of Treasure island， the sentence form is usually long and complex. Basing on the differences between English and Chinese， it is not possible to completely restore the original sentence. Only use certain methods， such as “break up the whole into parts”， that is ground breaking long sentences into simple sentences， or according to the context of logic， slightly change the original sentence， then use the most consistent form with Chinese expression to reproduce the original.

Example 1： A pleasant sittyated grog-shop.

1937s translation：并且此間酒店，地位也非常適宜。

1980s translation：酒店開在這地方真不壞。

2010s translation：酒店的位置也很討人喜歡。

Example 2： I was quite unsteady by all that had fallen out.

1937s translation：但是我非常精神不定，為著遭遇到了這樣意外的事情。

1980s translation：可是我被剛剛的一切嚇慌了手腳。

2010s translation：但發(fā)生的這一切使我心煩意亂。

From this， it can be seen that in 1937 the sentence structure is more complex than the other two and usually put some sentences and words post-position. For instance， in Example1， the translator in 1937 put the front attribute of the original sentence ended at the sentence， and in Example 2， put the reasons end at the sentence which was consistent with original sentence structure.

Example 3： I remember him as if it were yesterday.

1937s translation：我回想起來猶如昨日的光景。

1980s translation：現(xiàn)在回想起這個人來，簡直象是昨天發(fā)生的事情。

2010s translation：無。

Comprising with Example1 and 2， the other characteristic of 1937s sentence was short and chastening. Because of using the ancient Chinese words that contain much more information than a vernacular word， the sentence can be shorter but also carry the same meaning. Such as， or “昨日的光景” in 1937 and “昨天發(fā)生的事情” in 1980. The sentence can not be found in the version of 2010 which makes some delete of the original text.

Example 4： The captain's order to mount at once and ride for Doctor Livesey would have my mother alone and unprotected， which was not to be thought of.

1937s translation：若為船長之故，我立刻乘馬至李佛西醫(yī)生處，那么勢必令我的母親孤獨無助，這是一定使不得的。

1980s translation：我要是遵照船長的囑咐立即騎馬去找李甫西大夫，就會撂下我母親獨個兒無人照應(yīng)，這是不能考慮的。

2010s translation：至于船長讓我立刻起碼去找利佛西醫(yī)生的囑咐，我實在難以做到，讓我把母親一個人孤單的留在家里我怎么放心的下。

1937s version and 1980s version were both translated as the original sentence structure which was a little translationese and unnatural. But the 2010s version was more flexible， and used the method breaking up the whole into parts and putting the attributed sentence forward to be a single sentence which makes the sentence more natural and fluent. And this translation method will be helpful to readers understanding.

Example 5： I jumped in my skin for terror.

1937s translation：我將嚇得縮入皮中去了。

1980s translation：寒毛都豎起來了。

2010s translation：無。

This is a familiar idiom but the translation of the idiom is not the same. In 1937s version， the translator just translated according to the surface meaning which may cause misunderstandings to readers while in 1980version the translator used the free method to translate the sentence as a living language which was easier to understand. 2010s version of Treasure Island made some changes， therefore， in 2010s version it cannot be found.

2.2 Comparison of Three Translation Styles

Translators in different times， have different translation ideas， adopt different translation strategies and create a different language style. And it needs to be noticed that the examples selected in this paper are limited， and the analysis is incomplete. In fact， each of the three versions has its own merits， and is a model for us to learn from. Following， do some conclusions about the three translation styles.

3.2.1 The Literary Translation Style in 1937

In 1937， translation style had experienced the stage of transformation from the classical Chinese to vernacular and the characteristics of using Europeanized Chinese， basically maintained the original sentence form and structure. Because the Treasure Islands versions were produced in the thirty's， so it must be with the linguistic features of the period. In terms of Xi Shizhi version in 1937， his translation is not as simple， crisp and easy to understand as the other two.

2.2.2 The Literary Translation Style in 1980

In 1980， China imply the strategy of reform and opening up， increasing exchanges with foreign cultural， thus， promote mutual understandings and integration between Chinese and foreign culture. Therefore， the 1980 version is the most close to the translation criteria in the three versions. In eightys version， the language is succinct， natural， pure and no longer use the Europeanized Chinese.

2.2.3 The Literary Translation Style in 2010

Because the Treasure Islands versions were produced in the 21st century， so it must be with the linguistic features of the period. In 2010， the language is more flexible， simple， rich and colorful and pays more attention to the cross-cultural exchange， but due to the rapid change of life style， the text made some changes， not as good as the other two version in faith of the original.

Chapter Three Conclusion

Looking back at the history of Chinese translation， especially the

Chinese translation history before the May 4th movement， there have been three translation climax. Each of them was closely connected with the background at that time， which makes the translation activities have distinct social characteristics of the times. Through the three translation climax， it can be clearly recognized that all translation activities are carried out in a specific background of times. It is linked to the pulse of the times. Similarly， as an important part of translation， literary translation is also linked to age. At different times， there are different historical and cultural background and different mainstream ideology， and then different translation styles emerge. Style is the soul of literature. Whatever the era is， the translation style should not only be loyal to the original text， but also accord with the target language expressions and thinking， so that the readers can easily understand and accept.

Through the comparative analysis of three Chinese versions， the purpose of this paper is to reveal the important role of preunderstanding， including the influence factors of social language， cultural environment and translation thoughts that have the character of times， that the translator plays in the whole translation process. Some people say literary translation is difficult. And it is more difficult to translate with a unique style. Because the activity of literature translation is difficult to understand， but it is even more difficult to well retell the original text. In different periods the translators stay the different lever of understanding for the original work. The different language transformation ability and different translation skills， the translator in different age have different translation for the same original works. So there are variety of versions with kinds of translation style. In a word， through the comparison of the three different versions of Treasure Island in different periods from the further comparison of examples of words， phrases and sentence translation， and the possible effect for the modern readers， it will be helpful to understand literary translation styles and differences in different periods and make a further understanding of language verbal and skills. Besides， it will do favor of understanding the literary translation strategies and methods.

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