Histories of Translation

Question 1

Scholars from Lecture 1

Answer 1

Cicero, St Jerome

Question 2

3 types of translation

Answer 2

1. Didactic translation
2. Interlingual translation
3. Intralingual translation

Question 3

Romans tried to do 2 things to the Greek arts:

Answer 3

Emulation and imitation

Question 4

Lecture 2 scholars

Answer 4

Nicholas Copernicus, Leonardo Bruni, Martin Luther

Question 5

Leonardo Bruni’s essay

Answer 5

The Right Interpretation

Question 6

Bruni’s 5 requirements to translate correctly

Answer 6

1. Know the language you are translating from.
2. “Own” the language you are translating into.
3. Don’t ignore sayings and figures of speech used in the original.
4. Trust your ear. Read out your translation - rhythm are maintained.
5. Copy the style of the original

Question 7

Lecture 3 scholars

Answer 7

Etienne Dolet, John Dryden, Friedrich Schleiermacher

Question 8

Etienne Dolet’s essay

Answer 8

The Way to Translate Well from One Language to Another

Question 9

Dolet’s 5 principles of translation

Answer 9

1. Perfect knowledge of the sense and subject of the author.
2. Perfect knowledge of the language we are translating from and into.
3. Do not render word for word, otherwise the “spirit” is missing.
4. Avoid Latin-derived and unusual forms.
5. Assemble words eloquently to avoid clumsiness.

Question 10

John Dryden’s theory

Answer 10

1. Metaphrase
2. Paraphrase
3. Imitation

Question 11

Schleiermacher’s quote

Answer 11

“Either the translator leaves the author in peace, as much as possible, and moves the reader towards him; or he leaves the reader in peace, as much as possible, and moves the author towards him.”

Question 12

Lecture 4 Scholar

Answer 12

Walter Benjamin

Question 13

Walter Benjamin’s essay

Answer 13

The Task of the Translator

Question 14

Lecture 6 scholars

Answer 14

Ezra Pound, Roman Jakobson

Question 15

Ezra Pound’s essay

Answer 15

On Linguistic Aspects of Translation

Question 16

Pound’s copies vs remakes

Answer 16

Copies: stick close to the original. Can’t survive without the original
Remakes: edit and reshape the original. Reforges the original in a new language. A remake can survive alone.

Question 17

Jakobson’s methods of translation

Answer 17

1. Intralingual translation
2. Interlingual translation
3. Intersemiotic translation

Question 18

Lecture 7 scholars

Answer 18

Dao An, Xuanzang, Ignatius Loyola, Francis Xavier, Matteo Ricci

Question 19

Dao An’s five errors

Answer 19

1. Reversing the order of sentences to conform to Chinese practice
2. Adopting a polished style
3. Omitting some chants and phrases
4. Overlooking the commentaries
5. Neglecting paragraphs

Question 20

Xuanzang’s principles of leaving untranslated five types of Buddhist terms

Answer 20

1. Esoteric terms
2. Terms with a conglomeration of meanings
3. Things non-existent in China
4. Ancient terms which should be followed
5. Terms generating merits.

Question 21

Lecture 8 scholars

Answer 21

Ling Qichao, Yan Fu, Lin Shu, Hu Shi, Nida

Question 22

Yan Fu’s translation theory

Answer 22

1. Faithfulness
2. Comprehensibility
3. Elegance

Question 23

Problems and challenges of translation in the 21st century

Answer 23

1. Professional translation poorly understood
2. Shortage of qualified translators, specifically Chinese>foreign languages.
3. Screening and censorship.