Peter Newmark’s Translation Theory

Peter Newmark’s Translation Theory —semantic and communicative

translation

Peter Newmark

University of Surrey Main works:

Approaches to Translation

《翻译研究途径》

A Textbook of Translation

《翻译教科书》

About Translation

《关于翻译》

Paragraphs on Translation

《翻译研究散论》

Definition

Semantic translation attempts to render, as closely as the semantic and syntactic structures of the second language allow, the exact contextual meaning of the original. Communicative translation attempts to produce on its readers an effect as close as possible to that obtained on the readers of the original.

Distinction

Semantic translation: it focuses primarily on the semantic content of the source text. Communicative translation: it focuses essentially upon the comprehension and response of receptors.

E.g. “谋事在人,成事在天”

（语义） Man proposes ,Heaven disposes. （交际）Man proposes ,God disposes.

E.g. Mrs. Gradgrind, weakly smiling, and giving no other sign of vitality, looked like an indifferently executed transparency of a small female figure, without enough light behind it. (—Hard Times)

译文：葛擂梗太太软弱无力地笑了笑，别无生气， 看起来她象是一个随随便便制造成功的里面不够明 亮的，小小的水晶人儿。（全增嘏 胡文淑 ） transparency of a small female figure （语义）：小小的透明的女性形象 （交际）：水晶人儿

E.g. There was an old woman, and what do you think? She lived upon nothing but victuals and drink; Victuals and drink were the whole of her diet. And yet this old woman would NEVER be quiet. (—Hard Time)

（语义）：从前有个老太婆，你是怎样认为她的？ 她仅靠吃和喝过活，吃和喝是她饮食的全部。但 是这个老太婆从来都不会安静下来。 （交际）：昔日有个老太婆，你道她如何？ 整天无忧又无虑，有吃又有喝； 喝了又吃吃了喝，过得真快活， 但是这个老太婆，还是直罗嗦。