1 Lecture one
Course requirements and evaluation
What is Stylistics about?
Language is a medium of conveying information and communicating feelings. To fulfill the communicative
purpose, people should make the use of language. Considering different communicative environment, methods,
objectives and purposes, communicators would opt different language varieties (语言变体) that has different
functions so as to perform their communication effectively. The language varieties are what people called ―style‖
(文体或语体).
The use of ―Style‖ can extend to all situationally distinctive uses of language, literary and non-literary. As for
English, for example, there are many styles of varieties, such as EST (English for Science and Technology),
Advertising English, Press English, Law English, Tourism English, etc. In the middle 1970s, many scholars made
the application of modern linguistics and literary criticism to the exploring research on various types of styles, thus
bringing us a new discipline--- Stylistics.
Stylistics, simply defined, is a discipline that studies the ways in which language is used; it is a discipline that
studies the style of language is used.
Stylistics and Translation Studies
Generally speaking, stylistics covers such fields:
1) analyzing various habits of language use to ensure the typical characteristics of a certain style;
2) explaining the reason that a certain style has its own characteristics;
3) classifying these characters according to their language functions.
As a matter of fact, different writings have different linguistic characteristics in the aspect of vocabulary, syntax,
rhetoric, structure, etc.
According to linguists Buler and Jackbson, there are three functions of language: expressive function, informative
function, and vocative function. Any original work has the three functions.
Just as Newmark says, ―The main functions of language are expressive (the subjective or ―I‖ form), the descriptive
or informative (the ―it‖ form), and the vocative or directive or persuasive (the ―you‖ form). All texts have aspects
of the expressive, the informative and the vocative function.
Generally speaking, literary work mainly focuses on the expressive function, while non-literary works mainly
center on informative function and vocative function. Compare the differences of English for Advertising and
Literary work, for example. Now the examples:
1. He laughs best who runs longest.
谁跑到最后,谁笑得最好。（轮胎广告）
2. In Miami, it‘s no novelty. 游了迈阿密，才知天下奇。
3.Some fishing boats were becalmed just in front of us. Their shadows slept, or almost slept, upon the water, a
gentle quivering alone showing that was not complete sleep or if sleep, that is was sleep with dream.
眼前不远,渔舟三五,凝滞不前,樯影映在水上,仿佛睡去,偶尔微见颤动,似又未尝熟睡,恍若惊梦。
4.Portia: And you must cut this flesh from off his breast.The law allows it, and the court awards it.
Shylock: Most learned judge! A sentence! Come, prepare!
(Excerpted from: Act IV, The Merchant of Venice, by
William Shakespeare)
鲍西娅:你必须从他的胸前割下这磅肉来;法律许可你,法庭判给你。
夏洛克：博学多才的法官！判得好！来，预备！
It is very important for us to introduce stylistics into translation study. Why can Stylistics be applied to translation
study?
It lies in that both of them have the same aim, that is, how to fulfill social communication with effective linguistic
methods.
They both put emphasis on the social standard of communicative function; they don‘t ignore the timeliness and
individuality of writing style as well.
In the process of translation, it is necessary for translator to deal with his translation carefully in order to make the
translation accord with the source text in the aspect of style. Now for some examples:
2 5.Grasp all, lose all.
Version 1：如果你样样都要抓, 就会一样都抓不到手。
Version 2：样样抓，样样差。（贪多必失）
As for translation of different types of writing, the key word is ―equivalence‖. Concretely speaking, there are four
aspects of ―equivalence‖, they are:
1. Equivalence of semantic message of source language and target language. (原文的语义信息与译文的语义信息对等）
2. Equivalence of stylistic message of source language and target language. (原文的风格信息与译文的风格信息对等）
3. Equivalence of cultural message of source language and target language. ( 原文的文化信息与译文的文化信息对等)
4. Equivalence of response of source language readers and target readers. ( 原文的读者反应与译文的读者反应对等)
Exercise
Translate these terms or sentences of different writings.
1.irrevocable letter of credit
He insisted on an irrevocable letter of credit.
2.fine food, most attractive surroundings and a friendly disposition.
3.If people keep telling you to quit smoking cigarettes, don‘t listen… They‘re probably trying to trick you into
living.
4.More often, the heart disease process progresses silently until symptoms occur because the pump is not supplying
blood insufficient quantity to other organs.
1.不可撤消信用证 (指除非信用人同意, 信用证不得撤消) 他坚持只接受不可撤消信用证。
2. 饭菜上乘，环境幽雅，服务一流。
3. 凡劝您戒烟的人，一概莫理---他们就想骗您再多活几年。
4. 更常见的是, 这种心脏病在发作过程中并无症状,后来发生症状是因为心脏不能给其他器官供应充足的血液。
Lecture Two
A Brief Introduction to Translation Theory
Prerequisites for Being a Translator
(1) Mastery of both source language(原语) and target language(译语).
(2) Understanding of cultural background, national character and customs.
(3) Practice makes perfect.
Functions of translation
to help people better communicate with one another
to facilitate the development of culture and civilization of all nations
to promote global economic and cultural development
to enrich the ideas and expressions of the target language
Translation as an art or a science
Translation is both an art and a science as well, since it calls for a good command of at least two languages, a
flexible application of their rules, and some knowledge of at least two cultures, as well as a good grasp of the
necessary translation theories.
Principles for translation and criteria for translation
They are actually identical in essence, the only difference between the two terms lying in the fact that the former is
observed from the perspective of the translator, while the latter is examined from the angle of the translation critic.
Criteria for Translation
1. In China 1).严复(1898)的―信，达，雅‖ faithfulness, expressiveness and elegance
―Faithfulness‖ means the full and complete conveying of the original content of thought;
―Expressiveness‖ demands that the version should be clear and flowing without any grammatical mistakes or
