Now I would like to deal in somewhat detail with the question of paragraphing, sentence-making and wording:
Fitst, paragraphing. What I mean by paragraphing here refers extensively to chapters and natural paragraphs in a novel, acts, scenes and dialogues in a play, paragraphs in prose and stanzas in verse. All these must be translated in their original order. Inversion here is unnecessary and impermissible.
Second, sentence-making. Sentence-order and sentence-patterns should be kept as much as possible. The passage of Li Jiye's translation of Jane Egre and the stanzas of Yuan Kejia's translation of A Red, Red Rose quoted above are both in conformity to this principle. But sometimes we have to make some change in sentence-patterns in accordance with the different usage of the target language. For instance, there is no need of keeping the passive voice in translating the sentence "Good-bye was said.” And a change should be made in the sentence pattern in which a noun indicating time or place serves as its subject and such a verb as "saw”or "witnessed”as its predicate verb followed by a direct object. Only when we have rendered the sentence patterns flexibly where necessary can we be said to have satisfied the minimun requirement of clear expression of meaning and smooth use of language in our translation.
Third, wording. Wording here means choice of words and rhetorical devices. According to the demand of the context and style, every word must be weighed carefully and every figure of speech dealt with seriously. "As lean as a rake" is a simile. There may be two translations：“瘦得象耙” (literal) and“骨瘦如柴”(a change in image). Evidently, the latter sounds far better than the former. This shows that how important collocation is in wording. British satirist Johnathan Swift gave a very brilliant exposition of the interrelation between words and style. He said: "Proper words in proper places make the true definition of a style.”
This concise definition of style may be applicd both to writing and to translation.
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