I noticed in your work report that you included several elements of Jiang Zemin's theories, including the "Three Represents" and Rule by Virtue. Since you are famous for very plain and easy-understanding language, can you explain to us what the Three Represents means to the man on the street and also what Rule by Virtue means as you plan to practice it?
Political awareness can help one to detect a note of challenge hiding behind a seemingly moderate request (i.e. "can you explain to us what the 'Three Represents' means to the man on the street and also what 'Rule by Virtue' means as you plan to practice it") that has been preceded by a compliment (i.e. "you are famous for very plain and easy-understanding language"). The political implications of the question are: Since one of the Three Represents mentions the essential rights of the people, how will the government protect and ensure these rights? In addition, how will you meet the demands of RuleJun Tang in your office?
The Chinese version did not present the challenge to its full because of its simplification of the latter part of the reporter’s words—
… qingwen duiyu putongren lai jiang, "sange daibiao" dui tamen yiwei zhe shenme, "yi de zhiguo" dui tamen you yiwei zhe shenme?
[…can you explain to us what the Three Represents and Rule by Virtue means to the man in the street?)
But Zhu was sharp enough to get the challenging note in replying
… danshi ni rang wo zai zhege difang lai chanming zhege sixiang, woxiang bushi shihou, yexu wo'men xuyao kai yici yantaohui.
But if you want me to explain it at here, I don't think the time is right. Maybe we need to organize a seminar to make things clear.
The interpreter took the edge off the answer once again, by rendering it as "But I don't think today is the fitting occasion for me to give you a thorough elaboration. Perhaps it will need an international seminar for a thorough discussion about the question you have raised". In fact Zhu's "bushi shihou" (literally: "it's not the time") is rather cutting, whilst the interpreter's "I don't think today is the fitting occasion" is too polite to serve as a close equivalent. The following translation would be more accurate: "I'm afraid that at present any attempt to explain is ill-timed and maybe we need to hold a seminar for clarification of ideas."
A more recent example is the Chinese version for Hillary Rodham Clinton's memoirs Living History published by Yilin Press in 2003. The changes and omissions made by that version as regards political problems or ideological disagreements displeased Mrs. Clinton considerably, who demanded that the American publisher of the original, Simon & Schuster,
should protest to Yilin Press and make them buy back copies which had been sold. The protest was presented as she wished – a translator occupies a space between conflicting political or ideological positions of different cultures, can hardly please all but s/he cannot afford to be insensitive all the time.
责任编辑：admin
上一篇：英语习语的翻译和十个引例
下一篇：英语习语的翻译和引例
微信公众号搜索“译员”关注我们，每天为您推送翻译理论和技巧，外语学习及翻译招聘信息。