英语毕业论文基于对英文论文“外围和中心：发展中国家的研究型大学”的汉译

1、摘 要本文是基于对英文论文“外围和中心：发展中国家的研究型大学”的汉译实践而撰写的一篇翻译实践论文。原文以研究型大学在全球，尤其是发展中国家的重要性开篇，接着讲到现今研究型大学在全球的现状及发展中国家建立研究型大学所要面临的挑战。本文主要分析译者在翻译过程中重点关注的三个问题：望文生义，长句翻译和翻译腔现象。在翻译实践中，译者从语篇，语言和文体三方面对原文进行深入分析后，对以上问题各个击破，积累了长句翻译的基本技巧，学会了处理忠实原文和语篇通顺间的关系，同时了解到审校的重要性，以期为今后类似学术文本翻译提供一定的借鉴。关键词：望文生义；长句翻译；学术文本翻译abstractperipherie

2、s and centers: research universities in developing countries, published in higher education management and policy, volume 19, no. 2, argues the significance of research universities around the world, especially in developing countries, then points out the current situation of research universities w

3、orldwide and some of the challenges that such institutions face in developing countries. as a summary report on its translation process, this thesis will mainly discuss how the three key problems encountered in the translation process are addressed. they are translation from conceptual meaning, comp

4、lex sentences translation and translationese. by deeply analyzing the source text in terms of its textual, linguistic and stylistic features, i have addressed the three problems and mastered some basic skills in translating complex sentence and dealing with the relationship between fidelity and flue

5、ncy, and known the importance of revision. this translational experience is expected to shed much light on the translation of similar academic writings in future. key words: translating from conceptual meaning; complex sentences translation; translation of academic writingtranslating english for aca

6、demic purposes (eaps): a case study 学术论文的翻译（个案研究）1. introductioneducation is an undertaking which needs to adapt to the future needs; therefore, it should be oriented towards modernization, the whole world and the future. with chinas entry to the wto, education in china should fit the transmission p

7、rocess in which the planned economy has been shifted to market economy and the economic growth mode is changed from mass production to intensive one. the initiative of local governments, the society, teachers and the students would not be fully mobilized until the reform on educational system is dee

8、pened. therefore, the translator chose educational articles for translation in an endeavor to introduce the successful experience, especially about higher education from other countries for the people, from policy-makers to common citizens, from professors to students, whoever deeply concern with th

9、e educational development in our country. the source text, published in higher education management and policy, volume 19, no. 2, is written by philip g. altbach in 2007- the professor of higher education and director of center for international higher education (cihe) in boston college, the united

10、states. the article addressed that the research university is a central institution of the 21st century- providing access to global science, producing basic and applied research, and educating key leaders for academe and society. however, worldwide there are very few research universities- they are

11、expensive to develop and support, and the pressures of massification have placed priorities elsewhere. for developing countries, research universities are especially rare, and yet they are especially important as key ingredients for economic and social progress. after demonstrating the common charac

12、teristics and challenges of research universities around the world, the author gave some valuable suggestions for the development of research universities in developing countries. for instance, the aspirations of the research universities in developing countries must be realistic, and it is also nec

13、essary to select specific areas of science and scholarship to emphasize etc. the article consists of seven parts: introduction to the significance of the research university in the world, history and perspectives, research universities and academic systems, common characteristics of the research uni

14、versity, challenges, developing countries: goals, aspirations and realities, and conclusion. categorized as an academic writing, the source text has one central point or theme with every part contributing to the main line of argument, without digressions or repetitions. also, its sentences are usual

15、ly complex and stylistically formal. here are two typical examples from the source text:example 1sl: the academic profession must have a career ladder that permits talented professors to be promoted up the ranks of the profession on the basis of their performance and the quality of their work and a

16、salary structure determined by performance. (page 18)example 2sl: if knowledge production and dissemination are not to remain a monopoly of the rich countries, research universities must become successful outside the main cosmopolitan centers. (page 3)the dual nature of the source text is clearly pr

17、esented in these two sentences. the first sentence is a complex sentence with two objects with different predicative clauses modifying them. also, the words used in the second sentence such as knowledge production, monopoly of rich countries and cosmopolitan centers etc. are the formal words which s

18、eldom appear in spoken language and other kinds of writings. the above analysis boils down the claim that the source text focus on the central point with every part contributing to the argument by using the complex sentences and formal language. this deliberate style of writing aims to inform the kn

19、owledge to the reader, rather than entertain them. indeed, the logical and cohesive writing style makes the reader, especially working in educational field, immerse in the article. 2. problems in translating and their coping strategies2.1. translating from conceptual meaning problemeach word when us

20、ed in a new context is a new word (j.r.firth, 1957). therefore, the contextual meaning of words changes in different situations. the pragmatic force of the original, including implicit and explicit, should not be overlooked, as the literal meaning is often not the actual meaning of the original. the

21、refore, it is important to understand comprehensively the implication of the original. here are two kinds of problems of translating from conceptual meaning and the approaches to solve them.2.1.1. lacking background knowledgeexample 3sl: research universities are often the only places with a “critic

22、al mass” of expertise and resources in a range of cultural areas. (page 20) tl1: 而研究型大学则经常是“临界质量”专家和各文化领域资源的唯一集中地。every piece of original information is piled up in tl1, but the version does not make sense in chinese, and reads very awkward. apparently, this is because of the mechanical translation

23、of the phrase “critical mass.” according to 大学与创新: 多样性和临界质量（国家教育行政学院学报, 2006年第九期）(universities in innovation: critical mass and critical diversity, journal of national academy of education administration (issue no. 09, 2006), 临界质量是指为提供一个可实现充分互动的环境而进行的资源集中. knowing the meaning of “critical mass” unde

24、r the educational background, the translator paraphrased this terminology to make the translation version easier to be understood. tl2 (revised): 而研究型大学为实现全球互动，汇聚了各文化领域的专家和资源。2.1.2. misunderstanding of words meaningsexample 4sl: universities, since their origins in medieval europe, have always been

25、concerned with the transmission, preservation and interpretation of knowledge, although not primarily with the creation of new knowledge (perkin, 2006). (page 3-4)tl1: 大学起源于中世纪欧洲，虽没有主要用于创造新知识，但一直都在传播，保存及翻译知识。when encountering the words “transmission, preservation and interpretation,” the translator

26、rushed into using their “dictionary meanings” mechanically, rather than carefully thinking over the appropriate meanings according to the context. after the research about the meanings of “transmission, preservation and interpretation” when they collocate with “knowledge,” the translation version is

27、 revised as follows:tl2 (revised): 大学起源于中世纪欧洲，虽没有主要致力于创新知识，但一直传播，储备及阐释知识。the differences between cultures and collocation of english and chinese make it impossible for the translator to find the exact words to match the meanings of the original language. in e-c translation, the words, based on the o

28、riginal culture, should be chosen according to the context.2.2. complex sentence translation problembefore interpreting the approaches to solve complex sentence translation, the translator wants to explain the reasons resulting in complex sentences and steps to analyze them. generally speaking, ther

29、e are three reasons: excessive modification, especially the postpositive attributives, surplus coordination and multi-layered structure of language. and the following steps are taken to split the complex sentences:(1) find out the main clause;(2) find out the modifying elements, including clauses an

30、d phrases, of subject, predicate and object respectively;(3) analyze the function of clauses and phrases, for instance, is the clause a subject clause, object clause or predicative clause? if its an adverbial clause, is it adverbial clause of time, cause, result or condition?(4) pay attention to the

31、 parenthesis;(5) find out the fixed phrases and collocation.example 5sl: in the united kingdom, since the 1970s, mainly as a result of government policies, research assessment exercises and other initiatives have created a tiered system in which institutions that emerged at the top as a result of qu

32、ality reviews- oxford, cambridge and a modest number of others- have been funded more generously than other universities. (page 5)(1) the subjects of this complex sentence are “research assessment exercises and other initiatives,” the predicate is “have created,” and the object is “a tiered system.”

33、 therefore, the sentence skeleton is “research assessment exercises and other initiatives have created a tiered system.”(2) there is an adverbial clause- “in which institutionsthan other universities” modifying “a tiered system.” there is also an attributive clause in this adverbial clause- “that em

34、ergeda modest number of others-” modifying “institutions.”(3) through the above analysis on this sentence, it can be rewritten in the structural manner: place, time, cause, subject + predicate + object + adverbial clause modifying object + attributive clause modifying the subject of the adverbial cl

35、ause. then i get more thorough understanding of this sentence and translate it easier. tl: 自20世纪70年代，受政府政策影响，英国研究水平评估及其他革新活动也为该国创建了层级体系。根据该体系的质量评估结果，牛津、剑桥及其他一些学府名列前茅，因此政府更乐于向这些大学拨款资助。it is known that english writers prefer to using long sentences to express the complex meanings, which is different f

36、rom the chinese writers who usually use short sentences with distinct layers to grade classification. therefore, close attention is paid on this difference in translation process, and the long english sentences are usually deconstructed into short chinese ones. the approaches used in translating are

37、 as follows:2.2.1. linear translationit is the approach that the chinese version can be translated complied with the sequence of the original english sentence. so it can be used when the narrative layer of a complex english sentence is in accordance with that of the chinese one.example 6sl: in keepi

38、ng with the rising profile of research universities in developing countries, many national policy makers, analysts of higher education, and even the international aid agencies and the world bank, previously convinced that only basic education was worth supporting, now understand that research univer

39、sities are important for national development. (page 3)this sentence consists of three parts- the adverbial phrase of result at the beginning, the subjects old idea and its new one. therefore, it has three meaning layers: a. 在许多发展中国家，为了适应研究型大学不断增长的势头; b. 国家政策制定者、高等教育分析家甚至国际救援组织和世界银行抛弃只有基础教育值得资助的老观念;

40、 c. 认识到现今研究型大学对于国家发展的重要性.tl: 在许多发展中国家，为了适应研究型大学不断增长的势头，国家政策制定者、高等教育分析家甚至国际救援组织和世界银行都抛弃只有基础教育值得资助的老观念，认识到现今研究型大学对于国家发展的重要性。2.2.2. reversed translationit is the approach that the translation should be started from the end or the middle of the original complex english sentence. so it can be used when t

41、he narrative layer of a complex english sentence is different, even totally opposite from that of the chinese one. example 7sl: they are considerably more expensive to build and operate than other academic institutions because of increasingly expensive scientific equipment; rapidly expanding, costly

42、 information technology and access to worldwide scientific knowledge; and the need to pay their professors more than the norm for the rest of the academic system. (page 9)this is a typical clause including both the result and cause, which can be translated by the adverse translation approach. “they

43、areinstitutions” is the clause of result, and “because ofacademic system” is the clause of cause. there are six meaning layers in this sentence: a. 研究型大学需要更多资金建立和维护; b. 日益昂贵的研究设备; c. 飞速发展的信息技术; d. 世界范围内知识的获取; e. 高额的教职工工资; f. 高额的在校生人均消费.tl: 日益昂贵的研究设备，飞速发展的信息技术，世界范围内的知识获取，高额的教职工工资和在校学生的人均消费都使研究型大学需更多资

44、金来建立和维护。2.2.3. division it is the approach that the complex english sentence is divided into some short chinese sentences with distinct layer, and some words can be added for coherence. so it can be used when the relationship between the subject or main clause and the modifying words or clauses is n

45、ot quite clear. example 8sl: the academic profession must have a career ladder that permits talented professors to be promoted up the ranks of the profession on the basis of their performance and the quality of their work and a salary structure determined by performance. (page 18)the main clause is

46、“the academic profession must have a career ladder and a salary structure.” the rest clauses and phrases are all modification. “that permitsthe profession” modifies “a career ladder,” and “determined by performance” modifies “a salary structure.” “on basis ofof their work” is the parenthesis for the

47、 supplement. both the main clause and the modification all have independent meanings. therefore, the division translation approach is used to translate this complex sentence.tl: 学术职业必须拥有畅通的职业接替和合理的薪金制度。通过研究表现和工作质量，提拔有才华的教授。2.2.4. translation as an independent disciplineit is the integrated approach

48、which concludes the approaches mentioned above. therefore, it can be used to deal with the complex sentence in time or logical order by combination of them. and it is often used when any above approaches dont work in translating. although the translation approaches mentioned above such as linear tra

49、nslation, reversed translation and division can be used independently, actually, they are more often used together. example 9sl: several of africas traditionally strong universities are seeking to improve their quality in an effort to achieve research university status, with assistance from external

50、 funders, although it is, in general, behind levels of academic development on the other continents. (page 3)there are three meaning layers in this sentence: a. 非洲传统的重点大学正努力达到研究型大学的标准; b. 国外投资者对它们进行资助; c. 总体上，非洲学术的发展水平落后于其他国家. a is the result. b is the parenthesis to modify a. c is the premise. acco

51、rding to the chinese structure characteristics, the adverse translation and division approaches should be used together. tl: 尽管总体来看，非洲的学术发展水平落后于其他国家。但在国外投资者的资助下，其传统重点大学正在提升教学质量，努力达到研究型大学的标准。the gap between the habitual expressions of english and chinese makes it impossible for the translator to perf

52、ect translation if she follows strictly the original syntactic pattern. in e-c translation, a long english sentence with a large amount of information should be translated into several short chinese phrases or sentences for a sensible flow of information by using the approaches mentioned above. 2.3.

53、 “translationese” the word “translationese,” from the english-chinese dictionary edited by lu gusun, means the odd, unnatural language which only appears in translations, just like the word-for-word translation. translation scholars have always held a negative attitude towards the translationese, eq

54、uating it with the so-called “fanyiqiang.” however, the impact of translationese on chinese literary language cannot be underestimated, but must be rooted out. here are three kinds of typical mistakes of translationese which the translator made in translating and the approaches to solve them.2.3.1.

55、translating functional wordsenglish is a kind of hypotactic language, which means its linking of linguistic elements of words, phrases and clauses is achieved by syntactic devices for overt textual cohesion. however, chinese as the target language is characterized by parataxis, which means several s

56、entences with associative meaning can be connected by coma punctuations to form a compound one with any conjunctions. such contrast will surely be displayed in clauses through their thematic structures and cohesive devices. for instance, whenever encountering “when-clause,” i always translated into

57、“当的时候”; “of” into “的”; “by” into “被”; “sothat” into “如此以至于”. this mechanical approach makes the translation version wordy and verbose. here are some examples:example 10sl: the humboldtian concept proved to be highly successful, and the new german universities (and others that were reformed to confor

58、m to the new model) contributed to the emergence of germany as a modern country by producing research and educating scientists. (page 4)tl1: 洪堡特的理念已证实非常成功，新建立的德国大学（或改革为新模式的原有大学）都通过校内研究和培育科学家帮助德国成为了一个现代化国家。“已证实非常成功” is a very literal translation which is not idiomatic chinese expression. and the word

59、s “都, 为, 了” are the useless words which make the translation version quite verbose. after deliberating the target language, the translator revised it as follows:tl2 (revised): 洪堡的这种理念非常成功，新型的德国大学（或转型的原有大学）通过科学研究和培育科学家，将德国建成一个现代化国家。example 11sl: finally, research universities attract the “best and the brightest” students in the country