Notes on Translation

English Translations of Modern Standard Chinese Redundancies

Modern Standard Chinese (MSC) has a number of redundant words and phrases that have their origins in the “Eight Legged Essay” (八股文) style of writing popularized during the Ming and Qing dynasties.  While these redundancies are an accepted part of MSC, they become verbose and tedious when translated into English.  Often translators fully translate these redundant words and phrases into English because they mistakenly fear losing the supposed emphasis that redundancy gives or because they want to impart to the English translation the Chinese flavor that redundant words purportedly give.

Since the object of good translation, like good writing, is clarity and conciseness, translators should avoid translating MSC redundant phrases that, for historical reasons of style and grammar, are acceptable in MSC but neither clear nor concise when literally translated into English. 

 In Chinese political writing, for example, one will often find the phrase “扩大群众” frequently translated as “the broad masses.”  However, as the plural form indicates, the word “masses” alone incorporates the concept of broad.  There is no need to translate “broad” and indeed doing so makes the English phrase redundant.

Another similar example is “各个国家” frequently translated as “various countries.”  Again, the plural form “countries” encompasses the meaning “various” so there is no need to translate the phrase as “various countries.”  Indeed we will often find “各个国家” used when the author wants to stress the plural “countries” as “国家”alone, while it can be either singular or plural depending on context, does not immediately suggest the plural form.  

MSC technical writing has its share of redundant phrases.  Take for example the term “technical requirements.”  This is often rendered in MSC not only as “技术要求” but also as “技术条件要求”.  Translating the latter phrase literally as “technical condition requirements” is not only cumbersome but also may cause the reader to wonder if the phrase means “technical conditions” or “technical requirements.” 

A similar example, taken from MSC technical writing, is “engineering requirements.”  MSC often renders this phrase “工程要求”, but the redundant versions “工程技术要求” and “工程技术条件要求” are both used.  When the latter two phrases are rendered literally as “engineering technical requirements” and “engineering technical condition requirements” respectively, the words “technical” and “technical condition” add nothing to the original meaning and can make a reader wonder if something other than engineering requirements is meant. 

In conclusion, translators of MSC to English should be aware of the plethora of redundant words and phrases in MSC and strive to keep the English renditions clear and concise.

关于现代标准汉语冗余词与其英文的翻译

        由于流行在明清朝代八股文的影响，现代标准 汉语有不少的冗余词。我们如果直接把这些冗余词翻译成英文，结果是违反严复所制造的信，达， 雅三个翻译标准。既然如此，不少翻译员误以为冗余词增加强调，或者增加翻译中的中国味道。我们不同意这个看法。按照我们的立场，良好的翻译跟良好的写作一样：它们都需要一致性和清晰性。我们把几个例子说明这个道理。“扩大群众“ 这个词平常翻成“the broad masses ,”不过 “masses” 这个英文的复数词包括 “broad” 的意思。“各个国家“也是同样的例子。好多人把它翻成英文的 “various countries”, 但是 countries 由于它也就 是一个英文的复数词， 包括 “various” 的意思。

        现代汉语的技术著作也拥有很多冗余词。“技术要求” 这个词有时候写成“技术条件要求”这个冗余词， 但它们两个词的最好英文翻译还只是 “technical requirements”.  由于条件是冗余词，我们不必把它另外翻译成英文.“工程要求“ 这个词不但有时候写成“工程技术要求“而且有时候我们能看见“工程技术条件要求“ 这么一个长的词，但是 这几 个不同的写法都可以 翻成英文的“engineering requirements”，而且我们万一把“技术“或 “技术条件”翻译成英文， 那么结果就是一个不通顺，意思不明确的英文翻译。

By Ed Connelly
Chinese to English Translator

e-mail: flinthillpolo@yahoo.com