日誌20201225
盡在語言中
Everything Is about Language
翻譯分為筆譯和口譯。口譯以口語為媒介，但更重要的是口譯需要在具體的社會活動場合裡進行，而且口譯直接介入社會活動的溝通過程。這種社會活動可以是非常正式和重要的，也可以是不太正式或者日常生活範圍內的。這樣說來，口譯譯者對活動本身的了解和適應其實比語言能力更重要。對於新譯員來說，適應活動場合的問題並不是「怯場」那麼簡單。這也是為什麼翻譯領域要把口筆譯分開的重要原因之一。
Translation includes translation, which only involves written language, and interpretation. An interpreter uses spoken language as medium. But more importantly, interpretation happens in specific occasions in social activities. And an interpreter directly participates in the communication process in such social activities. Such occasions might be very formal and important or not so formal or within the range of common daily life. So to speak, the knowledge and familiarity of the interpreter about the activities are more essential than his or her language competence. To a rookie interpreter, the problem in adapting to the environment to the activities might not be so easily attributed to 「shyness」. This is also one of the important reasons why people separate interpretation from the translation of written language in the area of translation.
筆譯看起來特別簡單，書桌、電腦、字典或者還有其他的參考資料，有這些就可以工作了。決定譯文質量的，是坐在書桌前的那個譯者。筆譯譯者的能力包含了語言能力、寫作能力、編輯能力。語言能力也分三個部分，母語能力、外語能力或者第二語言能力、轉換能力。通常說的翻譯能力可以明確到轉換能力。翻譯的特殊性是顯而易見的，因為有很多雙語能力者並不能做好翻譯。翻譯教材裡講的各種細節上的技巧，經過學習內化和自動化之後，就形成了所謂轉換能力或者翻譯能力。當然，翻譯能力更多的是依靠翻譯的實戰經驗，教材中的技巧是核心的，是非常重要的，但永遠都是有限的。每個成熟的翻譯都會發現自己獨特的技巧和訣竅。
Translation of written materials seems pretty simple. You can work just with a desk, a computer and a dictionary or some other reference materials. But the deciding element of the quality of translated articles is the translator sitting in front of the desk. The abilities of a translator include language competence, writing and editing. There are also three parts in language competence, the competence of native language, that of foreign language or second language, and the ability of transference. And translation ability as generally referred to can be specifically defined as the ability of transference. The peculiarity of translation is obvious because many bilinguals cannot translate well. The many detailed techniques taught in translation textbooks form the so-called ability of transference or translation after learned, internalized and automated in a translator. Of course, translation ability comes more from practical experiences. The techniques taught in textbooks are indeed kernel and very crucial but they are always limited. Each seasoned translator will find his or her own unique techniques and tricks.
語言能力強的人不一定寫作好，因為寫作需要對事物的觀察、思考、分析能力強，還需要有把觀察思考分析的結果，利用語言文字，轉化成概念結構的能力。對於文學家來說，還需要一點點天賦，就是創新表達方式，善用各種修辭手段；還要能「道人之所不能道」，把別人覺得不寫不出來的事物、情感、道理寫的清楚明白。如錢鍾書在《談藝錄》中所說，「人所曾言，我善言之，放翁之與古為新也；人所未言，我能言之，誠齋之化生為熟也。」善於用語言表達的人，可以是好的編輯，不一定是好作家。編輯能力就是把握語言質量的能力，也就是能把語言本身修訂潤色的非常好的能力。
People with good language competence might not write well because writing requires strong ability to observe, analyze and think over about things and to turn the results of observation, analysis and thinking into conceptual structure, using words as instrument. A literary writer needs more, which might be a little bit ingenuity. He or she needs to innovate the forms or expression by adeptly using various rhetorical devices. And he or she needs to be able tell about things other people cannot describe, namely clearly writing about things, emotions and ideas that other people feel hard or impossible to express. As a renowned Chinese scholar Qian Zhongshu write in his book Records and Notes about Arts, 「What people have said, I say well and wisely. This is what Lu Fangweng did in writing new things with ancient ideas. What people have not said, I have the ability to say. This is what Yang Chengzhai did in turning raw things into wrought means of expression.」 A person who can use language well in expression might not be a good writer but can be a good editor. Editing ability is the ability to control language quality. That is to say, an editor has the ability to revise and polish writings into well-written articles.
筆譯翻譯如果能學好寫作，自己能把譯文修訂潤色好，自然讓自己的翻譯能力提高很多。反過來，通過翻譯促進寫作、編輯這兩方面能力的培養和訓練，也可以為自己多創造些新的職業發展機遇。
A translator can improve his translation ability largely if he can learn to write well and revise and polish his or her own translation well. On the other hand, concentrating on fostering and training of writing and editing abilities in translation work can create more new opportunities in his or her career.
從工作成果來看，翻譯、寫作、編輯都以語言為媒介，創造和加工文化產品。語言同時是產品的對象、工具、外在形式；語言所表達的內容，構成對文化現象的呈現，是產品的內在實質。
As far as the fruit of work is concerned, translator, writer and editor all uses language as medium to create and produce cultural products. Language is both the object, instrument and external form of such products. The content expressed with language forms the representation of cultural phenomena, which is the intrinsic quality of the products.
語言是思維、表達、傳播的工具。對於個人來講，語言用於思考。表達則是以個人為中心的，寫出來或者說出來的內容是服務於的個人表達需求的，可以是給別人看或者聽的，也可以是給自己看或者聽的；是為了說或者寫而說或者寫。傳播就要明確給別人看或者聽的，而且是有明確的目的的，也就是說對別人看到或者聽到後的反應有清楚的預先判斷和期望。
Language is the instrument of thinking, expression and communication. For an individual, language is also used as a tool for thinking. Expression is individual-centered. The content written or spoken serves individual expressive demand. It might be produced for other people or the producer him- or herself to read or listen. It is spoken or written for the purpose of speaking or writing itself or for it to be spoken or written. Communication means to create information only for other people to read or listen with specific purpose. This means that there is clear anticipation or expectation on the reaction or response of other people after they read or listen to the content produced.
語言的使用覆蓋整個社會生活，但以語言為媒介生產文化產品並不是全社會的工作。這項事業只屬於少數幾個領域，而且是有明確的經濟性的，以滿足社會的語言文化需求為目標。
The use of language covers the entire social life, but creating cultural products with language as medium is not the work for the entire society. This undertaking only belongs to several areas and it has clear economic function and an aim to satisfy the linguistic cultural demand of the society.
對於書籍期刊報紙等等，文字就是產品的全部。而對於劇本、腳本、歌詞、解說詞、新聞稿、廣告詞、標誌牌，文字只是產品的重要部分，需要加上其他物質或藝術要素，構成整個文化產品。數字媒介中，需要文字加上視頻、音頻、圖片，以可記錄的格式製作成產品。
For book, periodical and newspaper, words are the whole of these cultural products. For drama, play or film scripts, lyrics for songs, captions, news broadcast scripts, advertisement slogans and signs, words are only an important part. Other material or artistic elements are needed to form the whole. In digital media, the products needs to be created in recordable formats with words plus video, audio and pictures.
所有這些產品中，語言的部分始終需要預先獨立製作，經過寫作或者翻譯，然後由文字編輯校對審定，最終定稿排版，形成獨立的文字稿。然後才與其他要素結合，或者印刷出版發行，或者排演錄製播出，或者製作安裝展示。這樣說來，語言的部分是始終有獨立的中間產品，以書面語的形式，寫成文字稿。
In all these products, the language part always needs to be produced independently in advance. Independent text is formed through writing or translation and then proofread, revised and finalized by copy editors before set to print. Then it is combined with other elements, either printed, published and circulated, or rehearsed, staged, recorded or aired, or manufactured, installed and exhibited. So in sum, the language part always stands as independent intermedia product, written into text as written language.
生產獨立的文字稿產品過程中，寫作、翻譯、編輯是有細緻分工的。
In producing independent text as product, writer, translator and editor are defined as separate jobs with very delicate lines drawn between them.
寫作的領域非常廣，涉及到幾乎所有行業，生產各種類型的文字產品。虛構、非虛構、學術、各種實用文體都有不同的文體形式和語言特徵。不同的行業之間，語言產品的差異非常大。這是因為語言產品所表達的內容差不多就是這個行業的全部。在一個具體行業內，寫作者最終會掌握一整套文體形式，還有與之對應的寫作流程，需要經過一段時間的訓練最終形成熟練的寫作能力，生產製作出規範的文字產品。
Writing involves a vast range of areas. It covers almost all sectors in social life and a great variety of text products are produced. Fictional, non-fictional, academic and practical writings all have their different stylistic forms and linguistic features. In different industries, language products show great differences. This is because the content produced in language products almost involves the whole industry. In a specific industry, a writer will master a whole set of stylistic forms and the writing process related to them. He or she needs to be trained for some time to form mature writing ability so as to produce standard text products.
編輯這個職業在很多行業裡都有，工作內容也可能與文字稿完全無關。處理文字稿的只是文字編輯，一般負責校對、潤色、修訂、審定稿件。文字編輯的工作實際上是從寫作、翻譯中獨立出來的，因為無論是作家還是翻譯，自己也都會校對、潤色、修訂自己或者別人的稿件。高水平的文字編輯可能本身也會是作家或者翻譯。
Editor is needed in many industries, although the content of work under this job title might not be related to texts or scripts at all. Only copy editor processes texts. He or she is generally responsible for proofreading, polishing, revising and finalizing a text. This job in fact comes from writing and translation as both writers and translators will proofread, polish and revise their own or other people’s works. A high-level editor might also work as a writer or translator him- or herself.
實際上，翻譯的工作流程部分地類似寫作，翻譯也要懂得文字稿的文體特徵和寫作過程。不同的是翻譯過程是閱讀理解加上轉換和表達，內容是事先準備好的，不需要組織加工的。對於職業翻譯來說，別人委託的翻譯項目一般都是全文處理，儘管也會有少量的增減。有些時候，做文字工作的人會根據需求，選擇外文資料，進行節譯或者編譯。這時，翻譯者需要對資料的內容進行處理和加工，也就需要用到寫作和編輯能力。
In essence, the work process of translation is partly similar to writing. A translator needs to understand the stylistic features and writing process of a text to be translated. The difference lies in that translation process includes reading comprehension, transference and expression. Content is ready at hand and generally needs no re-organization and processing. For a professional translator, the projects given by clients are generally to be processed in full, although there might be a small bit of adding or reducing. Sometimes, people who process texts may select materials in foreign languages out of certain demands and translate excerpts or reorganize these materials into a new semi-written article and produce a tailored translation. When this translator processes and edits the content of the materials, he or she needs the ability to write and edit.