Questions a Translator Faces

A Short Poem (R. Kipling)

I keep six honest serving men; (They taught me all I knew); Their names were What? and

Why? and When? and How? and Where? and Who? (Quote from Roger T. Bell,

Translation and Translating: Theory and Practice. London: Longman, 1991:7)

The Same Six Serving Men a Translator Keeps

Translator

What?

Why? When?

Who?

How? Where?

Roger Bell’s Model Questions a translator asks

about a text. What? is the message contained in the text; Why? orients us towards the intention of the sender;

(informing/persuading/expressing…) When? is concerned with the time of the communication; How? a) the manner of delivery (serious/ironic); b) the

medium of communication (verbal/speech/writing…) ; Where? is concerned with the place of the

communication Who? refers to the participants involved in the

communication. (Source: Ditto)

An Extended Model

Questions a translator asks before setting his/her pen. What? is the content you are going to translate. Why? Refers the purpose of your translating When? is concerned with the time (difference) of

communication How? refers to the way and media you are going to use in your

translating? Where? Is concerned with the place (difference) of

communication. Who? refers to the translator and the target readers. Or the

other participants in the translation process.

Application of the Model

Analysis of the Original TextAnalysis of the Original Text• What?• “visiting” (traveling)• Why?• Informing and expressing• When?• 19th century• How?• 1) the manner of delivery: natural, humorous, rhythmic, fluid, lucid…

2) the medium: writing (prose, travel notes) • Where?• England• Who?• Washington Irving (1783-1895): American romanticism writer; the

founding “Father of American Literature”; the first American writer who is recognized by Europeans…

& American and British readers as well as other possible readers who

know English.

Analysis of the Translation Task

What? “visiting” (traveling) Why? Informing (expressing, or any other functions…for fun, for example) When? 21st century How? 1) the manner of delivery: faithful or creative…; 2) the medium: writing (or

speech, or other ways) Where? China Who? The translator (you) who has different background & Chinese readers and possible readers who know Chinese.

译文比较译文比较译文译文 11 ：：

•译文 2：

•译文 3：

译文 4：

译文 5：

译文 6：

Source: the original text and all the versions are quoted from Li Ming( 李明 ), Translation Criticism and Appreciation( 《翻译批评与鉴赏》 ). Wuhan: Wuhan University Press, 2006:32-42