Not long ago, someone was translating a news story on Islam and Muslims from English to Chinese. One of the Muslims in the story was quoted as saying： “We believe in God.” What the translator did was to render the word 'God' as 'Shangdi' （上帝） in Chinese.
Now the definition of Shangdi is 'God', but this word is used almost exclusively for, and is widely understood to be referring to, the God of the Christian faith.
We do not know why the translator made that mistake. Probably he had used that Chinese word without being aware of the religious nuances inherent in that word.
The above anecdote serves to remind us that it is imperative for translators and interpreters to be aware of the differences between peoples and cultures. A correct word used in a wrong cultural or religious context is a wrong word.
But the world today is being transformed at an unprecedented pace. Things around us are changing all the time ——new technology, new inventions, new cultures. New words are being churned out at an amazing speed.
Thus, one of the challenges for translators and interpreters is to learn to appreciate differences and also to keep up with the constant change that is happening all around us.
There are many examples of mis-translations or bad translations because the translators were ignorant of the cultural differences between languages.
I remember watching a movie a few years back in which one character asked another whether or not he wanted a nightcap. The context of that scene clearly indicated that the former was talking about having a drink before going to bed.
But I was rather amused by the Chinese subtitles which had the first character asking the second whether he wanted something to put on his head before going to bed.
I once attempted to read an English translated version of the Chinese classic novel “The Dream of Red Mansions” （《紅樓夢》）。 In this version, the name of one of the female protagonists, Lin Daiyu （林黛玉）, was literally translated as 'Black Jade'.
I had to put the book down after reading a few pages about the adventures of Miss Black Jade because I simply could not associate a beautiful maiden of the most delicate disposition with a name like Black Jade.
Not only are there differences between Chinese and English, there are differences within each of the two languages as well.
Within the Chinese language, there are already discernible differences in the Chinese used in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.
“Thank you for your cooperation” is still often rendered as “Xiexie peihe” （“謝謝配合”） in mainland China. To most Chinese Singaporeans, this means： “Thank you for your co-ordination”！
Recently, I came across this Chinese word, tongli xin （同理心）, which was not found in any of my dictionaries. It seemed to be a Taiwanese word which means empathy.
As for English, the same language is used very differently in different places like Great Britain, the United States, Singapore, the Philippines, India and so on. Talk to a non-Singaporean English-speaker about void decks and he or she would probably not know what you are talking about.
In the Philippines, to salvage someone means to execute that person. And the word, evacuate, is not uttered in polite society. It means to move one's bowels.
These examples show how differences in culture exist among and within languages. The challenge for translators and interpreters is to be aware of these differences.
However, besides being aware of differences, they must also keep abreast of changes. As we enter the next Century and millennium, we must be adept at knowing or even coming out with new words to render new inventions and new situations.
With the proliferation of Internet and Internet-related products and businesses, we can expect a myriad of new phrases, terminology and concepts. We need to come up with suitable translations for words, phrases, concepts and procedures. To do this, we must first understand what these are. Therefore, translators and interpreters cannot afford to be lazy. They must make an effort to acquire these new branches of knowledge.
It is difficult enough just to keep up with the advances in science and technology, what is more difficult, in my opinion, is to keep up with popular culture. Popular culture, especially those emanating from the United States, moves at a bewildering pace. Popular music, fashions, trends, teen-speak： they change as soon as you think you have gotten the hang of them.
There is a popular phrase coined a few years back in the US, “I'm not going there”。 Going where？ The uninitiated may ask. Actually, the person who says, “I'm not going there”does not wish to talk about a certain issue that crops up in the conversation because he has some emotional aversion to that issue.
Right now, Singaporeans are lapping up the American coffee culture that is changing the way we look at the once humble kopi-o. I have noticed that there are no good Chinese translations for beverages like expresso, cappuccino, cafe latte and so on.
How do we then keep up with all these changes and trends？ Dictionaries are useful but quite inadequate. Besides, they become out-dated after some time. I find that one of the best ways for me to keep up is to do what many young people today do： read lifestyle magazines, watch television and MTV, surf the Internet. Besides these, one must also read newspapers, news magazines, journals and the like to keep abreast of developments in the world.
Keeping up with trends and developments is an on-going challenge, but what is the next step？ Sometimes, we lack the confidence to come up with new translations of words and phrases. We often ask questions like： “How do the mainland Chinese translate this？” Or “What is the word that the Taiwanese or Hong Kongers use？” Why do we even ask these questions？ Aren't our translation standards good enough？
Singapore is so well-positioned, in all aspects, to be a regional language and translation centre. I am rather surprised that we do not even have a school or department of foreign languages in our universities. If the University of Auckland in New Zealand can have a Department of Translation Studies, surely Singapore, with our claims of being a multi-cultural and multi-lingual cosmopolitan city, do not want to be left behind, do we？
中英翻譯充滿陷阱
不久前,有人把一則以回教和回教徒為主的英文新聞報道翻譯成華文。報道引述其中一名回教徒說：“We believe in God.”這名翻譯員竟把它譯成：“我們相信上帝?！?BR> “上帝”的確是“God”,但“上帝”一詞幾乎只用在基督教的范圍內(nèi),而一般人也了解“上帝”指的是基督教的神。
我們不知道那名翻譯員為何會犯下這個錯誤。或許他在選用那個中文字的時候,并未體會到那個字所附帶的宗教含義。
以上的例子提醒我們,翻譯員和通譯員必須意識到不同種族和宗教之間的差異。一個正確的字用在一個不適當?shù)奈幕蜃诮瘫尘袄?也將成為一個錯字。
然而,世界正以史無前例的步伐演進。我們周遭的事物不停地在改變——新科技、新發(fā)明、新文化。新的詞匯也以驚人的速度出爐。
因此,翻譯員和通譯員所面對的挑戰(zhàn)之一就是意識到差異的存在,以及趕上我們周圍所不斷發(fā)生的變化。
很多時候,翻譯員因不熟悉語文之間的文化差異,而作出錯誤或不妥的翻譯。
前幾年我看過一部電影。劇中人物問另一個人物要不要來個“nightcap”。那一幕的劇情清楚地顯示,前者所指的是一杯睡前的飲料。然而,電影中的中文字幕卻出現(xiàn)“要不要來頂夜帽”的翻譯,不禁叫人莞爾。
我曾嘗試閱讀一本《紅樓夢》的英譯本。該譯本竟把林黛玉直譯成“Black Jade”（即黑色的玉）。翻了幾頁關(guān)于“Black Jade”小姐的事跡之后,我實在讀不下去,不得不把譯本放下。像“Black Jade”這樣的名字,豈能與羞花閉月的孱弱女子相提并論！
不僅中英文之間存有差異,同一個語文之中也存在著不同之處。
以中文而言,中國大陸、臺灣、香港、馬來西亞和新加坡等地方所用的“中文”,彼此間已經(jīng)有很明顯的差距。
在中國大陸,還是有不少地方用“謝謝配合”,不用我們較熟悉的“謝謝合作”。
最近我偶然看到“同理心”這個詞,找遍了詞典都找不到這個詞。它似乎是出自臺灣的新詞,有因處于他人處境而對他人產(chǎn)生同情、憐憫之義。
至于英文,同一個字在不同的地方有不同的用法。英文盛行于英國、美國、新加坡、菲律賓、印度等國家,但各國之間卻用法不一。
倘若我們對一名非新加坡人談起“void deck”（即組屋底層）的話,他將不知所云。
在菲律賓,“salvage”一個人并不是搶救那個人,而是將他處決,而“evacuate”（即疏散）一字在上流社會中是不便啟齒的,因為它有如廁之義。
這些例子說明無論是在不同語文之間,或者同一個語文之中,文化差異都是存在的。翻譯員和通譯員所面對的挑戰(zhàn)就是要了解這些差異。
然而,他們不單得了解文化差異,還要趕得上周圍的變化。當我們邁入下一個世紀和下一個千禧年的時候,我們必須擅于了解新發(fā)明和新事態(tài),我們甚至還得為它們?nèi)⌒旅Q。
網(wǎng)際網(wǎng)絡和與網(wǎng)際網(wǎng)絡有關(guān)的產(chǎn)品和企業(yè)正在不斷繁衍,而大量新的詞匯、術(shù)語和概念將隨著出現(xiàn)。我們需要為新字、新詞、新概念和新程序作出適當?shù)姆g。我們得先去了解這些東西,才能作出恰當?shù)姆g。因此,翻譯員和通譯員不可懈怠,他們必須積極地吸收新知識。
要趕上科技的進步已經(jīng)是一件難事,要跟上大眾文化就更是難上加難了。大眾文化（尤其出自美國的大眾文化）以驚人的速度改變。
流行音樂、時裝、時尚潮流、年輕人用的俚語——當你以為自己完全掌握其來龍去脈時,它卻又變了樣。
前幾年,美國有句流行的順口溜：“I'm not going there.”（即“我不要到那兒去?！保┎恢榈娜瞬幻庖獑枺涸趺椿厥拢康侥睦锶?？說“I'm not going there”的人,其實是因?qū)δ硞€話題有情感上的排斥而不愿意討論這個話題。
目前美國咖啡文化正在新加坡人當中大行其道、處處留香,使我們對昔日最為普通的咖啡烏看法已有所不同。我發(fā)覺到如 expresso、cappuccino、cafe latte 等飲料,至今還未有理想的中文譯名。
我們到底如何趕上這些變化和潮流？詞典當然有用,但還是有不足的地方。何況,詞典不一會兒就不足以應用了。我個人覺得跟上時代步伐的途徑之一,就是做一些時下年輕人愛做的事情：翻翻時尚雜志、看看電視和MTV、瀏覽網(wǎng)際網(wǎng)絡。除此之外,還得閱讀報章、新聞雜志、學術(shù)刊物等。
趕上潮流和改變是一個不間斷的挑戰(zhàn),但下一步呢？我們有時候缺乏信心,不敢為一些新的詞匯作出翻譯。我們時常會問：“中國大陸怎么譯？”或“臺灣香港用哪一個字來翻譯？”我們?yōu)槭裁催€要問這樣的問題呢？難道我們的翻譯水準還不夠格嗎？
無論在任何方面,新加坡都具備一個作為區(qū)域語文和翻譯中心的條件。我們的大學里卻連一個外文學院都沒有,我對此甚感驚訝。如果紐西蘭的奧克蘭大學能設一個翻譯系的話,那我們新加坡這個多元文化、多元語言的大都會總不能落在人后吧
Now the definition of Shangdi is 'God', but this word is used almost exclusively for, and is widely understood to be referring to, the God of the Christian faith.
We do not know why the translator made that mistake. Probably he had used that Chinese word without being aware of the religious nuances inherent in that word.
The above anecdote serves to remind us that it is imperative for translators and interpreters to be aware of the differences between peoples and cultures. A correct word used in a wrong cultural or religious context is a wrong word.
But the world today is being transformed at an unprecedented pace. Things around us are changing all the time ——new technology, new inventions, new cultures. New words are being churned out at an amazing speed.
Thus, one of the challenges for translators and interpreters is to learn to appreciate differences and also to keep up with the constant change that is happening all around us.
There are many examples of mis-translations or bad translations because the translators were ignorant of the cultural differences between languages.
I remember watching a movie a few years back in which one character asked another whether or not he wanted a nightcap. The context of that scene clearly indicated that the former was talking about having a drink before going to bed.
But I was rather amused by the Chinese subtitles which had the first character asking the second whether he wanted something to put on his head before going to bed.
I once attempted to read an English translated version of the Chinese classic novel “The Dream of Red Mansions” （《紅樓夢》）。 In this version, the name of one of the female protagonists, Lin Daiyu （林黛玉）, was literally translated as 'Black Jade'.
I had to put the book down after reading a few pages about the adventures of Miss Black Jade because I simply could not associate a beautiful maiden of the most delicate disposition with a name like Black Jade.
Not only are there differences between Chinese and English, there are differences within each of the two languages as well.
Within the Chinese language, there are already discernible differences in the Chinese used in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.
“Thank you for your cooperation” is still often rendered as “Xiexie peihe” （“謝謝配合”） in mainland China. To most Chinese Singaporeans, this means： “Thank you for your co-ordination”！
Recently, I came across this Chinese word, tongli xin （同理心）, which was not found in any of my dictionaries. It seemed to be a Taiwanese word which means empathy.
As for English, the same language is used very differently in different places like Great Britain, the United States, Singapore, the Philippines, India and so on. Talk to a non-Singaporean English-speaker about void decks and he or she would probably not know what you are talking about.
In the Philippines, to salvage someone means to execute that person. And the word, evacuate, is not uttered in polite society. It means to move one's bowels.
These examples show how differences in culture exist among and within languages. The challenge for translators and interpreters is to be aware of these differences.
However, besides being aware of differences, they must also keep abreast of changes. As we enter the next Century and millennium, we must be adept at knowing or even coming out with new words to render new inventions and new situations.
With the proliferation of Internet and Internet-related products and businesses, we can expect a myriad of new phrases, terminology and concepts. We need to come up with suitable translations for words, phrases, concepts and procedures. To do this, we must first understand what these are. Therefore, translators and interpreters cannot afford to be lazy. They must make an effort to acquire these new branches of knowledge.
It is difficult enough just to keep up with the advances in science and technology, what is more difficult, in my opinion, is to keep up with popular culture. Popular culture, especially those emanating from the United States, moves at a bewildering pace. Popular music, fashions, trends, teen-speak： they change as soon as you think you have gotten the hang of them.
There is a popular phrase coined a few years back in the US, “I'm not going there”。 Going where？ The uninitiated may ask. Actually, the person who says, “I'm not going there”does not wish to talk about a certain issue that crops up in the conversation because he has some emotional aversion to that issue.
Right now, Singaporeans are lapping up the American coffee culture that is changing the way we look at the once humble kopi-o. I have noticed that there are no good Chinese translations for beverages like expresso, cappuccino, cafe latte and so on.
How do we then keep up with all these changes and trends？ Dictionaries are useful but quite inadequate. Besides, they become out-dated after some time. I find that one of the best ways for me to keep up is to do what many young people today do： read lifestyle magazines, watch television and MTV, surf the Internet. Besides these, one must also read newspapers, news magazines, journals and the like to keep abreast of developments in the world.
Keeping up with trends and developments is an on-going challenge, but what is the next step？ Sometimes, we lack the confidence to come up with new translations of words and phrases. We often ask questions like： “How do the mainland Chinese translate this？” Or “What is the word that the Taiwanese or Hong Kongers use？” Why do we even ask these questions？ Aren't our translation standards good enough？
Singapore is so well-positioned, in all aspects, to be a regional language and translation centre. I am rather surprised that we do not even have a school or department of foreign languages in our universities. If the University of Auckland in New Zealand can have a Department of Translation Studies, surely Singapore, with our claims of being a multi-cultural and multi-lingual cosmopolitan city, do not want to be left behind, do we？
中英翻譯充滿陷阱
不久前,有人把一則以回教和回教徒為主的英文新聞報道翻譯成華文。報道引述其中一名回教徒說：“We believe in God.”這名翻譯員竟把它譯成：“我們相信上帝?！?BR> “上帝”的確是“God”,但“上帝”一詞幾乎只用在基督教的范圍內(nèi),而一般人也了解“上帝”指的是基督教的神。
我們不知道那名翻譯員為何會犯下這個錯誤。或許他在選用那個中文字的時候,并未體會到那個字所附帶的宗教含義。
以上的例子提醒我們,翻譯員和通譯員必須意識到不同種族和宗教之間的差異。一個正確的字用在一個不適當?shù)奈幕蜃诮瘫尘袄?也將成為一個錯字。
然而,世界正以史無前例的步伐演進。我們周遭的事物不停地在改變——新科技、新發(fā)明、新文化。新的詞匯也以驚人的速度出爐。
因此,翻譯員和通譯員所面對的挑戰(zhàn)之一就是意識到差異的存在,以及趕上我們周圍所不斷發(fā)生的變化。
很多時候,翻譯員因不熟悉語文之間的文化差異,而作出錯誤或不妥的翻譯。
前幾年我看過一部電影。劇中人物問另一個人物要不要來個“nightcap”。那一幕的劇情清楚地顯示,前者所指的是一杯睡前的飲料。然而,電影中的中文字幕卻出現(xiàn)“要不要來頂夜帽”的翻譯,不禁叫人莞爾。
我曾嘗試閱讀一本《紅樓夢》的英譯本。該譯本竟把林黛玉直譯成“Black Jade”（即黑色的玉）。翻了幾頁關(guān)于“Black Jade”小姐的事跡之后,我實在讀不下去,不得不把譯本放下。像“Black Jade”這樣的名字,豈能與羞花閉月的孱弱女子相提并論！
不僅中英文之間存有差異,同一個語文之中也存在著不同之處。
以中文而言,中國大陸、臺灣、香港、馬來西亞和新加坡等地方所用的“中文”,彼此間已經(jīng)有很明顯的差距。
在中國大陸,還是有不少地方用“謝謝配合”,不用我們較熟悉的“謝謝合作”。
最近我偶然看到“同理心”這個詞,找遍了詞典都找不到這個詞。它似乎是出自臺灣的新詞,有因處于他人處境而對他人產(chǎn)生同情、憐憫之義。
至于英文,同一個字在不同的地方有不同的用法。英文盛行于英國、美國、新加坡、菲律賓、印度等國家,但各國之間卻用法不一。
倘若我們對一名非新加坡人談起“void deck”（即組屋底層）的話,他將不知所云。
在菲律賓,“salvage”一個人并不是搶救那個人,而是將他處決,而“evacuate”（即疏散）一字在上流社會中是不便啟齒的,因為它有如廁之義。
這些例子說明無論是在不同語文之間,或者同一個語文之中,文化差異都是存在的。翻譯員和通譯員所面對的挑戰(zhàn)就是要了解這些差異。
然而,他們不單得了解文化差異,還要趕得上周圍的變化。當我們邁入下一個世紀和下一個千禧年的時候,我們必須擅于了解新發(fā)明和新事態(tài),我們甚至還得為它們?nèi)⌒旅Q。
網(wǎng)際網(wǎng)絡和與網(wǎng)際網(wǎng)絡有關(guān)的產(chǎn)品和企業(yè)正在不斷繁衍,而大量新的詞匯、術(shù)語和概念將隨著出現(xiàn)。我們需要為新字、新詞、新概念和新程序作出適當?shù)姆g。我們得先去了解這些東西,才能作出恰當?shù)姆g。因此,翻譯員和通譯員不可懈怠,他們必須積極地吸收新知識。
要趕上科技的進步已經(jīng)是一件難事,要跟上大眾文化就更是難上加難了。大眾文化（尤其出自美國的大眾文化）以驚人的速度改變。
流行音樂、時裝、時尚潮流、年輕人用的俚語——當你以為自己完全掌握其來龍去脈時,它卻又變了樣。
前幾年,美國有句流行的順口溜：“I'm not going there.”（即“我不要到那兒去?！保┎恢榈娜瞬幻庖獑枺涸趺椿厥拢康侥睦锶?？說“I'm not going there”的人,其實是因?qū)δ硞€話題有情感上的排斥而不愿意討論這個話題。
目前美國咖啡文化正在新加坡人當中大行其道、處處留香,使我們對昔日最為普通的咖啡烏看法已有所不同。我發(fā)覺到如 expresso、cappuccino、cafe latte 等飲料,至今還未有理想的中文譯名。
我們到底如何趕上這些變化和潮流？詞典當然有用,但還是有不足的地方。何況,詞典不一會兒就不足以應用了。我個人覺得跟上時代步伐的途徑之一,就是做一些時下年輕人愛做的事情：翻翻時尚雜志、看看電視和MTV、瀏覽網(wǎng)際網(wǎng)絡。除此之外,還得閱讀報章、新聞雜志、學術(shù)刊物等。
趕上潮流和改變是一個不間斷的挑戰(zhàn),但下一步呢？我們有時候缺乏信心,不敢為一些新的詞匯作出翻譯。我們時常會問：“中國大陸怎么譯？”或“臺灣香港用哪一個字來翻譯？”我們?yōu)槭裁催€要問這樣的問題呢？難道我們的翻譯水準還不夠格嗎？
無論在任何方面,新加坡都具備一個作為區(qū)域語文和翻譯中心的條件。我們的大學里卻連一個外文學院都沒有,我對此甚感驚訝。如果紐西蘭的奧克蘭大學能設一個翻譯系的話,那我們新加坡這個多元文化、多元語言的大都會總不能落在人后吧