R. Gordon, of Brookvale, Sydney sent this to SMH. He noticed a 'weird' sign at the Bund in Shanghai -
Any activity or action against social order, or repugnant to the eye, is prohibited.
It is a classic example that demonstrates linguistic representations and features in different cultural contexts constitute different forms and meanings. There are always discrepancies between the model of the world presented in the source text and that of the target culture’s conception of the world. We must always guard ourselves against interpreting other languages in terms of our own cultural framework, otherwise our translated works may violate theexpectation of the target readers, and create an adverse effect on the naturalness and readability of our translations.
Repugnant to the eye(s) 不雅观 is a literal translation from the Chinese expression describing something which is so offensive that it is repellent to the senses (our eyes). However, there is a different linquistic representation in the target language in expressing the same situation.
I strongly believe that a professsional and competent translator must possess a well-informed intercultural awareness besides a thorough and intimate knowledge of the target language. In the future, I will share information if I come across any similar examples as such or any typical phraseology of the target language which can enchance the naturalness and readability of our translations. Once again, your opinions and contributions are most welcomed.
Each language articulates or organises the
world differently because different cultures take on different
emotions and attitudes when they conceptualise their experiences
or ideas and these are transmitted through their languages.
We must be equipped with an intercultural awareness besides
the language itself because target readers’ expectations
differ by their linguistic conventions as well as their cultural
norms... read more about this blog
