Faithfulness In Translation

Thesis Submitted in Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts

　

June 1999

Abstract

‘信、达、雅’, a translation standard put forward by Yan Fu in the

19th century, has always been a practical rule to the translators.

In this standard, ‘信’ means ‘faithful (to the original)’. Obviously,

‘faithful’ is the most important among the three, and it is the first

responsibility to a translator. However, there are disparities between

one language and another – disparities in the lexicology, in the linguistic

structure or even in the tradition and culture. So ‘absolute faithfulness’

is impossible. And this article emphasizes on how to achieve the real

faithfulness in a possible sense – a faithful translation in good

formality with not only the original context, but also the original form

and style. To achieve such an effect we should do well in two aspects.

On the one hand, faithful to the original doesn’t mean to give an

equivalent correspondence to each word literally. While doing this we

should take these factors into consideration – idiomatic translation;

the false faithfulness resulted from obligatory categories; different

classifications in different cultures. On the other hand, faithful to

the original also requires the tran

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