Chapter three: Unit three:Georgia on

My Mind

*context *standards of translation

Discussion on the translation of passage 4 （ I ）

• When translating, did you consider the following questions?

• 1. “drive”—drive what?• 2. “his sister”—younger or elder• 3. the referential relationship of the

followings:– There’s nothing in it for us down there, Emil.

There are a few fine farms, but they are owned by the rich men in town, and couldn’t be bought. Most of the land is rough and hilly. They can always scrape along down there, but they can never do anything big. Down there they have a little certainty, but up with us there is a big chance. We must have faith in the high land, Emil.

Discussion on the translation of passage 4 (II)

– The river land was settled before this, and so they are a few years ahead of us, and have learned more about farming. The land sells for three times as much as this, but in five years we will double it.

• 4. In what kind of situation did Lou say the following, and how?– “Mortgage the homestead again?” Lou cried.

He sprang up and began to wind the clock furiously. “I won’t slave to pay off another mortgage. I’ll never do it. You’d just as soon kill us all, Alexandra, to carry out some scheme!”

• 5. How much is a “half-sections”?

New material presentation: context (I)

• The problem of linguistic context is involved in questions 1 to 3.– Linguistic context refers to cohesion and

coherence within a text– Look at another example on P100

• The 4th question is related to the problem of situational context. – It is related to the situation, the

participants, and the thing mentioned.– Look at another example on P101

New material presentation: context （ II ）

• The 5th is about cultural context. (about what is culture, please read those on P61)– “We borrow the money for six years. Well, wi

th the money we buy a half-section from Linstrum and a half from Crow, and a quarter from Struble, maybe. That will give us upwards of fourteen hundred acres, won’t it?

– If you translate them as “ 一半”、“四分之一”， then how will you translate the following?

New material presentation: context （ III ）

• ART III. The United States agree to grant to each of the following persons, the quantity of land annexed to their names, which lands shall be conveyed to them by patent.– For Mon-i-taw-quah, daughter of Swa-gaw, one s

ection; For Wee-saw, three sections; For Ben-ack, eight sections;…

• Try to look them up in “The Public Land Survey” or “Homestead Act” ， and try to understand the culture and background. Or try to calculate them by yourselves.

New material presentation: context （ IV ）

• If you consider your reader and the purpose of your translation, you would transfer them into: “320 英亩” (half-section) 、“ 160 英亩” .

• Look at another example on P102-103• A good translation must be based on the

consideration of the three contexts: linguistic, situational and cultural.

• Please look at the following passage. Consider its translation through the three contexts.

New material presentation: context （ V ）

– A kidney oozed blood outs on the willow-pattern dish: the last. He stood by the nextdoor girl at the counter. Would she buy it too, calling the items from a slip in her hand. Chapped: washing soda. And a pound and a half of Denny’s sausages. His eyes rested on her vigorous hips. Woods his name is. Wonder what he does. Wife is oldish. New Blood. No followers allowed.

• Linguistic context: words in black;• Situational context:

– What is the passage about?– Where does the thing happen?– Who is the participant?– What is the relationship between the participants?– What are the part in purple: things somebody saw or thought?– Clues of reading: the author’s (hero) observation; the

hero’s thought.• Cultural context: about the author, the novel,

and background

New material presentation: context （ VI ）

• Reference:• 柳条盘内的猪腰子血淋淋的：就这一个

了。隔壁的女孩站在柜台前，那男人则站在女孩身边。她会不会也买猪腰子？她手拿购物单，正一一点出她所要的东西。她的手那么粗，一定是洗衣服洗的。她还要了一磅半丹尼斯香肠。那男人的双眼一直盯着女孩那性感的臀部。那个男人就是伍兹。想想他会干什么。他老婆岁数不小了，他要另寻新欢了。别的男人谁都别想靠近那女孩。

Standards of translation

• We have discussed the question in chapter one. Review by yourselves.

• Read those about the standard of translation on P103-104 by yourselves. Get a general idea on it.

Homework

• Read the explanation of the unit

• Passage 4, paragraph 7 to the end• (revise your translation of the first

part)