Chinese-English Translation Comparison

Translators whose native language is Chinese and those whose native language is English often have different approaches when translating from Chinese to English. These differences stem from usage habits, thinking patterns, and even the cultural and behavioral ways of the East and West.

Firstly, there is the issue of word order. Translators whose native language is English tend to place the most important information at the forefront, followed by less critical details. For example: "I studied traditional painting with family guidance since I was a child. In high school, I came into contact with graffiti, and gradually started this type of artistic creation." versus "Being raised in a family of artists, I was trained in traditional painting technique since my childhood. My encounter with street graffiti started when I was in senior high school, and I eventually started my own graffiti creations." In this expression, we can not only see that the latter places "street graffiti" at the beginning, but also in terms of word choice and adaptation, Chinese translators tend to favor literal translation, while native English speakers prefer free translation. For instance, "I started to get in touch with... under the guidance of my family." In the translation by the Chinese translator, "guidance" is translated as "guidance," but the native English translator translates it as "Being raised in a family of artists." The use of passive sentences is a distinctive feature of native English translators.

The same characteristic is also evident in the following example. "Technology and sustainability are the DNA of Polestar, and Polestar's ultimate pursuit of sustainability has left a deep impression on me," is translated by a Chinese translator as "Technology and sustainability are the DNA of Polestar, and I am deeply impressed by Polestar’s utmost pursuit of sustainability." A foreign translator might translate it as "Science and technology and sustainability are Polestar's DNA. Polestar's ultimate pursuit of sustainability leaves me with a deep impression." When expressing the second part of this sentence, the foreign translator places "deep impression" at the beginning, while the Chinese translator places "I" at the beginning. According to the logic of the original text, "I" is not the content the speaker wants to emphasize. The speaker wants to emphasize "the ultimate pursuit of sustainable development." On this point, the foreign translator's understanding seems more accurate.

Secondly, the translations by foreign translators have a more English rhythm. For example, for the original text "All stories begin with circularity, which gives life to all the elements. Think: the water cycle and the life cycle of organisms," a Chinese translator might translate it as "All narratives begin with circularity which gives life to all the elements. Think: the water cycle and the life cycle of organisms." A foreign translator's translation is "All stories start from a circle, and all kinds of elements are in circulation, the circulation of water and the circulation of life." Reading these two sentences, it is quite evident that the latter has a more melodious rhythm. Moreover, after removing connecting words such as "that" and "and," the logic of the entire sentence does not become lax; instead, it gains a sense of progression. "Story" is more colloquial than "narrative," which is more academic. The speaker wants to convey more of an experiential truth rather than an academic theory. Moreover, for interviews, more colloquial language can attract the interest and resonance of readers.

Lastly, in terms of word choice, for the last sentence of the original text, "And a sufficiently good work of art has a strong appeal and can stimulate human imagination," the Chinese translator's translation is "A quality work of art should have immense appeal and is able to stimulate the imagination." The foreign translator's translation is "An excellent artistic work has strong appeal and can stimulate imagination." Comparatively, "strong" has more human characteristics than "immense." The foreign translator here subtly anthropomorphizes the process of artistic creation, making the text more infectious and more in line with the speaker's identity as an artist.

In summary, there are three main differences between Chinese and foreign translators in the translation process. First is the difference in word order, mainly reflected in the use of passive sentences. The different emphasis on objects shows the difference in thinking habits between foreign and Chinese translators: that is, the difference between emphasizing events and emphasizing people. Second, in terms of translation expression, foreign translators have more of an English rhythm. Third, in terms of word choice, foreign translators will personify the object to express content that is consistent with the speaker's characteristics.

Of course, there are many more differences in translation between Chinese and foreign translators reflected in the article, and everyone has different understandings. Translation is a discipline that requires language learners to explore together and contribute to the development of the translation industry.

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