What is Translation and How to Translate Well

Translation in written form, unlike other literary creations, involves the translator's refinement of the foreign text that the reader consumes. An excellent translation should be like old wine in a new bottle, meaning that the content, meaning, theme, and inspiration that the original text (Ausgangstext) intends to convey are the "old wine." The old wine in the new bottle is the creator's work, and the translator's task is to pour this old wine into a "new bottle" made of the translator's native language without adding or spilling as much as possible. This clearly requires a high level of mastery of the language being translated. If readers find the new bottle interesting, they may then be inclined to taste the wine, to experience the foreign culture. The principle of not adding and not spilling represents the fidelity that should be achieved in translation, while the new bottle represents the fluency that should be achieved. The new bottle is the translator's re-creation, testing not only the translator's level in the language being translated but also their proficiency in their native language. What constitutes fluency, what makes a good new bottle? The readers of the translation have the most say. If readers find the bottle aesthetically pleasing and the article smooth to read, then the new bottle is considered qualified. If, on this basis, the bottle is even more attractive and the article more elegant, that becomes a bonus point for the translation work. Since written translation includes different types of articles, such as product manuals, the requirement for the old wine should be raised, while the requirement for the new bottle can be slightly lowered. Precision and unambiguity are the standards for translating manuals. Different types of articles have slightly different requirements for written translation, and translators should be flexible within the translation standards, adapting as appropriate.

I believe translation should be seen more as a result. Translating is the process of transforming abstract entities like language and information through rational thought, while translation is the outcome of this process. For the translator, translation is like the finishing touch that brings a drawing to life, like turning stone into gold. It is the intellectual fruit obtained after the translator's subjective processing, carrying not only language and information but also the exchange and integration of different cultures and the unique spiritual imprint of the times. From this perspective, translation is indeed a result. Moreover, for the target audience of translation, the process is obviously less important than the result. The audience's demand for translation often focuses on the result rather than the process. Of course, viewing translation more as a result does not mean that the importance of the process and the result will be weighted between the two. For the translator, both are equally important and cannot be neglected. However, this view does not contradict the idea of seeing translation more as a result.

Shakespeare said, "The fault is not in our stars, but in ourselves." The difference between Chinese and foreign languages is significant, and mistakes are inevitable in the translation process. But we can reduce the likelihood of future errors through review or correction of mistakes. The perfect, error-free state is unattainable for humans, but even if we cannot reach it, we should strive for it. We should continually reflect, hold ourselves to high standards, and examine our translations from a third-party perspective, correct translation errors, and strive for perfection. We should aim to make each translation better than the last and reduce the number of errors with each attempt.

◀️：Grammatical Structure Differences Between Chinese and Czech

▶️：Tips for Translation