A Tentative Analysis of Translatability and Untranslatability

JHONUTANI教海探蹊0A Tentative Analysis of Translatability and Untranslatability齐越(哈尔滨金融学院，黑龙江哈尔滨150030)Abstract: Translation is a field full of paradoxes. During the long history of their intensive debate, translatability and untranslatabilityhave experienced ebb and flow of people’preferences. On the one hand, language should be translatable; on the other hand, owing tothe existence of certain differences，language is sometimes not completely translatable. Translatability and untranslatability inseparably existside by side. The thesis casts an overview of translatability study both at home and abroad，inquires into the bases of translatability and un-translatability from the perspective of functional equivalence, and presents a dialectical analysis of the relationship between the two.Key words: translation; translatability ; untranslatabilit; functional equivalenceTranslation plays, in a way，a vitalin the wider sense, any translational actionsimilar idea that there are in fact many ob-role in the process of human civilization. Itwhere a source text is transferred into a tar-stacles in translation practice. Some factorsis no exaggeration to say that if you reallyget culture and language ( Nord 141).result in the obstacles， such as a transla-intend to get acquainted with the culturalAmong all the controversial issuestor’s ability of understanding, his way inbackdrop of a certain country， like theconcerning translation studies, the perenni-doing the translation work， language andbackdrop of literature, history, or religion,al one of translatability and untranslatabili-cultural differences, etc.to name just a few, translation can not bety has always been a heatedly discussedIn short, translatability is the mark ofneglected. Translation is defined as below:topic domninating translation studies. An human languages : they are convertible intoIn the broad sense, translation refersaccurate understanding of the meaning ofeach other because they are composed ofto the process and result of transferring atranslation would be benefcial to compre-conventional signs. Translatability is des-text from the source language into the targethending translatability more deeply.tined to serve as a prerequisite to transla-language. While in the narrow sense， iTranslatability is the question of how ation in cross- cultural message transferring.refers to rendering a written text into anoth-translator must proceed，or which approachWhereas, for the existence of some particu-he should follow in his method of transla-larly dificult texts and the fact that transla-interpreting spoken language.ting，in order to arrive at a translation tion fails to render all levels of meaningLevy points out that translation is awhich accords with his qualitative objec-existing in the source language into the tar-process of communication from the teleologi-tives.get language at one time ，untranslatabilitycal point of view; the objective of transla-Translatability, however, cannot existis inevitable in this way. Though some ofting is to impart the knowledge of the origi-independently. It inevitably couples withlanguage elements are untranslatable, mostnal to the foreign reader. Obviously, he re-untranslatability. It is the linguistic theore-of the obstacles or difficulties can be over-by which translation can be achieved. Solatability first. The proponents of untrans-translator’ s persistent efrts. In brief,translation is not viewed as a stationary,latability insist that cross -cultural commu-translation is desirable and possible.merely linguistie process any more, butnication based on inter - lingual translationrather as a communicative operation whichis impossible, for the message to be con-References:takes place within a social context. Whaveyed is always at the risk of being partial-[1]Assmann, A. The Translatabili-could be available for examination rests only lost during translation. Some even go soty of Cultures [M. Stanford:far as to say that translation is in itselfStanford University Press, 1996.translation itself. Translation is regarded asdoomed to failure from the start, for nobody[2]Levy, J. Translation as a Deci -performing on utterances as well as languagecan claim to have the capability of transfer-中国煤化工0xford: 0xuse instead of language itself.ring a complicated thought from one lanYHCNMH Gess, 1967.In the book Translating as a Purpose-guage to another without any distortion.ful Activity, Nord claims that translation isMany translation theoreticians have theteacher 049