Micro-comprehension and examples (1)

1. Micro-comprehension and examples (1) • A good comprehension and reproduction of the SLT at the micro-level includes a correct understanding and rendering of the lexical, syntactic and socio-cultural phenomena in it.

2. Micro-comprehension and examples (2) • First of all, it is necessary to decide on the exact meaning of the key polysemous words in the SLT and adequately render it into the TLT. • In this book he presents his hero with an Arab’s voice and not with the usual Western voice. 他以阿拉伯人的口吻，而不是以西方人常用的腔调来介绍他书中的主人公。 • Franz Boas was a specialist in AmericanIndian languages. 弗兰兹 博厄斯是一位美洲印第安人语言专家。

3. Micro-comprehension and examples (3) • Secondly, it is quite necessary to correctly comprehend and adequately translate some phrases whose components are normally close together, but are separated from each other by other elements either for the balance of the sentence structure or for better expression of a certain meaning. Let’s observe the following examples. • Many sketches are in existence of peasants seated by the roadside and men and women at work in the fields. 保存着许多素描，画的是坐在路旁的农民和在田野里劳动的男男女女。 • The reactionary strength thus developed, however, carried within it the seeds of its own disintegration. 然而，这样发展起来的反动力量在其内部就带有四分五裂的因素。

4. Micro-comprehension and examples (4) • Thirdly, a correct comprehension and an adequate reproduction of involved sentences (long complex sentences) in the SLT represent the translator’s central task at the micro-level. E.g. • 思想必须反映客观实际，并且在客观实践中得到检验，证明是真理，这才算是真理，不然就不算。 Thought must reflect objective reality and must be tested and verified in objective practice before it can be taken as truth, otherwise it cannot. • 我们要思想再解放一点, 胆子再大一点，办法再多一点, 步子再大一点, 大大加快我国社会主义建设的速度。 In order to greatly speed up our socialist construction, we must further emancipate our minds, act more boldly, devise more ways and means, and quicken our steps.

5. The first paragraph on page 37 to be studied carefully • How should the translator revise, polish and perfect the TLT? According to Nida (1993), the translator should put aside the preliminary TLT for some time in order that he or she can treat it as something new while reading it again. In this way the translator can avoid the interference of the earlier rendering so as to more objectively evaluate his own work. After some time, the translator can pick up the TLT once more to perfect it. He may read the TLT aloud since ears are much more sensitive to matters of cohesion and rhythm than eyes are. He may delete some unnecessary additions, make some adjustments for the accuracy of expression, and correct some wrong spellings, punctuations or things like that.

6. Question 1 • Why is it necessary to improve or revise the TLT? • Answer: The translator should spend some time reading through the whole TLT and make corrections and improvements until he or she is quite satisfied with it. While reproducing the SLT, the translator is busy making choices of words and sentences, and probably he or she is unable to have a bird’s-eye view of the whole text. Sometimes, there may be some incoherent components in the TLT, or some wrong interpretations for lack of the overall knowledge of the whole text, etc. Therefore, it’s definitely necessary for the translator to improve or revise the TLT.

7. Question 2 • How should the translator revise and perfect the TLT? • For an answer to this question, refer to the first paragraph on page 37. You can answer this question in different ways.