10) Their legs mored a little jerkily, like well-made wooden dolls, and they carried pillars of blank fear about them.
Literal translation: 他的腿轻轻痉挛地移动着,像做得很好的木偶一样,他们随身携带着黑色的恐怖柱子.
Free translation: 他们每向前迈一步,腿就抖动一下,好似精制的木偶一样,他们身上带着一股阴沉的杀气.
From the two examples, literal translation is unintelligible even absurd. But after had translated it freely, translation became cleaner, smooth, acceptable and accord with the culture of target language.
But in which suituation translators should not translate literally? How to use literal translation correctly?
Any source language which does not accord with the expressive way of target language should not use literal translation. For example: In example 9), "Break out the pot that hole us in", it is an English idiom, it means do something successful. But how to translate it into Chines?There is also an idiom in China. It almost has the same meaning as"Break out of the pot that hold us in". It is "出人头地". So when translating that sentence translators should not use literal translation, translators should use free translation.
And how to use literal translation correctly? First, know source language and target language culture as much as possible and translators should have extensive knowledge with the problems which the original wrote or talk about, translators should be conversant. We often have experience like that: Because lake of some knowledge that somebody talking about, even after others explained, we still did not know or understand. So before translators translating some materials, especially some proffessional materials translators must grasp some knowledge about the materials. For example, if translate some materials about economy,translators should know some knowledge about economy; if translate some material about news, translators should know some knowledge about news;if translate some professional materials,translators should know some knowledge about that proffession, or be an export of that proffession. If translator was a man who did not know something about the material which he wanted to translate, his translation would be unqualified. Second, comprehend source language message correctly and thoroughly. It is very important. Translators should not only know the surface meaning of the original and translators should read through the surface, know what does the original want to express. If a translator does only know surface meaning of the original and translate it literally, his translation would be correspondingly. After target language reader read his translation, they would be confuse and have different feeling between the original and the translation or even have erroneous comprehension. www.lwwzx.com