Abstract
This study investigates the translator’s fingerprints as manifested in their style of translation. It reports a case study of two Chinese translations of Ulysses, adopting a corpus-assisted approach. The parallel subcorpora comprise Joyce’s Ulysses and the Chinese versions by Xiao (Tran. Ulysses. Yilin Press, Nanjing, 1994) and Jin (Tran. Ulysses. People’s Literature Publishing House, Beijing, 1997), and the comparable subcorpora include Xiao’s original writings in Chinese. Comparison shows that Xiao leaves some traces of lexical idiosyncrasy in his composition and translation. On the syntactic level, comparison reveals that Xiao post-positions more adverbial clauses in translation than in composition. This indicates that the translator’s fingerprints are left on the translated text, as a result both of their linguistic idiosyncrasy and of the interference and constraints of the language they are dealing with in translation.
This article was originally published in Literary Linguistic Computing, 27(1), 81–93.
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- 1.
See Appendix for the top and bottom 60 items of the keyword comparison of the two translations.
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Appendix
Appendix
Keyword comparisons of Xiao’s and Jin’s translations of Ulysses
(The top and bottom 60 items)
Key word | Freq. | % | RC Freq. | RC % | Keyness | P | Set | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 斯蒂芬 | 599 | 0.2 | 1 | 792.93 | 0 | nr | |
2 | 啦 | 850 | 0.29 | 165 | 0.06 | 478.65 | 0 | e |
3 | 朝 | 288 | 0.1 | 21 | 264.02 | 0 | p | |
4 | 迪达勒斯 | 168 | 0.06 | 0 | 226.02 | 0 | nr | |
5 | 穆利根 | 164 | 0.06 | 0 | 220.64 | 0 | nr | |
6 | 那 | 2512 | 0.85 | 1539 | 0.54 | 198.60 | 0 | s |
7 | 晓得 | 140 | 0.05 | 0 | 188.34 | 0 | v | |
8 | 倘若 | 139 | 0.05 | 0 | 187.00 | 0 | c | |
9 | 哦 | 157 | 0.05 | 5 | 173.73 | 0 | e | |
10 | 乔 | 140 | 0.05 | 5 | 151.98 | 0 | nr | |
11 | 利内翰 | 107 | 0.04 | 0 | 143.94 | 0 | nr | |
12 | 跟 | 471 | 0.16 | 164 | 0.06 | 142.46 | 0 | p |
13 | 之 | 1052 | 0.36 | 549 | 0.19 | 140.86 | 0 | r |
14 | 彼 | 249 | 0.08 | 48 | 0.02 | 140.80 | 0 | r |
15 | 就 | 1915 | 0.65 | 1202 | 0.42 | 136.93 | 0 | d |
16 | 勃克 | 109 | 0.04 | 1 | 136.67 | 0 | nr | |
17 | 地 | 2336 | 0.79 | 1543 | 0.54 | 132.79 | 0 | u |
18 | 个 | 1235 | 0.42 | 699 | 0.25 | 129.45 | 0 | q |
19 | 怎样 | 131 | 0.04 | 9 | 122.28 | 0 | d | |
20 | 般 | 229 | 0.08 | 48 | 0.02 | 121.21 | 0 | k |
21 | 替 | 97 | 0.03 | 1 | 120.76 | 0 | p | |
22 | 要么 | 94 | 0.03 | 1 | 116.78 | 0 | c | |
23 | 迪格纳穆 | 85 | 0.03 | 0 | 114.34 | 0 | nr | |
24 | 大家 | 143 | 0.05 | 17 | 108.30 | 0 | r | |
25 | 市民 | 117 | 0.04 | 9 | 105.40 | 0 | nr | |
26 | 所 | 530 | 0.18 | 237 | 0.08 | 103.08 | 0 | p |
27 | 有着 | 76 | 0.03 | 0 | 102.23 | 0 | v | |
28 | 乃 | 88 | 0.03 | 2 | 102.05 | 0 | v | |
29 | 坎宁翰 | 74 | 0.03 | 0 | 99.54 | 0 | nr | |
30 | 西茜 | 74 | 0.03 | 0 | 99.54 | 0 | nr | |
31 | 被 | 505 | 0.17 | 227 | 0.08 | 97.13 | 0 | p |
32 | 利奥波德 | 79 | 0.03 | 1 | 96.95 | 0 | nr | |
33 | 康米 | 71 | 0.02 | 0 | 95.51 | 0 | nr | |
34 | 兜里 | 68 | 0.02 | 0 | 91.47 | 0 | f | |
35 | 没 | 293 | 0.1 | 100 | 0.04 | 91.20 | 0 | d |
36 | 摩莉 | 67 | 0.02 | 0 | 90.13 | 0 | nr | |
37 | 曾 | 292 | 0.1 | 101 | 0.04 | 89.15 | 0 | d |
38 | 哩 | 172 | 0.06 | 38 | 0.01 | 87.07 | 0 | e |
39 | 然而 | 322 | 0.11 | 121 | 0.04 | 86.50 | 0 | c |
40 | 朝着 | 76 | 0.03 | 2 | 86.49 | 0 | p | |
41 | 当中 | 63 | 0.02 | 0 | 84.75 | 0 | f | |
42 | 相互 | 62 | 0.02 | 0 | 83.40 | 0 | r | |
43 | 喏 | 95 | 0.03 | 8 | 82.97 | 0 | e | |
44 | 当 | 315 | 0.11 | 123 | 0.04 | 79.34 | 0 | p |
45 | 能够 | 81 | 0.03 | 5 | 77.95 | 0 | vd | |
46 | 博伊兰 | 57 | 0.02 | 0 | 76.67 | 0 | nr | |
47 | 笃笃 | 55 | 0.02 | 0 | 73.98 | 0 | o | |
48 | 嘛 | 116 | 0.04 | 19 | 73.48 | 0 | e | |
49 | 鲍尔 | 70 | 0.02 | 3 | 73.42 | 0 | nr | |
50 | 一道 | 79 | 0.03 | 6 | 71.46 | 0 | d | |
51 | 或 | 349 | 0.12 | 153 | 0.05 | 70.71 | 0 | c |
52 | 帕特 | 51 | 0.02 | 0 | 68.60 | 0 | nr | |
53 | 西蒙 | 51 | 0.02 | 0 | 68.60 | 0 | nr | |
54 | 遂 | 50 | 0.02 | 0 | 67.26 | 0 | d | |
55 | 踱 | 72 | 0.02 | 5 | 66.98 | 0 | v | |
56 | 也罢 | 56 | 0.02 | 1 | 66.69 | 0 | e | |
57 | 科尼 | 47 | 0.02 | 0 | 63.22 | 0 | nr | |
58 | 巡警 | 53 | 0.02 | 1 | 62.76 | 0 | n | |
59 | 英镑 | 57 | 0.02 | 2 | 62.06 | 0 | q | |
60 | 卡弗里 | 46 | 0.02 | 0 | 61.88 | 0 | nr | |
… | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | |
231 | 似的 | 119 | 0.04 | 211 | 0.07 | −29.98 | 0 | k |
232 | 坎肩 | 3 | 33 | 0.01 | −30.52 | 0 | n | |
233 | 酒店 | 17 | 64 | 0.02 | −31.05 | 0 | n | |
234 | 愿 | 29 | 85 | 0.03 | −31.13 | 0 | vd | |
235 | 倒霉 | 3 | 34 | 0.01 | −31.78 | 0 | v | |
236 | 处 | 101 | 0.03 | 191 | 0.07 | −32.09 | 0 | f |
237 | 如 | 109 | 0.04 | 204 | 0.07 | −33.41 | 0 | c |
238 | 说话 | 28 | 86 | 0.03 | −33.41 | 0 | v | |
239 | 女士 | 12 | 57 | 0.02 | −33.80 | 0 | n | |
240 | 肯定 | 10 | 53 | 0.02 | −34.03 | 0 | d | |
241 | 是 | 4726 | 1.6 | 5096 | 1.8 | −34.20 | 0 | v |
242 | 手中 | 8 | 49 | 0.02 | −34.52 | 0 | f | |
243 | 同时 | 36 | 0.01 | 101 | 0.04 | −34.89 | 0 | t |
244 | 见到 | 26 | 86 | 0.03 | −36.44 | 0 | v | |
245 | 忘 | 19 | 74 | 0.03 | −37.09 | 0 | v | |
246 | 小心 | 5 | 44 | 0.02 | −37.28 | 0 | an | |
247 | 无 | 133 | 0.05 | 245 | 0.09 | −38.54 | 0 | v |
248 | 站住 | 16 | 70 | 0.02 | −38.88 | 0 | v | |
249 | 那时 | 17 | 74 | 0.03 | −40.93 | 0 | t | |
250 | 不 | 1953 | 0.66 | 2288 | 0.81 | −42.60 | 0 | d |
251 | 罗 | 3 | 43 | 0.02 | −43.28 | 0 | n | |
252 | 牧师 | 12 | 66 | 0.02 | −43.45 | 0 | n | |
253 | 模样 | 6 | 52 | 0.02 | −43.77 | 0 | n | |
254 | 脑袋 | 45 | 0.02 | 128 | 0.05 | −45.06 | 0 | n |
255 | 许多 | 10 | 63 | 0.02 | −45.12 | 0 | m | |
256 | 种 | 142 | 0.05 | 271 | 0.1 | −46.56 | 0 | v |
257 | 为何 | 4 | 49 | 0.02 | −47.01 | 0 | d | |
258 | 全 | 47 | 0.02 | 135 | 0.05 | −48.14 | 0 | d |
259 | 是否 | 22 | 93 | 0.03 | −50.18 | 0 | v | |
260 | 铜 | 7 | 60 | 0.02 | −50.26 | 0 | n | |
261 | 找 | 87 | 0.03 | 201 | 0.07 | −51.28 | 0 | v |
262 | 祈祷 | 14 | 78 | 0.03 | −51.78 | 0 | v | |
263 | 鼻头 | 4 | 53 | 0.02 | −52.12 | 0 | n | |
264 | 唷 | 13 | 79 | 0.03 | −55.39 | 0 | e | |
265 | 眼光 | 4 | 56 | 0.02 | −55.98 | 0 | n | |
266 | 知道 | 169 | 0.06 | 326 | 0.12 | −57.47 | 0 | v |
267 | 如果 | 28 | 112 | 0.04 | −57.54 | 0 | c | |
268 | 呀 | 198 | 0.07 | 365 | 0.13 | −57.55 | 0 | e |
269 | 了 | 4841 | 1.64 | 5393 | 1.9 | −58.25 | 0 | U |
270 | 现在 | 109 | 0.04 | 245 | 0.09 | −59.47 | 0 | T |
271 | 一点 | 85 | 0.03 | 210 | 0.07 | −60.04 | 0 | M |
272 | 不错 | 12 | 83 | 0.03 | −62.63 | 0 | V | |
273 | 可以 | 184 | 0.06 | 359 | 0.13 | −65.01 | 0 | Vd |
274 | 但是 | 64 | 0.02 | 186 | 0.07 | −67.38 | 0 | C |
275 | 一些 | 109 | 0.04 | 259 | 0.09 | −69.41 | 0 | M |
276 | 其 | 127 | 0.04 | 286 | 0.1 | −69.67 | 0 | R |
277 | 已经 | 141 | 0.05 | 318 | 0.11 | −77.69 | 0 | D |
278 | J | 14 | 101 | 0.04 | −77.93 | 0 | Nx | |
279 | 何 | 24 | 128 | 0.05 | −82.54 | 0 | N | |
280 | 一 | 3935 | 1.33 | 4616 | 1.63 | −87.67 | 0 | M |
281 | 内 | 71 | 0.02 | 224 | 0.08 | −89.91 | 0 | F |
282 | 人 | 1287 | 0.44 | 1747 | 0.62 | −90.97 | 0 | N |
283 | 一个 | 808 | 0.27 | 1200 | 0.42 | −94.55 | 0 | M |
284 | 口袋 | 11 | 110 | 0.04 | −98.21 | 0 | N | |
285 | 而 | 557 | 0.19 | 920 | 0.32 | −106.17 | 0 | C |
286 | 看 | 338 | 0.11 | 647 | 0.23 | −112.08 | 0 | V |
287 | 没有 | 330 | 0.11 | 663 | 0.23 | −128.38 | 0 | v |
288 | 约 | 12 | 149 | 0.05 | −143.61 | 0 | Nr | |
289 | 或是 | 35 | 0.01 | 229 | 0.08 | −167.66 | 0 | C |
290 | 有 | 1326 | 0.45 | 2155 | 0.76 | −236.80 | 0 | V |
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Wang, Q., Li, D. (2020). Looking for Translators’ Fingerprints: A Corpus-based Study on Chinese Translations of Ulysses. In: Hu, K., Kim, K. (eds) Corpus-based Translation and Interpreting Studies in Chinese Contexts. Palgrave Studies in Translating and Interpreting. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21440-1_6
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