Examination for My 6th Translation Module
Took the exam for my 6th module this afternoon. Translating 2 passages from English to Chinese and 2 from Chinese to English. Was expecting some really difficult passages as this module was supposed to prepare us for the IoL (Institute of Linguistic, UK) Paper. But suprisingly, they were quite straightforward. 不知是祸还是福。。I pride myself to have better understanding skills (than my classmates) so translating difficult passages will be more advantageous to me. Well, let's just wait and see how the markings goes... Hopefully my marks will be above 80. All my other 4 modules were 92, 86, 82 and 76. So if I could score 80 or above for the rest of my other 4 modules, I should get a B average, something I haven't been able to manage since SPM....
The next module, Interpretation, might just be my Achilles heel for this Special Diploma course. I need to remind myself constantly not to switch between Mandarin, Hokien, Malay and English all the time. It is my bad habit. I could easily think of a word that most suitably describes the situation, but from either of the four, not all of the four. I need to increase my vocabulary further. Those times that I spend reading or browsing dictionaries and reading novels have paid off handsomely, but yet it is not enough. Before this translation course, all I have gotten from all those books that I read was just ideas and storylines. I didn't pay much attention to how the words were spelt, how the sentences were constructed nor the different ways of describing something. Now, when I read, I will (try to) take into the beauty of the words (esp for Chinese) and how the construct of a sentence/phrase would impact the way the reader feel. I used to (and still do) read lots of books from Taiwanese authors (李敖、张曼娟、吴若权、王文华、刘镛等) and Hong Kong writers (李碧华、张小娴、深雪、金庸、倪匡等), their ways of expressions and writing are so much different from Mainland China. With the emergence of China as a super economic powerhouse, all translated chinese articles will have to understood by readers from Mainland China. The rest of the Chinese readers will have to take a backseat. Thus, based on the recommendated list of China authors given by my lecturer from Nanjing University, I've chosen 苏童. Unlike other China writers, he doesn't try to preach the greatness of the Communist Party, nor does he condemn it. He just writes simply what he sees and experience. He does not try to impress with usage of bombastic words and complicated sentence structures. 他的短文和小说简明易懂，充分地生动地描写了中国70年代文革之后的平民生活。 With so many libraries in Singapore, I'll have my pick of books anytime. I've already read about 8 of 苏童's books. Once I finished all 苏童's works, I'll continue with 莫言, another comtemporary Chinese writer.
By reading books from different authors of different region, I get a glimpse of the lives their people live everyday. The way they decribe things also differs. It is a good way to understand the psyche of these people too: why they do things this way instead of that way, why they react differently etc. Books are really treasures that awaits all those who reads. 书中自有黄金屋。However, one needs to use discretion before taking in and/or believing everything what one has read, because not all books tell the truth nor do they give the whole pictures. 尽信书不如无书。Remember, history are often written by victors. It pays to get both sides of the story before judging.....
The next module, Interpretation, might just be my Achilles heel for this Special Diploma course. I need to remind myself constantly not to switch between Mandarin, Hokien, Malay and English all the time. It is my bad habit. I could easily think of a word that most suitably describes the situation, but from either of the four, not all of the four. I need to increase my vocabulary further. Those times that I spend reading or browsing dictionaries and reading novels have paid off handsomely, but yet it is not enough. Before this translation course, all I have gotten from all those books that I read was just ideas and storylines. I didn't pay much attention to how the words were spelt, how the sentences were constructed nor the different ways of describing something. Now, when I read, I will (try to) take into the beauty of the words (esp for Chinese) and how the construct of a sentence/phrase would impact the way the reader feel. I used to (and still do) read lots of books from Taiwanese authors (李敖、张曼娟、吴若权、王文华、刘镛等) and Hong Kong writers (李碧华、张小娴、深雪、金庸、倪匡等), their ways of expressions and writing are so much different from Mainland China. With the emergence of China as a super economic powerhouse, all translated chinese articles will have to understood by readers from Mainland China. The rest of the Chinese readers will have to take a backseat. Thus, based on the recommendated list of China authors given by my lecturer from Nanjing University, I've chosen 苏童. Unlike other China writers, he doesn't try to preach the greatness of the Communist Party, nor does he condemn it. He just writes simply what he sees and experience. He does not try to impress with usage of bombastic words and complicated sentence structures. 他的短文和小说简明易懂，充分地生动地描写了中国70年代文革之后的平民生活。 With so many libraries in Singapore, I'll have my pick of books anytime. I've already read about 8 of 苏童's books. Once I finished all 苏童's works, I'll continue with 莫言, another comtemporary Chinese writer.
By reading books from different authors of different region, I get a glimpse of the lives their people live everyday. The way they decribe things also differs. It is a good way to understand the psyche of these people too: why they do things this way instead of that way, why they react differently etc. Books are really treasures that awaits all those who reads. 书中自有黄金屋。However, one needs to use discretion before taking in and/or believing everything what one has read, because not all books tell the truth nor do they give the whole pictures. 尽信书不如无书。Remember, history are often written by victors. It pays to get both sides of the story before judging.....
posted by imm @ 9:04 PM
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