Intentional inaccuracies in a literary translation from Russian into Chinese: a case study of the translation of Leo Tolstoy’s Novel “War and Peace” by the Chinese Translator Cao Ying

Abstract

An intentional inaccurate translation is understood as a translation in which part of the information is omitted or added based on the principle of equivalence. It is a commonly used strategy in literary translation. Analyzing examples of the use of deliberate inaccurate translation in the translation of Leo Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace” by the translator Cao Ying into Chinese, this work summarizes the need to apply this strategy in literary translation, the forms of its manifestation and its influence, opening new ways to overcome the difficulties of literary translation. Reasons why translators choose this strategy — ease of perception by readers, increasing the artistic character of the translation and the influence of the social environment. Depending on the way the translator transforms the information contained in the source text, there are three main forms of transmission of intentional translation inaccuracies: uncertainty of information, explanation of information, and substitution of information. The benefits of deliberate inaccurate translation cannot be analyzed from just one point of view, and it cannot be categorized as “good” or “bad”. Instead, this method should be viewed in a holistic and comprehensive manner: its value must be recognized and at the same time the limitations of this technique cannot be denied. Translation itself is a very subjective process, and there are a great many ways to translate. Each translator adheres in his practice to certain translation methods and succeeds in them. It is the various translated texts, with their inherent uniqueness of the style of the translator who created them, that are the reason for the infinite variety of literary translations.

References

Barhudarov L.S. Yazyk i perevod (vopros obshchej i chastnoj teorii perevoda [Language and translation (a question of general and particular theory of translation)]. Moscow: Mezhdunarodnye otnosheniya, 1975 (In Russian).

Cao Ying. Translation of “War and Peace”. Shanghai: Shanghai Yiwen Chubanshe, 1992 (In Chinese).

Gachechiladze G. Literary translation and literary relationships. 2nd ed. M .: Soviet writer, 1980.

Hu Guming. Textual rhetoric and translation of novels. Shanghai: Shanghai Yiwen Chubanshe, 2004 (In Chinese).

Li Mingxi, Ye Lin. On the influence of political factors on translation practice. Journal of Changsha University. 2005. Issue 1, pp. 88–91 (In Chinese).

Liu Zun. Philosophy of values and translation criticism. Journal of Foreign Languages. 2010. Issue 1, pp. 75–81 (In Chinese).

Tolstoy L.N. War and Peace, Vol. 1 & 2. [War and Peace]. Moscow: Izd. Planeta, 2012 (In Russian).

Tolstoy L.N. War and Peace, Vol. 3 & 4 [War and Peace, Volumes]. Moscow: Izd. Planeta, 2012 (In Russian).

Xie Tianzhen. Introduction to Translation Studies. Peking: Beijing Daxuei Chubanshe, 2007. 117 p. (In Chinese).

Zhang Jie. Translation of “War and Peace”. Nanking: Yilin Chubanshe, 2019 (In Chinese).