Translation and adaptation

词汇

• 翻訳translation
• 翻案adaptation
• 意訳free/liberal translation
• 直訳literal translation
• 和製英語Japanese-made English words
• 外来語loanword / foreign word
• 原文original text
• 訳文translated text
• 文化的等価cultural equivalence
• ニュアンスnuance
• 語感word sense / feel of a word
• 逐語訳word-for-word translation

表达

• 直訳では意味が通じないA literal translation does not convey the meaning
• 意訳を心がけるTo aim for a free/sense-based translation
• 原文の雰囲気を損なわないWithout losing the atmosphere of the original
• 文化的背景を踏まえて訳すTo translate considering the cultural background
• 和製英語に惑わされないNot to be misled by Japanese-made English words
• 翻訳は裏切りであるTranslation is betrayal (traduttore, traditore)

常见错误

• ✗マンションに住んでいる to mansion
  ✓マンション means apartment/condo, not mansion

  和製英語 (wasei-eigo): マンション comes from mansion but means a residential apartment building

• ✗サービスは無料です to service is free
  ✓サービス here means a free extra/bonus, not a service

  In Japanese, サービス often means a complimentary item or discount, not the English service

• ✗直訳：空気を読む to read the air
  ✓Sense-translation: read the room / take a hint

  Literal translation loses the cultural nuance; 空気を読む requires cultural adaptation

• ✗彼は気が利く人だ to He is a witty person
  ✓He is a considerate/attentive person

  気が利く means perceptive about others needs, not intellectually witty

• ✗原文に忠実すぎる翻訳
  ✓Balance fidelity with natural target-language expression

  Over-literal translations sound unnatural; good translation requires balancing accuracy and readability

小测验