Literal translations can be very funny and interesting, as in this case, but they could also be great offenses against language and literature. I mean, can anyone imagine Hong Lou Meng being literally translated into English? It will be a reading nightmare! There are many meanings to each English word, and many English words can share similar meanings. Also, most Chinese words have more than one English translation. Which one of these meanings is appropriate usually depends on the context in which the word is found. As well, Chinese and English grammar systems vary greatly, tending to make any sort of literal translation rather incomprehensible. One could get an example of this if one find a Chinese text online, preferably a difficult one with lots of idioms, and use any sort of translation program on it, like Google translate. It could make for some hilarious reading!
[ 此贴被jesse5800在2010-04-07 19:58重新编辑 ]
