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Professor Pedantic 教授的考究學問
【學術專欄】
TPS的編輯教授在此歡迎關於學術文章的所有詢問，當然，其實他並沒有足夠的時間給你。他擁有終身教職的教授身份，也是著名的學術巨作作者。即便如此，他仍大方地接受你們的詢問。將關於學術方面的詢問寫在下方，你將獲得教授的親自指導，陶冶對學術的探索與啟發。
The professor awaits your query on academic writing, though in all honesty, he doesn’t have a lot of time for you. He is a tenured full professor and working on yet another magnificent academic tome. Even so, he has graciously consented to entertain your question. Submit it and prepare to be edified.
QUESTION: In writing papers on psychology, I often have to use terminology that is culturally exclusive. An English translation often does not convey the nuances of a Chinese term. How can I best translate smoothly across cultural boundaries without loss of meaning?
寫心理學方面的論文時，常遇到屬於特定文化的專有名詞，翻譯成英文無法完全表達出在中文裡微妙的意義。我該怎麼跨越文化的障礙，流暢地翻譯，並避免損及原意？
Being bilingual is a wonderful asset for a writer or anyone else. The door to the world is opened just a little wider for a person conversant in two languages. However, along with the benefits of knowing two or more languages come the frustrations of translating obscure meanings from one language to another. In conversations, help from a conversation partner and hand gestures generally can bridge the obstacles. But in an academic paper, none of those solutions is available. Therefore, the writer is given the wonderful challenge of communicating the incommunicable.
無論對寫作或其他方面來說，懂得兩種語言都是可貴的資產。能嫻熟使用兩種語言，通往世界的門就會更寬敞一點。不過，懂得多種語言固然有好處，但要將微妙的意思從一種語言翻譯到另一種語言，也難免遇到挫折。交談時其他人可以幫忙溝通，通常也可以用手勢克服障礙，但這兩種方法在學術論文都派不上用場。寫作時你必須傳達原本就難以表達的事，這是種很棒的挑戰。
This is especially the case when a word or phrase defines a cultural concept that is without its equal in a second culture. It is difficult enough when a base word in two languages has different meanings; it is much more difficult when a word in one language has no peer in a second. It is like building a bridge across a chasm with no access point on the other side. Still, engineers overcome such quandaries and so must writers. Once an incompatibility of terms is recognized, an academic writer has no other choice but to expand his capacity as a researcher and wordsmith.
如果詞彙或短句描述的是一個文化概念，而這個概念在另一種文化中又沒有對等的概念，就特別容易有這個問題。一個基詞在兩種語言中意思不同，已經很難翻譯了，如果在第二種語言裡又找不到這個詞，那更是難上加難了。這就像要搭橋跨越鴻溝，而橋的另一端卻沒有基地。不過，如果造橋的工程師能克服這種困境，寫作的人也該見賢思齊。寫作學術文章時，一旦發現術語沒有相配的譯詞，就該加強自己蒐集資料與鍛字鍊句的功夫。
First, the writer should thoroughly research the culturally unique term in question. Then words that definitively describe the term should be written down. These are the building blocks to communicate the term, piece by piece, to the new language. If a concept is particularly abstract, it can be described in terms of something similar and identifiable, using modifiers to explain any distinguishing features. If there is a term in a third language that bridges the gap, use it, again with modifiers as needed. Academic writers, like all writers, must develop their powers of description.
寫作時，先要徹底研究這個詞特殊的文化意涵，接著寫出所有能形容這個詞的字句，當作基本的磚瓦，一塊塊搭起，把這個詞引介到新的語言中。如果該詞彙的概念特別抽象，可以用相似的詞彙來修飾，解釋其特殊性質。也可以使用第三種語言的詞彙，解釋這個詞在兩種語言的不同，並同樣視需要運用修飾語。寫學術文章就像寫其他文章一樣，必須培養自己敘述的能力。
The professor awaits your query on academic writing, though in all honesty, he doesn’t have a lot of time for you. He is a tenured full professor and working on yet another magnificent academic tome. Even so, he has graciously consented to entertain your question. Submit it and prepare to be edified.
QUESTION: In writing papers on psychology, I often have to use terminology that is culturally exclusive. An English translation often does not convey the nuances of a Chinese term. How can I best translate smoothly across cultural boundaries without loss of meaning?
寫心理學方面的論文時，常遇到屬於特定文化的專有名詞，翻譯成英文無法完全表達出在中文裡微妙的意義。我該怎麼跨越文化的障礙，流暢地翻譯，並避免損及原意？
Being bilingual is a wonderful asset for a writer or anyone else. The door to the world is opened just a little wider for a person conversant in two languages. However, along with the benefits of knowing two or more languages come the frustrations of translating obscure meanings from one language to another. In conversations, help from a conversation partner and hand gestures generally can bridge the obstacles. But in an academic paper, none of those solutions is available. Therefore, the writer is given the wonderful challenge of communicating the incommunicable.
無論對寫作或其他方面來說，懂得兩種語言都是可貴的資產。能嫻熟使用兩種語言，通往世界的門就會更寬敞一點。不過，懂得多種語言固然有好處，但要將微妙的意思從一種語言翻譯到另一種語言，也難免遇到挫折。交談時其他人可以幫忙溝通，通常也可以用手勢克服障礙，但這兩種方法在學術論文都派不上用場。寫作時你必須傳達原本就難以表達的事，這是種很棒的挑戰。
This is especially the case when a word or phrase defines a cultural concept that is without its equal in a second culture. It is difficult enough when a base word in two languages has different meanings; it is much more difficult when a word in one language has no peer in a second. It is like building a bridge across a chasm with no access point on the other side. Still, engineers overcome such quandaries and so must writers. Once an incompatibility of terms is recognized, an academic writer has no other choice but to expand his capacity as a researcher and wordsmith.
如果詞彙或短句描述的是一個文化概念，而這個概念在另一種文化中又沒有對等的概念，就特別容易有這個問題。一個基詞在兩種語言中意思不同，已經很難翻譯了，如果在第二種語言裡又找不到這個詞，那更是難上加難了。這就像要搭橋跨越鴻溝，而橋的另一端卻沒有基地。不過，如果造橋的工程師能克服這種困境，寫作的人也該見賢思齊。寫作學術文章時，一旦發現術語沒有相配的譯詞，就該加強自己蒐集資料與鍛字鍊句的功夫。
First, the writer should thoroughly research the culturally unique term in question. Then words that definitively describe the term should be written down. These are the building blocks to communicate the term, piece by piece, to the new language. If a concept is particularly abstract, it can be described in terms of something similar and identifiable, using modifiers to explain any distinguishing features. If there is a term in a third language that bridges the gap, use it, again with modifiers as needed. Academic writers, like all writers, must develop their powers of description.
寫作時，先要徹底研究這個詞特殊的文化意涵，接著寫出所有能形容這個詞的字句，當作基本的磚瓦，一塊塊搭起，把這個詞引介到新的語言中。如果該詞彙的概念特別抽象，可以用相似的詞彙來修飾，解釋其特殊性質。也可以使用第三種語言的詞彙，解釋這個詞在兩種語言的不同，並同樣視需要運用修飾語。寫學術文章就像寫其他文章一樣，必須培養自己敘述的能力。
