On Giles’ English Version Of The Art Of War:a Perspective Of Communicative And Semantic Translation Theory

Peter Newmark (1916-2011), is a figure of vital importance in the British translation theoretical circle. Although Peter Newmark did not bring forth remarkably original thoughts on translation, he is well-renowned in the translation world, for his unique understanding of many translation questions, and his works on translation theories.Newmark’s main contribution to the general translation theory is the concepts of communicative and semantic translation. He stated that the two methods of translation are appropriate to any text. In communicative translation, the translator attempts to produce the same effect on the TL readers as was produced by the original on the SL readers; in semantic translation, the translator attempts, within the bare syntactic and semantic constraints of the TL, to reproduce the precise contextual meaning of the author.The similarities between communicative and semantic translation are:firstly, in CT as in ST, provided that equivalent-effect is secured, the literal word-for-word translation is not only the best, but also the only valid method of translation; secondly, communicative and semantic translation may well coincide-in particular, where the text conveys a general rather than a culturally bound message and where the matter is as important as the manner, assuming the second readers as informed and interested as the first; thirdly, there are often sections in one text that must be translated communicatively, and others semantically, therefore, there is no absolute communicative nor absolute semantic method in translating a text.The differences between communicative and semantic translation are:firstly, communicative translation attempts to produce on its readers an effect as close as possible to that obtained on the readers of the original, but semantic translation is faithful to the SL culture and author, focuses on the contextual meaning of the author within the syntactic and semantic constraints of the TL; secondly, when there exists a conflict between the content and the effect, communication translation values the latter rather than the former, while semantic translation emphasizes the opposite; thirdly, a communicative translation is, generally, likely to be smoother, simpler, clearer, more direct, and conforming to a particular register of language, but a semantic translation tends to be more complex, more awkward, more detailed, and more concentrated.Sun Zi Bing Fa is a great military book in ancient China, which enlightens people in military theories, philosophical thoughts and humanity-oriented political policies. Early in Warring States Period, it was worshipped by the contemporaries. Hereafter, great strategists such as Cao Cao, Li Shimin, Zeng Guofan and Mao Zedong all paid great attention to it. In the world military history, Sun Zi Bing Fa has also enjoyed a great reputation. In Japan, it is considered as " the Bible of war ". And western militarists think that no other book can surpass it for its profoundness and subtleness.In1910, Lionel Giles, a famous Chinese expert and the vice director of the British Museum, out of his special concern for Chinese literature and culture, made his translation of The Art of War come out both in London and in Shanghai. His translation is of first class, faithful to the original, and fluent in writing, with many notes for his good knowledge of Chinese, and it has been still republished in this new century. Because of his good command of Chinese, Giles has made great efforts to research the literature and thoughts related to the original, which helps him create a unique authoritative translation.This paper, based on Peter Newmark’s theory of communicative and semantic translation, elaborates the methods of translation and the effect of the TL text on the TL readers in Giles’English version of The Art of War, through a list of examples and analysis.Although some scholars studying the various English versions of The Art of War have contradictory understandings of the status of Giles’ translation, they all agree to Giles’marvelous achievements on it. The author of this paper believes that because of Giles’profound knowledge of Chinese language and culture, and his indepth study of ancient Chinese literature, Giles’translation of The Art of War is, on the whole, faithful to the original, concise in language, and smooth in expression, and it remains the first choice for those who want to learn something about the original through its translation versions.Besides the parts of introduction and conclusion, this paper contains five chapters. Introduction illustrates the theme and the basic structure of the thesis; the first chapter gives a account on Sun Tzu and his Sun Zi Bing Fa, the second reviews the English translations of The Art of War, the third makes an introduction to Peter Newmark and his translation theory of communicative and semantic translation; the fourth interpretes Giles’version of The Art of War from the perspective of the theory of communicative and semantic translation; the fifth makes an assessment of the advantages and shortcomings in Gile’s translation; the conclusion summarizes the paper to stress the theme in the end.