Translation Commentary

Commentary

The source text is the main body of an article published on The Guardian’s website, Syria’s Truth Smugglers, written by Julian Borger. It is chosen from a section called The Long Read, which generally include articles giving in-depth analyses and discussions about recent hot issues.

General Analysis of Source Text

The source text is a news article talking about how some brave Syrians are trained by western specialists to correctly and effectively gather evidence against the Assad regime and rebel forces, with the purpose of finally convicting them of war crimes and other serious humanitarian offenses. It is published on 12 May, 2015. The author, Julian Borger, is The Guardian’s diplomatic editor, and previously a correspondent reporting news in the US, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and the Balkans. The target readers of the text would be citizens that have a general or keener interest in current affairs, especially situations in Syria. They would mainly be educated western readers, as the article is published on a mainstream western newspaper’s website. The aim of the original text is to tell the public that there are a group of people in Syria, often ignored as they what they are doing is still to some extent a secret, taking great risks to ‘smuggle’ truth about what different parties are doing during the wars. Their efforts are precious and highly meaningful, and the danger they are facing is real and tremendous. The article tells the readers of their stories, and invites them to respect the ‘truth smugglers’. The text is a narrative one, according to Nida’s classification (Nida, 1964). It describes events, and the ‘emphasis is on verbs’.

Currently, there are few or none at all articles introducing such a group of people to Chinese readers. The translator feels that there is a need to let more people know of and pay tribute to their contributions to constructing real and reliable history as well as humanitarian causes, and thus decides to render the work into Chinese.

Translation Problems

The article is written for the public, with an average register common in news commentaries, thus making it easy to read and absorb. There are some names of organizations, places, and people that pose some difficulties to the translator. However, they can be properly handled with some research work. As an introduction to a group of people and certain organizations, the tone and attitude of the article is generally neutral. Nonetheless, as it is trying to draw people’s attention to them, and describing what they are doing – looking for justice, what risks they are facing – they themselves and their family members are under constant threats, and what end they are aiming at – convicting Bashar al-Assad and his officials, as well as leader in the rebel forces, it is obvious that the author does have a very positive opinion of the people, the organizations and their behaviors. This subtle stance needs to be properly retained and rendered. Here, understanding what Newmark says as “the intention of the author” is vital. In this particular case, the translator’s intention collaborates with that of the author. (Nida, 1964)