From the above situation, in 20s and 30s, against the literal translation of the opposition is people cannot read or look hard against translation; translators who are opposed to is the original, free deletions do not pay attention to faithful translation.
Lu Xun is also a positive advocate of literal translation.
Later, it was said that literal translation and free translation are one thing and can not be distinguished.
In 1946, Zhu Guangqian in the "translation" one wrote: "the so-called" literal translation "refers to the literal translation of the original, it is every single word or phrase sentence order and every single word or phrase, do not change. The so-called "free translation" refers to the original meaning of the Chinese express, not completely in accordance with the original literal and order. It emphasizes "literal translation to the original text, translation and translation. On smooth tone. Which is the best method of translation and people have a very bad argument?. In my opinion, the differences between literal translation and free translation should not exist at all....... Want to express the meaning of the original text as much as possible, must try to save the original sentence organization. Therefore, literal translation can not be free translation, and free translation can not be literal translation."
In 1953, Lin Handa wrote in "the translation principle" in an article: "right is the literal translation, free translation is also. Dead translation and Hu translation are different. They can be divided into different translations, which are erroneous translations. Correct translation can not be separated from literal translation or free translation."
In 1959, Zhou Jianren as the "foreign language teaching and translation" wrote an article entitled "a" literal translation ". He writes: "the literal translation is not that dictionary translation" is not translations, it is really hard translation, free translation, requirement of tone and without losing the original literary translation, exactly translated. In other words, the so-called "literal translation" means real free translation."
If people in 40s and 50s think literal translation, that is, free translation, the two can not be distinguished, then in 70s and 80s, people have also analyzed literal translation and free translation respectively.
In 1982, Zhou Xuliang wrote in "the translation" in an article: literal translation can be divided into three categories: the first category is the transliteration and translation of meaning. Such as democracy translated as "democracy", but not for democracy". The second type is literal translation. Such as "crocodile tears" translated as "crocodile tears" instead of "hypocritical tears"". The third category is the translation of the original structure or word order in accordance with Chinese language habits and word order. Such as "do you come," she said". Finally, he pointed out, "such literal translation seems to be quite a bit, but as for an article and a book, literal translation is a minority after all."."
In 1978, Xu Yuanchong "in the translation of the contradictions in the article" a literal translation and free translation also talked about the problem, he said: "the literal translation is faithful to the original content in the first place, to be faithful to the original form on the second place, the translation form master is put in the third translation methods. Free translation means putting the content of the original in the first place, placing the fluent translation in the second place rather than the original form." At last he draws five conclusions, divided into two: one is the same. The translation and the original form of expression and the same content, can not express as literal translation, free translation; two. The original form of expression than the translation accuracy, powerful, can form the literal translation, accurate and powerful than the original can be free.
In 1979, Wang Zuoliang wrote in the meaning, style and Translation: "according to the different circumstances of the original language, the literal translation of the literal translation should be determined.". The free translation. An excellent translator is always able to keep the whole situation in the bosom and closely to the part, and is faithful to the soul of the original. Also facilitate the reader's understanding and acceptance. A good translation is always literal and free translation: where literal translation can be used, literal translation must be free and free translation."
在国外,译界的同行也同样在这一方面进行探讨。英国剑桥大学乔治·斯坦纳教授主张意译。他在1975年发表的After Babel一书中发挥了17世纪英国学者约翰·德莱顿关于意译的主张。他写道:“翻译的正确道路,既不应是直译,也不应是模仿,而应是意译 (paraphrase)。所谓意译paraphrase,就是„译者有一定限度的自由,他要时刻看到作者,这样就不至于迷失方向,但他主要是紧跟作者的意思而不死扣字眼,他可以对作者的意思加以引伸,但不能改变。‟据德莱顿说,这就是埃德蒙·沃勒和西德尼·戈多尔芬1658年翻译维吉尔的史诗《伊尼德》(Aeneid)第四卷时采取的方法。更重要的是,德莱顿本人翻译维古尔、贺拉斯、奥维德、朱文纳尔、乔叟等人的著作时,也采用了这种方法,在他评论别人的译作时(如1685年出版的Sylvae一书的序言)所阐述的也是这种方法。通过意译,„作者的精神可以得到传播,而不会遭受损失。‟好的翻译好比是„一种写生‟。最理想的情况是,译作不剥夺原作的权威,而能向我们表明假如原作本来就是用我们的语言创作的,它会是个什么样子。”( In foreign countries, the translation profession is also discussed in this respect. George Steiner, a professor at University of Cambridge, argues for free translation. In his book "After Babel" published in 1975, he played the seventeenth Century British scholar John Dleton's version of free translation. He wrote: "the correct way to translate should neither be literal translation nor imitation, but paraphrase.". The so-called paraphrase translation, the translator is do some degree of freedom, he should always see the author, so as not to get lost, but he is followed by the author's meaning and the undeadbuckle words, he can be the author's meaning extension, but can not change. "According to Dryden, this is Edmund Waller and Sidney Godoy Finn in 1658, the translation of Virgil's epic" Enid "(Aeneid) method to fourth volumes. More importantly, Dryden himself, Horace, Ovid, Vigul Giulia Winnall, Chaucer's works, also used this method in his comments of others (such as the translation of Sylvae a book published in 1685) is the method described. By paraphrasing, the author's spirit can be transmitted without loss. "Good translation is like a painting.". Ideally, the translation does not deprive the authority of the original, but shows us what it would have been like if the original had been created in our language.")
At present, in the field of translation is the general method of "literal translation" and "free translation": any combination of a good translation is not only a kind of translation method throughout, but the accuracy of maintaining the original content, not ambiguous circumstances, these two methods are used in translation the same translation works, complement each other.