ABSTRACT
Chapter 6 applies ideas obtained from fuzzy logic and fuzzy linguistics to the general discussion of fuzzy language and translation. In particular, it introduces the notion of “fuzziness” into translation research. It contends that on both the operational level of translation practice and the abstract level of translation theory, there is this feature of “fuzziness.” On one hand, the translator is faced with the need to handle the fuzzy textual material in the translation process; on the other, there is the issue of a theoretical fuzziness when the translator tries to decide what approach(es) to take in solving the problems of fuzzy text. Based on this understanding, the monograph maintains that the traditional binary division in translation theory and methodology, such as into “literal” and “free translation,” is defective, as it does not truthfully reflect the “fuzzy” nature of translation and its related methodology. It is suggested that the best approach to the translation of fuzzy text is not that by which “fuzziness” is translated “literally” or “freely,” but that by which “fuzziness” is matched with “fuzziness,” or different degrees of fuzziness.
