對有相當(dāng)?shù)谋磉_功力的翻譯者而言，對意義和意向把握的深度和完整度與其表達的質(zhì)素是成正比的。一般說來，具有這樣的水平的翻譯也完全理解“勿失厥義”（三國時代支謙引維祇難語，“厥”的意思是“其”，當(dāng)時指的是梵文經(jīng)書；“勿失厥義”意思是不要喪失經(jīng)書原文的本義）的重要性。

應(yīng)該說，“勿失厥義”是表現(xiàn)論的第一要義或基本要求。因此，我們可以根據(jù)譯者對意義把握和意義表達的程度之深淺將翻譯分為深層翻譯、中介層翻譯及表層翻譯。下面是《易傳》中《系辭》的一段：

一陰一陽之謂道。繼之者，善也；成之者，性也。仁者見之謂之仁，知者見之謂之知，百姓日用而不知，故君子之道鮮矣。

很明顯，譯者要把握意義必先把握指稱：“陰、陽”就是一個大問題，此外還有“仁”、“知”、“君子”、“道”等等。表層的翻譯通常的做法是（一）回避指稱；（二）不求甚解，按字面定指稱；（三）不揭示句子與句子間的邏輯關(guān)系，譯成流散型語段(俗稱流水句）。下面的翻譯屬于這種類型：

The collocation of Yin and Yang is called Tao. He who follows it is wise. He who succeeds to follow it gives the credit to his nature. He who is benevolent could find benevolence in what he regards it as benevolent and he who is wise could find wisdom in what he regards it as wise. The ordinary people act upon these principles everyday without being aware of them. This is why they say that the superior man's Tao is rare.

中介層翻譯以意向參與對意義的調(diào)節(jié)、調(diào)和為特征，頻頻借助于替代、解釋，以充分表達作者的陳述意向。

下面引用的譯文出自理雅各（James Legge，1815-1897)，理雅各的翻譯似乎是在針對淺層翻譯的弊端，有意地釋而改譯之：

The successive movement of the inactive and active operations constitutes what is called the course (of things). That which ensues as the result (of their movement) is goodness; that which shows it in its completeness is the natures (of men and things). The benevolent see it and call it benevolence. The wise see it and call it wisdom. The common people, acting daily according to it, yet have no knowledge of it. Thus it is that the course (of things), as seen by the superior man, is seen by few.