On Qualifications Of Translators And Testing Of Their Work

With its new WTO membership, China has obtained a promotion with its international position and reputation. With the growth of international trade and cross-cultural communication, translation and its action-taker, the translator will play an important role on the stage of this new century. That is to say, a new golden age for translation has begun. However, because of the invisibility of translation, the translator has been ignored by the public for a long time. As being aware of the theories and situation of the translator can help us to both understand and do better in the practice, in this thesis, the author attempts to call people's attention to the translator by summing up the qualifications of the translator and discussing how to test the translator's job. The author hopes this thesis can not only be a guide for those who want to become effective translators, but also be helpful for the professional translators to clarify the standard of testing their work.The main body of this thesis consists of four parts:In part one, the author represents the definitions of translation and translation theory, and also specifies that this thesis is dealing with literary translation.In part two, the author first discusses the role of the translator, then sums up seven vital qualifications of the effective translator: language competence; cultural background knowledge; good writing skill; wide knowledge range; good working habits; capability of being a team-worker; and devotion to the task. By stating the seven requisites respectively, the author thinks that a potential translator has to obtain these qualifications to become a well-rounded translator.In part three, the author lists commonly used translation methods and analyses two main ones the translator uses: literal translation and free translation, or, in the other word, foreignization and domestication, with some examples. Then, after emphasizing the necessity of avoiding ethnocentric violence in the translation, the author points out the basic barriers the translator meets when s/he translates. Under the last subtitle of this part, the author discusses the testing standards and methods of the translator's work with examples.In part four, the author mentions the training of the translator, as it is the most fundamental strategy for the future and development of translation.The translator is a perpetual student. For the translator, the study and research of the translation should be a life-long process with continuous development and accomplishment. If this thesis can provide any reference for the translator who wants to perform better in his or her career, the goal of this thesis is fulfilled.