A Functionalist Approach To Chinese Translation Of Popular Science English

Popular science English (PSE) plays a crucial role in providing the public with scientific knowledge and promoting their scientific literacy. Over the past decades, researches have been made on translation of PSE by scholars in China and abroad. Unfortunately, due to lack of a comprehensive theoretical framework to serve as a guideline, these studies are far from theoretical and systematic. In view of this, the author seeks to open a new perspective for translating PSE into Chinese, taking functionalism as the theoretical basis.According to functionalism, translation is a purposeful activity. The skopos of a translation task serves as the prime principle guiding the translating process; the translator should make suitable adjustment to meet the target readers' needs in accordance with the trustor's requirements. The author first makes an analysis of translation of PSE from the perspectives of the purpose and functions of PSE, and then she analyzes PSE translation by means of theory of translational action. Finally, the author advocates some principles and specific strategies for PSE translation.The author draws conclusions as follows: (1) In terms of Skopotheorie, PSE translating can be regarded as a purposeful activity. The translator must translate with some governing principles respecting the target culture; the strategy to be chosen should conform to the skopos of the translation process. PSE translating is also an interpersonal, communicative and intercultural activity as seen from the viewpoint of theory of translational action. (2) In the translating process, the translator should bear in mind the skopos and the intended function of the target PSE text and produce a version that is comprehensible and acceptable to the target readers. (3) Translation methods such as literal translation, free translation, communicative translation and adaptation are all workable in various cases.Attaching great importance to popularization of science, the author analyzes translation of PSE from the perspective of functionalism in the hope that translators can apply the functionalist theory in their practice, in order to improve the quality of translation of PSE.