Report On Translation Of “Liquid Fuels And Propellants For Aerospace Propulsion: 1903–2003”

In recent years, as the academic communication between China’s and foreign chemical industry has become more and more frequent, translation of Chemical English as a kind of translation of English for Science and Technology has become more and more important in the process of communication. Compared with the translation of other kinds, translation of Chemical English requires professional knowledge and specific translation strategies. If translators can not provide the translation precisely, it will result in misunderstanding of the original text. So it is necessary for translators who are concerned with translation of English for Science and Technology to be familiar with the characteristics of Chemical English and to grasp the translation skills.Based on the translation of a hundred-year overview of aerospace fuel in chemical field, this paper discussed the significant theoretical guidance of equivalent translation from vocabulary, grammar and syntax aspects in the process of translation of Chemical English. In order to maximize the equivalence in translation, the translator flexibly chose appropriate translation methods and strategies based on the characteristics of chemical texts in order to achieve semantic, structural and pragmatic equivalence. Subsequently, the author summed up the translation strategies and techniques for translation of Chemical English: For word translation, there are addition, omission and conversion to ensure the terms of accuracy, objectivity and professionalism and to achieve semantic and pragmatic equivalence; For sentence translation, long sentences can be translated by adopting linear translation, translation in a reverse order and division to avoid the imbalances of sentences; For passive voice translation, different translation strategies such as maintaining passive voice and converting passive voice to active voice should be adopted to ensure the semantic equivalence as well as the structural equivalence. This paper aims to provide reference for future translation of Chemical English, improving the quality of translated version accordingly.