Language Features And Translation Of TED Inspiring Speeches

In recent years, TED speech videos have become popular all over the world through the internet for their unique style as well as for their shining wits and thoughts. The language used in these speeches is also charming and attractive. The speeches have been translated into many other languages. China joined the TED Open Translation Project in 2009. In order to let the audience have a better appreciation of the charming language and effectively take in the shining wits and thoughts, we should study the speech texts very carefully and explore the translation methods so as to improve the translation quality. Based on this, this paper, using as a case study the translation practice of the author of the paper, analyzes the language features and translation principles of TED inspiring speeches, and discusses the translation methods on the basis of the language features. The paper holds that in translating this kind of text, the translator can reproduce the style and rhetorical devices of the original texts in most cases by means of literal translation; he or she can resort to liberal translation when literal translation fails. As to the language features of standardized spoken language and skillful combination of long and short sentences, the translator can resort to the translation methods of priority of sequential translation over reverse translation and division translation over combined translation to make the translation accurate, coherent and appropriate.