Translating Informative Texts From The Perspective Of Text Typology

This essay explores the translation of informative texts from the perspective of text typology,based on the English-Chinese translation of Ethnic Nationalism and State Power:The Rise of Irish Nationalism,Afrikaner Nationalism and Zionism.According to the text typology proposed by Reiss,the source text of this essay,which is an academic book on nationalism,belongs to the category of informative texts,which are logical and content focused,requires invariance in transfer of their content.Reiss proposes two criteria for evaluating a content-focused text:the linguistic form of the translation must be adapted without reservation to the idiom of the target language and the target text must be thoroughly represented.Based on these translation methods and criteria,this essay tries to study how to remain the accuracy,thoroughness and logic of the informative texts in a target text.Accuracy means the target text should conform with both the source text and the historic facts,which demands translators not only represent the referential meaning of the source text,but correct the information when necessary by annotating.Thoroughness is to translate the words with cultural connotation by adding more cultural information.Logic is to demonstrate the logical relationship in the target text and translators should try to explicate the logic relationship.Reiss’s text typology is applicable to the translation of informative texts.The research of this essay shows that the text typology is useful for translators to analyze text functions and decide translation methods accordingly.