A Translation Report On Records Of Streets And Alleys In Chengdu (Excerpt) From The Perspective Of The Translation Variation Theory

Based on the translation variation theory,this translation report takes some chapters of Records of Streets and Alleys in Chengdu,the representative work of a Bashu culture expert Yuan Tingdong,as the translation research and practice object.The source text is plain in language,rich in content and rigourous in exposition,involving a large number of classical Chinese,culture-loaded words,ancient books and many poems.These factors undoubtedly cause troubles to the translation work.The traditional standard of translation strives to pursue the equivalence of content and form between the source text and the target text,while the differences between English and Chinese make the translation standard less applicable to historical document text such as Records of Streets and Alleys in Chengdu.Therefore,the author chooses the translation variation theory,and gives sufficient consideration to the needs of the translator and the readers.The translator adopts various flexible techniques,like adding,subtracting,compiling,narrating,contracting,merging and adapting to translate the source text.This report gives the analysis of this translation project from three aspects: words,sentences and paragraphs,with emphasis on the translation of culture-loaded words.For culture-loaded words(place names,time,vernaculars,words concerning culture,history as well as folk beliefs),methods such as,transliteration plus annotation,domestication,amplification and literal translation are adopted;in view of sentences without subjects,techniques like subject-adding,passive voice,and there be sentence pattern are used in the target text;as for sentences involving ancient books and poems,necessary content is supplemented,secondary information is deleted,word order is adjusted and words of the same syllable are used;finally,in order to satisfy the cohesion and coherence of the text,pronouns,relative pronouns,logical conjunctions are added and techniques like tense conversion,annotations are skillfully adopted.Studies have shown that the translation variation theory can effectively guide the translation practice of texts with Chinese characteristics,and tellingly transmit information,promoting cross-cultural communication.At the same time,the author also wishes to devote to the entrance of Chinese Bashu culture into the world as well as the promotion of Chinese cultural confidence through this translation report.