On The Back Translation Of Proper Nouns Into Chinese In Myths And Legends Of China(an Excerpt)

The monograph Myths and Legends of China written by Edward Theodore Chalmers Werner,a British consular officer as well as a famous sinologist,starts from the Fashioner of the Universe,and then explains the origin of the Chinese nation and the Chinese cosmogony from a unique perspective,thus displaying the unique style of Chinese mythical and legendary characters for western readers.Based on the third chapter of the book,this report back translates these English proper nouns elucidating Chinese culture in English texts into the Chinese cultural context,and analyzes the characteristics of their expressions.According to the text feature,the proper nouns are divided into three categories:appellations(names of people,book titles,etc.),expressions of cultural concept(those have rich cultural connotation but can’t find their equivalent words in the target language),as well as philosophical terms(those are abstract in contents and express certain philosophical views),and corresponding examples are selected to analyze the back-translation strategies and the problems that need to be noted in the process of translation;The study draws an conclusion that when translating appellations,referring to Wade-Giles System Spelling should be adopted,and further explanations also should be added to ensure the accuracy and readability of their translations if necessary;when translating expressions of cultural concept,the translator should refer to the parallel texts,and find their corresponding source languages in Chinese,as well as referring to the accepted Chinese expressions or accustomed usages;when translating philosophical terms,it is always and efficient way to adopt the strategy of free translation with annotation.Besides,referring to both the parallel text and Chinese explanation is also essential to better illuminate.the characteristics of Chinese culture from the western perspective.This report focuses on exploring the back-translation strategies of proper nouns and conducts relevant analysis in view of the problems exposed in the process of translation,with a view to provide some valuable theoretical and practical references for the back-translation practice of sinological works.