A Report On C-E Translation Of Soul Of The Old City(Excerpts) From The Perspective Of Communication Theory

As a unique cultural carrier,local cultural texts comprehensively record the geographical environment and humanistic background of specific regions across different time periods,serving as both a means of preserving and disseminating local culture.In the context of China’s cultural globalization,the translation of local cultural texts holds significant practical implications.Soul of the Old City is a documentary book about Anshun City in Guizhou Province.The book uses local place-name stories as a thread,introducing Anshun’s historical geography and culture through the collation of historical records and legends.This report selects four articles from the third chapter as English translation materials,covering aspects such as Anshun Confucian Temple,urban construction patterns,historical and cultural districts,and the folklores of streets and lanes.Translation can be seen as a cross-cultural process of information communication,in which each link of the process constrains one another and impacts the quality of the translated text.This report is based on a communication perspective,applying Lasswell’s “5Ws” communication model to explore Chinese-English translation strategies and methods in terms of communication content,audience needs,and communication effects.The conclusions are as follows: In terms of communication content,translators should ensure accurate information delivery and bridge cultural differences;regarding audience needs,translators should reconstruct information focus,simplify redundant information,and avoid reading barriers;for communication effects,translators should consider the psychological expectations and aesthetic tastes of the target audience,enhancing translation quality.This report believes that translators should fully exercise their subjective initiative,pay attention to translation communication content,audience needs,and expected communication effects,serve as the “gatekeeper” of translation communication,enable target readers to understand China’s local characteristic culture,and ultimately achieve the communication goal of “bringing Chinese culture abroad”.