A Report On The E-C Translation Of Hawthorn (Excerpts)

From ancient times to the present,the pace of cultural exchange has never ceased.Whether it is within a country,between countries,or between different cultures such as East and West,cultural exchange promotes the exchange of information,enriches the cultural content,and drives the development of civilization.Literature plays a significant role as a means of cultural exchange,and translation acts as a medium in this process.This translation project focuses on excerpts from Hawthorne,specifically chapters one and two.These chapters primarily introduce the major experiences and literary works of the American novelist,Hawthorne.By examining Hawthorne’s writings and the descriptions of him by others during that period,the translation aims to reflect his thoughts,life,and creative endeavors.As the source text belongs to the genre of biographical literature and has expressive,informative,and evocative functions,the translation practice is primarily guided by Peter Newmark’s theories of semantic and communicative translation.Semantic translation is employed to preserve the authenticity of the original text,while communicative translation is used to ensure the target language readers’ familiarity and effective communication.At the lexical level,the translator analyzes translation difficulties such as proper nouns and polysemic words,and provides explanatory annotations to enhance background knowledge.Appropriate word choices are made based on the context.At the syntactic level,the translator explores the translation of passive voice,inanimate-subjects,and complex sentences.Techniques such as reordering,addition,and division are utilized to improve the readability of the translation.Through the analysis and examination of this translation practice,the translator has discovered that Peter Newmark’s theories of semantic translation and communicative translation can be effectively applied to guide the translation of biographical literary texts.The translator hopes that target language readers can gain a deeper understanding of Hawthorne’s life and thoughts through the translated text,and that the results of this translation practice can provide valuable insights for the translation of biographical literature.