An E-C Translation Report On Steeped In History:The Art Of Tea (Chapter One And Chapter Two)

This translation practice report is guided by the Skopos Theory of functional theories and takes the book Steeped in History: The Art of Tea as the research project.The book is a compilation of articles by eleven famous foreign scholars,which mainly introduces the world history of tea,the tea culture of the East and the West,and discusses and appreciates tea culture from various perspectives in various genres.With the support of various famous scholars,the language of the text is professional and precise,aesthetic and not garish,bringing readers a fabulous appreciation of the world’s tea culture.This translation practice report selects parts of the first and second chapters,and the excerpts are about the history and culture of tea in China during the Qing Dynasty,the history of tea making in Yixing,Zhejiang Province,China,and the records related to the author’s study in Yixing,as well as about the history of the Japanese tea ceremony.The functionalist translation theory of Skopos posits that all original texts have a purpose and function,and that translations must serve this purpose and fulfill the function of the original text in its source language environment(Nord,2001).The purpose of the text determines the translation strategy and approach.This theory places emphasis on the practicality of translations,as well as the function and purpose of the text.The three principles of Skopos theory,namely purpose,coherence,and fidelity,provide guidance for translators in selecting appropriate translation strategies and methods.The primary function of the text is to convey information and appreciation,and to achieve the original function and purpose of the text,Skopos theory is applied in translation practice.The translator encountered some difficulties in the translation practice,including how to accurately express the history and culture of tea in the Qing Dynasty of China,the history of Yixing tea ware production in Zhejiang,China,and the author’s related records of studying in Yixing,as well as the history of Japanese tea ceremony.These difficulties were categorized and corresponding solutions were proposed for these difficulties.With the support of theory and translation techniques,the translator successfully completed the translation practice and explored the methods and characteristics of translating tea culture.Through this practice,valuable cases and templates were provided for translation in the field of tea.