A Report On The English-Chinese Translation Of Translation As Reparation (Chapter 3)

This report is based on the English-to-Chinese translation of the third chapter “Cultural Representation and Postcolonial Aesthetics” of Translation as Reparation: Writing and Translation in Postcolonial Africa,which is written by Professor Paul F.Bandia.The chapter mainly holds that there are extensive traditional African narrative devices such as oratory,proverbs and aphorisms,as signposts of alterity and cultural representation in African Europhone literature,which gives the postcolonial texts aesthetic and dramatic effect.Translation as Reparation,according to Reiss’ text typology theory,is an informative text that aims at transmitting information,imparting knowledge,and stating facts and viewpoints.The text has plain and professional language,objective and accurate exposition,rigorous sentence structure and strong reasoning.The translator considers it appropriate to employ Halliday and Hasan’s cohesion theory as guidance for the practice in order to faithfully reproduce the original text and to ensure that the translation is fluid and logical.Under the guidance of cohesion theory,the report examines,categorizes and reconstructs the cohesive devices applied in the original text,and outlines the techniques for handling them in translation to guide further practice.According to the classification of cohesion theory,the report divides cohesive devices into five categories,including reference,substitution,ellipsis,conjunction and lexical cohesion,and each of them is further subdivided in the report.The translator takes notes of the similarities and differences in cohesion between English and Chinese,and adopts corresponding techniques to handle the cohesive devices in the original text in accordance with the circumstances at hand,so as to reasonably reproduce the cohesive relations of the original and to ensure the textual cohesion and overall logic in the translation.Based on the practice,the translator applies four translation techniques for handling cohesive devices in English-Chinese translation,namely,retention,conversion,omission and addition.The technique retention is widely used in handling various cohesive devices,conversion(normally into reiteration)in the cases of reference,substitution and ellipsis,omission and addition mainly for the case of conjunction.