Quickly pass: English-Chinese Translation Workbook

Author: Zhang Guangming
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: This book is compiled based on the English-Chinese translation formats and content scope of the National English Major Level 8 Unified Examination. It aims to improve readers' English-Chinese translation skills and achieve the national Level 8 standards. For convenience in writing and use, the book is divided into five chapters: Chapter 1 introduces the standards of translation and general translation theories and techniques; Chapters 2 to 5 discuss the English-Chinese translation issues of the five major categories frequently tested in the exam—military and political, biographical, science and technology/culture, news, and literary texts, respectively. Relevant translation theories and methods are interspersed between sections. At the end of the book is an appendix. The main part of the book is divided into 20 units, where theory, techniques, exercises, brief reviews, and reference translations are arranged alternately. Each unit is relatively independent yet interconnected, and the translation techniques introduced are not limited to any specific genre or type of text. The theoretical and technical sections primarily introduce fundamental translation theories and translation techniques suitable for Chinese readers, such as general translation techniques, grammatical analysis and word meaning comprehension, the mastery of tone and nuance in translations, the characteristics of military and political text translation, the features and techniques of science and technology text translation, the handling and translation of long sentences, the characteristics and techniques of news translation, the style of literary translation, the features and standards of novel translation, etc. The theoretical introductions are designed to be practical and easy to understand. Readers should complete corresponding exercises while reading the theoretical and technical sections of each unit. For example, when studying the unit on "The Characteristics and Techniques of News Translation," after thoroughly understanding and internalizing the theories introduced, readers can translate the attached news articles according to the requirements to achieve immediate results. The exercises in the book cover a wide range of topics, such as biographies, popular science articles, political and economic texts, commentaries on international events, introductions to history and culture, memoirs, and interview records. The genres include expository texts, narrative texts, and argumentative texts, making the reading enjoyable and rich in contemporary relevance. It is difficult to fully encompass all these texts under the five categories of military and political, biographical, science and technology/culture, news, and literary. Therefore, the current format only provides rough classification. Readers can choose to read and use this volume based on the types of Level 8 exam questions in previous years and their own proficiency levels. The 30 exercises included in the book are divided into three difficulty levels: easier, more difficult, and difficult, with lengths generally ranging from 500 to 800 words, though some slightly longer articles are occasionally included. Readers can adjust the pace as needed. The exercises do not have to be completed in the order of the book, nor do they need to be finished within the time limits specified for each exercise. Readers may choose to translate only selected parts or the entire text. However, regardless of the approach, readers should maintain high standards and strict self-discipline, completing the exercises within set time and word limits while ensuring quality. The translation speed should generally be around 8–10 English words per minute, and the translation volume should be adjusted accordingly if the time is extended. In addition to time and word limits, readers should gradually develop the ability to deduce word meanings from context rather than relying solely on dictionaries when encountering difficulties during translation. After completing a translation exercise or section, readers can self-correct and revise before comparing their work with the sample student translations provided in the book to identify any similar errors. Then, they can review the reference translations. The reference translations are for reference only and are not the sole standard. Many of the student translations included in the book are superior to the reference translations. The authors believe that readers' translations will also contain many excellent and brilliant examples.