2008 Graduate Entrance Exam English Translation to Chinese Four-Step Fixed-Trust Translation Method (Latest Version)

Author: Hu Min
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-02-01
Features: The postgraduate entrance exam is difficult, and the English section is the hardest. English-to-Chinese translation is even more challenging. Looking at the past exam papers, the scores in English-to-Chinese translation have always been unsatisfactory. From the perspective of students' learning, translation is almost a blank area. Those who have had translation practice are few, and even fewer have conducted research on translation. Take a look at the overwhelming number of postgraduate entrance exam preparation books—there are countless masterpieces on listening, reading, and writing, yet it's rare to find a dedicated book on English-to-Chinese translation. Even when some books claim to be about English-to-Chinese translation, they are essentially hollow, and compared to other question types, English-to-Chinese translation always remains like Cinderella—either dismissed with a few words or neglected and unvalued, with the author's explanations unclear and the readers understanding it only partially. It was precisely due to such a situation that the author was inspired to write a book on English-to-Chinese translation. It must be admitted that writing such a book is extremely challenging. Translation not only involves vocabulary, grammar, and reading comprehension but is also deeply connected to culture and language habits. Before actually doing translation, one needs a certain level of language foundation and knowledge. Moreover, translation is a creative activity with no universal methods. But to find a solution to the exam questions, we can only identify some patterns based on the candidates' actual abilities and exam requirements, forming relatively fixed models. Finally, the analysis of the translation process is tedious and complex. To be concise and insightful requires a good sense of balance. If one just glosses over the important points or skims the surface, the book loses its instructional value. Given the above circumstances, although the author has been teaching postgraduate translation courses and had always planned to write a book, the birth of this manuscript took longer and required more effort compared to other books. To ensure the quality of the book, the English-Chinese translation alone was written in three drafts. The "Four-Step Positioning Translation Method" was developed through repeated reflection and summarization based on years of practice. The detailed explanations of the past exam papers are primarily based on classroom lectures, but the book supplements many examples that cannot be provided in class. The summary of difficulties in postgraduate English-to-Chinese translation is much more detailed and comprehensive than in the classroom, as time constraints only allowed brief summaries during exam paper discussions in class. Therefore, the content of this book originates from the classroom, belongs to the classroom, and goes beyond the classroom. It is particularly worth mentioning that the "Four-Step Positioning Translation Method" is not only the author's personal insights but also a crystallization of collective wisdom. Without the exchange with a wide range of candidates and the support of colleagues, it would have been impossible to find inspiration. When analyzing the annual English-to-Chinese translation exam papers, the "Four-Step Positioning Translation Method" has been repeatedly validated. Its problem-solving steps, strategies, and techniques make the originally complex translation process clear, straightforward, and effortless. May this book assist all candidates, and we hope that readers will provide valuable feedback during their learning process to help perfect the book in future revisions.