Translation Analysis Of Calendric And Geographical Terms In The English Versions Of Shi Ji By Burton Watson And By William H. Nienhauser, Jr.

China, as a large developing country, is playing an important role in the international community. To build a good image in the international community, China needs to increase its cultural soft power and strengthen its cultural influence over the international community. Language is the basis of dissemination of information, and a tool for promoting cultural transmission in the international community. Therefore, translation becomes important in spreading Chinese culture. A good translation will help deepen the understanding of international community towards China, strengthen China’s cooperation with the rest of the world, and enhance China’s international influence.Terminology is an integral part of classics. In the translation of classics, terminology is extremely important. Errors in the translation may lead to cultural misunderstandings, and hinder international exchanges and cooperation. At the same time, mastering terminology and its translation is extremely important for translators, because translators play an important role in cultural dissemination. Translation errors of terminology may lead to break-up of business, failure of communication, or even diplomatic disputes. Therefore, translators should improve their term translation ability.Shi Ji is the first biographical historian book in China, and it is a monumental classic as well. What’s more, it is a manifestation of the strong will of Sima Qian and his lifelong knowledge. At the same time, this historical masterpiece embodies rich calendric and geographical knowledge. The translation by Burton Watson and by William H. Nienhauser, Jr. are the rather complete English translation versions of Shi Ji.The materials used in the thesis include the original work Shi Ji, Burton Watson’s Records of the Grand Historian of China and William Nienhauser’s Records of the Grand Historian of China. Based on the dynamic equivalence theory of Eugene A. Nida, the thesis analyzes the translations of calendric and geographical terms by Burton Watson and by William H. Nienhauser, Jr. And examines the problems in their translations.This thesis consists of five parts. The first chapter introduces research background, research significance, research topic and research methods. In the second part, the framework of dynamic translation theory is reviewed; previous translation studies of Shi Ji and terms in Shi Ji are explained; general information and styles of Burton Watson’s translation and William Nienhauser’s translation are presented. The third part analyzes the translation of calendric terms. In translating calendric terms, mainly transliteration and notes are adopted by translators. The fourth section studies the translation of geographic terms. The geographical terms in this section include place names, mountains and rivers, plants, animals, soil, resources, climate and natural disasters. The translation techniques used in this part are mainly word-for-word translation, transliteration, addition, and descriptive expression. The fifth part concludes that translation techniques within the framework of translation equivalence can be used in translating calendric and geographical terms as they may help readers to understand more clearly the meaning of terms in the source text.