A Report On E-C Translation Of Popular Science Text From The Perspective Of Semantic Translation And Communicative Translation

Popular science article,a variant of scientific writings,aims to extend scientific knowledge to the masses in plain and understandable language.In this sense,top priority is given to scientificity in works of popular science.Science seeks to build reliable knowledge,which requires the translation of popular science texts to remain accurate.It is an important subject of study to find out measures to ensure accuracy and readability when translating popular science articles,so as to cater to the tastes of readers.This translation practice report is based on the translation of chapters selected from a popular science book on meteorology The Skies Above: Storm Clouds,Blood Moons,and Other Everyday Phenomena.The selected text is a combination of objective content such as facts,cases and data,as well as subjective factors such as rhetorical devices,and the writer’s own analysis and thinking,with an aim to call on readers to identify with the content of the text.Therefore,the text possesses the features of scientificity,literariness,popularity and interestingness.Considering the features of the selected text,the translator chooses Peter Newmark’s semantic translation and communicative translation as the guidance.Under the guidance of semantic translation and communicative translation,this translation practice centers on the content of the source text and target language readers,in order to reproduce the scientificity and literariness as well as to ensure the popularity and interestingness of the original popular science text.This report studies the application of semantic translation and communicative translation through specific cases.On the one hand,the translator,aiming at readers of the target language,adopts communicative translation to ensure the popularity and readability of the translation.Communicative translation is combined with other translation methods and techniques such as idiomatic translation,explicitation,reconstruction,addition and annotation to reproduce the popularity of the original text,appeal readers and call on their feelings.On the other hand,with a focus on the content of the original text,the translator applies semantic translation to make sure the translation is faithful and accurate.Meanwhile,linear translation and literal translation are used under the guidance of semantic translation to reproduce the scientificity and literariness of the popular science text.Through this translation practice,the translator finds that Newmark’s semantic translation and communicative translation are highly feasible for translating popular science texts.Semantic translation contributes to the accurate conveyance of the message and preservation of the original style of the source text,while communicative translation helps readers to remove reading difficulties,retaining the popularity of popular science texts.