A Report On The Translation Of The Bird Way (Chapters Nine To Eleven)

In the context of China’s advocacy of quality education and all-round development,popular science works have become an important vehicle to stimulate young people’s curiosity and cultivate the spirit of exploration.Although many foreign popular science works have been introduced into China every year,the translation of popular science works about animals has not received enough attention.Hence,most domestic readers still have limited access to animals.Therefore,the translation of popular science works about animals helps domestic readers learn natural science knowledge and arouse their reflection on ecological protection.According to the State of the World’s Birds: Taking the Pulse of the Planet issued by Bird Life International in 2018,of the world’s approximately 11,000 known bird species,40 percent are in decline,and even the most common birds are vanishing.The study of bird sex helps people protect birds,ease the extinction crisis birds have been facing,and maintain biodiversity.This report is based on the translation practice of Chapter Nine to Chapter Eleven excerpted from The Bird Way,and the three Chapters present a new look at bird sex.Guided by the Skopos Theory,the translator adopts appropriate translation methods to solve the difficulties on the lexical,syntactic,and textual levels.On the lexical level,the translator uses literal translation,transliteration,free translation,and semantic expansion.On the syntactic level,the translator applies recasting and cutting to tackle complex sentences.In the translation of English passive sentences,the translator converts them into Chinese passive sentences and active sentences.On the textual level,the translator uses clausal substitution,personal reference,causal conjunction,and additive conjunction to make the translation smooth and cohesive.The report explores corresponding solutions to the difficulties in the translation of popular science works by presenting typical cases,aiming to enlighten translators who will conduct similar translations in the future.