A Practice Report On E-C Translation Of Biography Under The Guidance Of Skopos Theory

The translation material for this practice report is selected from the third volume of The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte,a biographical literary work written by American writer William Milligan Sloane.Characterized by historicity and literariness,the book must be translated given the literary style and historical facts.Based on the background information of the source text and the characteristics of the text type,this paper explores the problems in the process of translation with the corresponding solutions proposed,which are guided by the Skopos Theory,thus clarifying the translation strategies and skills of biography.In the light of the typical problems encountered during the translation process,the applicability of the Skopos Theory is examined in biography translation from the perspectives of fidelity rule,coherence rule,and Skopos rule.From the principle of fidelit,the verification of proper nouns and the manifestation of implicit information are concentrated to restore the original text’s historical facts and to convey its meaning accurately,thus delivering the historicity of biography.From the principle of coherence,the translation methods of division and amplification are adopted to enhance the coherence and fluency of the version,making it more manageable for readers to accept and understand.Finally,from the principle of Skopos,ingenious use of four-character phrases and rhetorical devices are expounded to improve the readability of the text,thus fully embodying the literariness of biography.In conclusion,the Skopos Theory plays a significant role in helping the translator express the historicity and literariness of biographical literature.Moreover,to a certain extent,this translation practice enriches the experience in biographical literature translation,so as to provide a certain reference for the translation of parallel texts.