A Study On E-C Translation Strategies Of Business Texts Based On Text Typology

Controlling the tempo of business activities and even relating to the success of transactions, the translation of business texts plays a vital role in international business communication. Compared with other texts, features of business text are distinct. It embraces various text types including business correspondences, advertisements, reports, instructions, agreements or contracts, authoritative statements, bills and forms, etc. In addition, different text type has different styles. However, many"funny translated texts"are conspicuous in translation practice because the traditional translation criterion can not be fully applied into the translation of business texts and some bilingual"talents"are incapable of translating business texts. Therefore, it is of great significance that the present study conducts a systematic research on the translation of English business texts and explores their appropriate translation strategies.Based on Text Typology, the present study explores the translation strategy of English business text. Text Typology breaks through the confine of topic or genre of text, laying stress on text function in target culture and communicative relationship between subjects. Karl Buhler, Katharina Reiss, Christiane Nord,Jacobson and Peter Newmark used to classify text types with different focuses. Generally speaking, they all believe that language function can fall into at least three categories, that is, expressive, informative and vocative. Each language function contains different text types and different text types have different language functions. Expressive text emphasizes the"authority of author"rather than the reaction of reader; informative text stresses the"truth"and the external world of language;Vocative text is reader-centered, aimed to appeal target readers to act, think and respond in line with the intensions of author. Text Typology, being a new perspective of translation criterion, plays an active role in the choice of translation strategies and provides implications for addressing the problems of business translation today.The thesis consists of six chapters. Chapter one explains the background and significance of the present study, and then clarifies the two key terms—translation strategy and Business English. Chapter two reviews the previous studies and presents the originalities of the present study. Chapter three introduces the theoretical framework of the study and explains relevant terms. Chapter four is the research design including research questions, research methods and data collection. Chapter five is the main part of present study, which launches a thorough analysis and discussion of language functions and translation strategies of business correspondences, advertisements and authoritative statements specifically. Eventually, the conclusion is drawn in chapter six: (1) Translation strategy of business correspondence is communication-oriented so as to transmit accurate information and avoid misunderstanding; Communication and adaptation strategy can be adopted to achieve the effect of persuasion and cater to the target readers when translating commercial advertisement. Authoritative statement translation tends to be semantic in order to represent the"personal components"of author. (2) It is the text type and the main function of the language that determine the adoption of translation strategy. (3) Translations strategies are not separated or binary contradicted; on the contrary, they are compatible and complementary to each other. At the end of this chapter the limitations of the present study and the suggestions for the further study are also presented.