On Business English Discourse And Its Translation

With the economic globalization and China's becoming one of the formal members of WTO (World Trade Organization), the translation of business English is playing a more and more important role in our economic development. However, the theoretical system of business English translation lags far behind the progress in its practice. Moreover, general translation theories do not completely fit in with the needs of business English translation. So it becomes necessary and urgent to make theoretical research on business English translation. Based on modern translation theories at home and abroad, this thesis makes a relevant study on the principles and approaches of business English translation.The thesis discusses several kinds of translation theories which can be applied in business English translation, including discourse translation theory and functional approaches. In functional approaches, we mention semantic translation and communicative translation put forward by Peter Newmark, functional equivalence by Eugene Nida, and text typology theory. In addition, we exploit basic business English knowledge, especially on its definition, classification, content characteristics, linguistic features and functions, which is influential to business English translation. Based on above analyses, then with discourse translation as a framework, we analyze business English discourse on both strategic decision-making ranks and operational ranks. With the analysis, description and contrast of paired translation examples, we endeavor to find out how specific translations are done in the context of true international business activities. The process of analysis includes two steps: 1) contrast the function of the translation with its original discourse, to embody again the translating process and show how the translator achieves the intended goal, then to put forward the principles of business English translation on the level of strategic decision-making ranks. 2) under above translation principles, contrast and analyze many translation examples to sum up the translation approaches on the level of operational ranks.The conclusions of this thesis are: 1) to put forward new translation principles of business English on macrocosmic strategic decision-making ranks from the angle of functional transferring-the transferring of directive function: to attain sufficient "equivalence" centered on target receivers; the transferring of informative function: complete information, exact term, normative format; the transferring of phatic function: accepted and established, courteous and decent. 2) to summarize translation approaches in detail on microcosmic operational ranks of words and sentences.