On The Role Of Knowledge In Translation Activities

The U. S. is the most powerful country in the world and it is of great importance for China to monitor its diplomatic moves. American media exert influence over and reflect diplomatic activities of the U.S. The author of this particular translation report chose articles from the high-end magazine Foreign Affairs published by Council on Foreign Relations as the subject of translation, in the hope of making a modest contribution to the communication between China and the United States.Instead of being the mere aggregate of words, language is closely amalgamated with the knowledge and experience that mankind has accumulated, and it is only with an accurate and unambiguous understanding of the source text that the translator is able to create a target text with great readability, which dictates that translation activities should be freed from literal shackles and carried out in the presence of knowledge both about language and about such non-linguistic fields as economy, politics and culture.Besides the introduction, the body of this particular translation report consists of sections on preparatory work before translating, a consideration of the role of knowledge in translation activities, translation records, summary and bibliography. By discussing problems encountered when translating and how to solve them (e.g. by adding notes), the author aims to demonstrate the importance of knowledge in translation activities.