Application Of Thick Translation In The Translation Of Historical Documentary Literature

Opinions regarding translation norms and standards differ widely among translators and translation theorists. From the perspective of the directive value of theory, it is generally agreed that translators benefit greatly from their agreed or identified translation theory. Among the plethora of translation theories and translation thoughts put forward by hundreds of translation theorists as well as practitioners, the establishment of standards and norms seems to have occupied a focal position for centuries.This paper is a report on the author’s translation process of the first half of The Siege in Peking:China against the World, written by William Alexander Parsons Martin. It aims to reflect on the author’s intentional adoption of thick translation strategy, which was first put forward by American translation theorist Kwame Anthony Appiah. Thick translation has been widely adopted by many translators In translation practice for a long time. As it is, the concept of thick translation puts emphasis on details and extra-textual interpretation of meaning and historical and/or cultural factors which are contained in the source text but are external to purely literal presentation. It is felt that this translation strategy will help to bring readers back to the era presented by the text and help them understand the social and cultural background knowledge that is necessary for full understanding of the translated text.The Siege in Peking:China against the World contains a large number of historical figures, place names, official positions and rich Chinese cultural factors as well as historical events. This feature of the source text requires the translator to have wide cultural and historical knowledge and to conduct a considerable amount of research in order to trace the historical event which is the subject matter of this book. Following the guidance of the concept of thick translation in the translation process, I tried to reconstruct the historical atmosphere generated in the source language text, to reproduce the historical and cultural context by adding comments and provide footnotes. It is felt that this strategy has enabled me to make up for the defaulted cultural elements in the context, reduce cross-cultural misunderstanding, and help the readers to understand the text accurately.This report consists of four chapters. Chapter One introduces the background, the objective and the significance of this translation practice report, as well as a general review on the source text. Chapter Two presents the theoretical background, including the role of thick translation in the cultural exchange and the previous studies on thick translation. Chapter Three offers case analysis from the perspective of thick translation strategy. Chapter Four is the conclusion which summarizes the new insights into translation that obtained during the translation process and subsequent reflections on the various difficulties encountered and solved.