Researching Culture Back Translation From Intertextuality Translation Theory

This is a translation report. The original text of this translation report is Sidelights on Peking Life, one from Memories of Peking series. Sidelights on Peking Life is written by Swallow, Robert Willian, who is an Englishman but has lived and taught in China for as long as thirty years. The book is an important material for studying social classes, street sceneries and life style and customs of Beijing in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. The original text belongs to documentary literature, and the translation difficulty is above average. It takes the author three months to finish the whole translation which is about 50,000 Chinese characters, and then the author spends one month polishing the translation.The translation report is composed of six parts apart from the introduction part: the first chapter is task description which is a summary of the original text background, text characteristics and translation difficulties; the second chapter is an introduction of the translation material applied in the translation process, which is mainly the intertextuality translation theory, and translation method which is mainly culture back translation, a translation method emphasizing language and culture connection between the to-be translated text and target text; the third chapter is an introduction of difficulties and corresponding methods used in the translation process; the fourth chapter is the introduction of translation strategies often used in the translation of Sidelights on Peking Life together with concrete cases; the fifth chapter is record of the author’s personal inspiration and a few problems the author has not solved during the translation process; the last chapter is epilogue, and the author’s comprehension of relevant translation theories is recorded in the conclusion of the translation report.This report is guided by the intertextuality translation theory. After meticulously studying of the original text and the translated text, the author draws conclusion on translating style and creative translation of the translated text. The author discovers that translation practice should be done under the guidance of translation theory, especially the guidance of translation strategy. Besides, a translator’s professional dedication spirit, executive style of translation plan, effective utilization of translation tools and resources and field visits are of great importance to translation practice.