A Translation Report Of The Gentlemen's Book Of Etiquette And Manual Of Politeness Based On Memetics

This is a practical translation report based on the translation of the excerpted chapters of the The Gentlemen's Book of Etiquette and Manual of Politeness. It is a gentleman's etiquette guiding book which was written by the nineteenth century's American biographer, Cecil B. Hartley. In the book, the writer listed some principles that a gentleman in the nineteenth century should observe, including dressing, travel, social parties and so on, which has a highly historical value. Due to the change of time and society, some manners in the book may seem farcical, yet there are still many golden sayings that are useful in modern society. At any time, social etiquette and courtesy still has an irreplaceable importance and the author of this report hopes this translation can offer some useful advice for Chinese gentlemen. During the translation process, the author makes a special effort to remain faithful to the source text and uses different translation strategies. Based on Memetics and on the premise that the book's intention is fully conveyed, the author has tried her best to give a higher quality translation. The author hopes Chinese readers can gain some enlightenment from reading the target text, know more about the qualities of a gentleman and about what should be paid attention to in social intercourse and thus find the similarities and differences between Chinese and western manners.First of all, the report gives a description which includes task background, task target, introduction to Cecil B. Hartley and his book, which can offer a fundamental understanding of the translation. Secondly, it introduces the translation process: pre-translation preparation, while-translation section and after-translation proofreading section. Then it gives a brief introduction to Memetics, spreading of Memetics and its connections with translation and the guidance the theory offers the author during the translation of the excerpted chapters of the book. Next, it turns to a case analysis in which ample examples and detailed explanations are given to illustrate what and why some translation techniques and methods are adopted by the author under the guidance of Memetics. Finally, it gives a summary of the translation report.