A Practice Report On The Chinese Academic Translation Project:A Case Study Of A Mythological Approach To Exploring The Origins Of Chinese Civilization

Since the National Social Science Fund started the Chinese Academic Translation Project(CATP)in 2010,an increasing number of Chinese academic monographs have been translated into other languages.The translation quality of these monographs determines whether China?s academic achievements can go global and be recognized by the international academic community.Therefore,it is of particular necessity to study academic monograph translation.The author had an opportunity to participate in the CATP and translated an academic monograph entitled A Mythological Approach to Exploring the Origins of Chinese Civilization into English.This monograph not only has academic value,but also is of great significance in disseminating Chinese civilization.Therefore,how to effectively convey the cultural information provided by the monograph becomes a key and difficult point in the translation practice.This practice report analyzes and summarizes the translation problems the author has encountered from three aspects: 1)failure to provide cultural information for culture-loaded words;2)inadequate information for proper noun translation;3)unnecessary information conveyed.The purposes of this translation project are to disseminate Chinese academic research and introduce Chinese civilization worldwide.In order to achieve these purposes,the target text is required to deliver cultural information in the source text as much as possible.In addition,the translation should be readable to intended readers.Under the guidance of Hans J.Vermeer?s Skopostheorie,three translation methods,namely,annotation,explanation and free translation,are put forward.With the help of these methods,the aforesaid problems are addressed and translation purposes are fulfilled eventually.This report is expected to provide references for translators who translate academic monographs regarding Chinese civilization.