Biography Translation From Perspective Of Text Typology

This essay explores translation strategies for biographies from the perspective of Reiss’s text typology,based on the Chapter five,Sara Coleridge in Not Just Jane Rediscovering Seven Amazing Women Writers Who Transformed British Literature by US scholar Shelly DeWeesAccording to Reiss’s text typology,informative text,expressive text and operative text are three main types of text which serve as primary deciding factors when translators choose translation strategies.As non-fiction literature,the biography is somewhere between informative and expressive text,and it also contains operative text as the author calls for deserved attention from literary circle and readers to be paid to these forgotten female writers.In this connection,the essay studies translation strategies for informative text,expressive text,and operative text in the biography separately based on Reiss’s text typology.For informative text in the biography,priorities should be given to convey the facts in a faithful,clear way so as to maintain the authenticity of the biography.The translator needs to use plain words to translate this type of text in a logical manner.He or she must translate names of persons,places and works faithfully;look up for related information when some details are unclear in source text;and add notes if target readers may need to better understand the background of the text so that similar concepts or meanings are communicated to them.For expressive text in the biography,the translator needs to achieve the equivalent of aesthetic value of the source text either by retaining such aesthetic form s as figure of speeches or by creating new forms.For operative text in the biography,the translator needs to fully understand extra-linguistic purpose of the author,and try to appeal to or persuade the readers.