A Study Of The Role Of English Reading In Shaping English-Chinese Translation Competence From The Perspective Of Translational Writing Theory

Chinese translators have long been engaged in two kinds of translation:translating foreign thoughts,words,and texts into Chinese,and translating traditional Chinese concepts and notions into foreign languages.Both translating from English into Chinese and that of the opposite direction pose great challenges to translators due to the vast dissimilarities in languages,cultures as well as patterns of thought of the language users.Compared with Chinese-English translation,English-Chinese translation may be deemed less challenging for Chinese translators,but still sets extremely high requirements on translators.To ensure that every given text can be translated with accuracy and grace,translators should be equipped with translation competence.It can be claimed that the research on translation competence is of significance for translators and translation studies.It is universally accepted that translation competence is a summation of a variety of sub-competencies.It may account for a tendency that a lot more components are involved in the models of translation competence proposed by researchers and scholars alike.With a lack of consensus on what constitutes translation competence,it becomes increasingly difficult for translators to have a clear picture of the constituents of translation competence and develope each sub-competence.The study of translation competence should be thus aimed at making it known to translators what translation competence is and what are the components of translation competence with emphasis laid on providing guidance to aid translators' generation of optimal translations.The focus of the study of translation competence coincidently conforms to that of the translational writing theory,which centers on enabling translators to work out good translated texts in English-Chinese translation Based on translational writing theory,this thesis adopts the process model to approach translation competence and arrives at the conclusion that translation competence is synonymous to translational writing competence,which consists of sub-competencies intended at the four stages of the translational writing process.As English reading plays a significant role during English-Chinese translational writing,this thesis is aimed at revealing to translators how they can increase translation competence by giving full play to English reading.English reading occurs throughout the entire process of English-Chinese translational writing,thus making English reading competence act as one of the important sub-competences expected of translators,which can also be addressed as translational reading competence.During English-Chinese translational writing,for a translator to increase translation competence,he or she should strive for acquiring translational reading competence,which can be ultimately realized by exposure to the three types of translation-oriented reading,including extensive reading,background text reading as well as source text reading.With the first two types of reading enabling translators to enhance English language competence and gain encyclopedic knowledge,source text reading determines the quality of a translation,which thus requires translators of English reading comprehension competence.Only when a translator adequately perceives the the content,the text type and organizational patterns as well as the stylistic features of the source text can he or she succeed in acquiring reading comprehension competence and getting perfectly prepared for the generation of optimal translations.