A Report On The C-E Translation Of Bailu Yuan(excerpt)

Bailu Yuan by Chen Zhongshi is considered as one of the most outstanding novels in the end of the 20 th century.As a ?secret history? of a nation,Bailu Yuan fully displays the folklore culture and language characteristics in the central Shaanxi region,suggesting that its translation is of great value and significance.The author has chosen Chapter three of Bailu Yuan to translate.Then,taking the translated text of Chapter three as the research object,the author has made a comprehensive review,description,analysis and conclusion for this translation project from the perspective of Toury's theory of translation norms so as to unveil the effect of translation norms on the process of translation.In this thesis,the background,objectives and significance of the translation project are briefly introduced,and then the classification of Toury's theory of translation norms,i.e.,preliminary norms,initial norms and operational norms are elaborated.Subsequently,the author presents the overview of the translation process;the author firstly emphasizes on the influence of preliminary norms on the selection of the source text,and then the influence of initial norms on the selection of translation strategies is highlighted: guided by the translation inclination of ?adequacy over acceptability?,the author mainly adopts the translation strategy of foreignation supplemented with domestication.Case analysis is the most important part of the thesis,and this part firstly analyzes the textual translation methods the author adopts under the influence of matricial norms,including addition,omission,repositioning and textual segmentation;then it discusses the culture-loaded expression translation and stylistic feature translation under the influence of textual-linguistic norms: the author mainly uses literal translation,free translation,transliteration plus endnote and literal translation plus addition to translate culture-loaded expression,and uses literal translation and non-translation to translate the figures of speech including rhetorical question and onomatopoeia.Through the selection of translation methods and case analysis,the guidance and applicability of translation norms for analyzing the translation project are proved.Lastly,the author summarizes the major findings and some limitations of the thesis,and proposes suggestion for future similar translation.This thesis finds that Toury's theory of translation norms are of significant influence on the translation project,which are embodied in the roles of preliminary norms,initial norms and operational norms displayed in selecting translation materials,on treating discourse and phrases and on proofreading after translation.This thesis aims at exploring a new perspective in studying the English translation of Bailu Yuan.Meanwhile,through the case analysis of the translation of cultural expressions in Bailu Yuan,this thesis is expected to provide reference for translating similar types of text and help the readers of different cultures to learn about the folk customs in Shaanxi,achieving cross-cultural communication.