A Report Of The E-C Translation Of The Birthplace （Excerpt） From The Perspective Of Steiner’S Hermeneutic Translation Theory

This paper is a report of an English-Chinese translation practice of the first four chapters of Henry James’ short story,The Birthplace,and under the guidance of George Steiner’s hermeneutic translation theory.The Birthplace takes the relationship of the author and his personal life as its theme,which has a realistic meaning.Henry James’ writing style is obscure,to which Steiner’s hermeneutic translation theory that stresses understanding can be applied.This theory has been gaining more attention in recent years,as many scholars at home and abroad evaluated and applied it to translation analysis of certain texts,which proves the feasibility and importance of applying it to translation practice.This practice applies Steiner’s four steps into translation: trust,aggression,incorporation and restitution.According to the translator’s knowledge of the author,the translator gives adequate “trust” to the text,believing in its translatability and value;next,the translator carefully analyzes the text and predicts translation difficulties,and also finds parallel texts to support personal understanding;in the step of “incorporation”,the translator sets out on translating;in the “restitution” step,the translator measures the relationship between the original text and the translation.For difficult points in “incorporation” and important points in “restitution”,the translator uses the method of case studying,classifies and discusses them.As a result,two principles of these two steps in literary translation are drawn: the translator should pay attention to special expressions and analyze logic orders “rationally”;in the“restitution” step,three aspects（contents,structures and the writing style）should be reconsidered.This translation practice does not only summarize the translation process but also provides valuable reference and experience for the translator’s future practice and work,as well as providing a new aspect for future students majoring in English Translation.