A Report On The C-E Translation Of China In Historical Monuments—Beijing

Based on the Chinese-English translation of China in Historical Monuments—Beijing,this report summarizes the translation compensation strategies commonly used in the project.The report focuses on cultural default and translation compensation,documenting the whole process of this task from pre-translation preparations,in-translation process to post-translation improvement,and analyzing the application scenarios and functions of compensation strategies in a text that introduces cultural relic protection sites.As the case study shows,the vacuum of sense caused by cultural default can pose a comprehension problem to readers of the translated language,but the reasonable use of translation compensation strategies can effectively fill the vacuum and thus enable readers to gain a coherent understanding.Translation compensation strategies can be divided into two categories:implicit compensation and explicit compensation.Implicit compensation,such as amplification and specification,allows readers to quickly establish a coherent understanding and is suitable for adding brief information to cultural elements and explaining abstract architectural or cultural concepts;explicit compensation strategies,such as in-text annotation and footnote,can explain information in situations where it is difficult to process it as an in-sentence component,or even expand the readers’ background knowledge.In some cases,the combined use of implicit and explicit compensation can achieve complementary advantages.However,there are limitations on the use of translation compensation,as excessive compensation would affect the readers’ interest in reading and disrupt the purpose and rhythm of the original text.When necessary,literal translation,transliteration,or even non-translation is permissible.By summarizing the experience accumulated during translating the introduction to cultural relic protection sites in Beijing,I hope to provide some reference for the C-E translation of texts on ancient Chinese architecture.