A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide To The Century 21 (Excerpt) Translation Report

With the improvement of science and technology,books about popular science play a crucial role in disseminating scientific knowledge and fostering international scientific exchange.These articles and books embody a distinctive literary genre that seamlessly blends scientific rigor with artistic expression.They are precisely targeted at the general public and are designed to convey scientific knowledge through accessible and comprehensible language.Consequently,"How to achieve the same functional equivalence as the original text in translation " demands the popular science translators to make the in-depth exploration.This practical report focuses on the translation of the popular science book A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the Century 21.The author has specifically chosen the initial two chapters,which epitomize the most salient features of popular science writing,as the subjects for translation.Prior to embarking on the translation process,the author engaged in a comprehensive reading of the entire text,acquiring a profound understanding of its stylistic characteristics and the challenges entailed in translation.The source text exhibits linguistic accuracy,vivid description and has a strong educational and popularizing impact.The pivotal and arduous aspects of this translation practice lie in the precise and lucid translation of specialized terminology and intricate sentence structures found within the source text,the faithful conveyance of the original text’s information,and ultimately accomplishing the communicative intent of the original text.Hence,this report adopts the three principles of Skopos theory,draw upon numerous examples from the translation practice,provides a detailed analysis of the translation strategies and methodologies applicable to popular science texts,encompassing vocabulary,syntax,and discourse.At the lexical level,polysemous words necessitate contextual evaluation for accurate interpretation,while specialized terms and proper nouns necessitate cross-referencing from diverse sources to ensure precision.At the syntactical level,passive voice constructions and complex sentence structures should be adjusted to align with the reading habits and cultural background of the target readers.Strategies such as addition,omission,dissection,and reconfiguration should be employed to maximize the faithful expression of information from the original text,facilitating the dissemination of knowledge.Finally,at the discourse level,given that English places emphasis on form while Chinese focuses on meaning in discourse organization,disparities exist between the two languages regarding logical structure and stylistic preferences.Skopos theory posits that translations need not be mechanically rendered from the original text;instead,the foremost consideration should be fulfilling the translation’s purpose.Translators should fully leverage their subjectivity,accurately convey the original author’s intentions,adhere to the fidelity and popularizing nature inherent in popular science translation,meet the expectations of the target readers,and achieve precise transmission of the translation’s purpose.Through this translation practice,the author has gained a profound understanding of Skopos theory and the translation of popular science texts,with the hope that this report can serve as a valuable reference for the translation of similar popular science texts.