| The text chosen for translation is from Contagion:How Commerce Has Spread Disease.It elaborates on the history and adverse impact of contagions during the 14th and 20th centuries.Based on chapter seven,Plague and Global Economy,this report analyzes the language features of the translation material,the difficulties encountered,and the main translation methods applied under the guidance of Catford’s translation shifts theory.The language features of this text are distinctive.Firstly,nominalized words frequently appear in the text.Secondly,passive voice sentences and inanimate sentences are often used.Thirdly,many long,complicated and logical sentences are utilized.Fourthly,the words and expressions used in the text are relatively easy to follow.Given these linguistic features,the translation of the text should convey original information accurately in line with the narrative rule and habit of the target language,so that the readability of the translation can be enhanced.Therefore,Catford’s translation shift theory is adopted.Accordingly,structure shifts are applied to translate the affirmative sentences,passive voice,postpositive attributives and inanimate sentences in the original text.Secondly,unit shifts are used to guide the "leap" of units among different rank scales.Thirdly,class shifts are utilized to deal with the changes in the parts of speech.Guided by the translation shifts,the linguistic difficulties encountered can be solved.As such,the translation can accurately convey the original information,and accord with the expression habits and linguistic features of the target language.The translated material allows readers to learn more about contagion and trade from a global perspective,given that the whole world is currently under the shadow of Covid-19,posing threats to the global economy,culture and social stability.In addition,the translation practice can provide some insights and inspiration for future translations of informative texts. |
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