Course title

Translation Theory and Practice

Instructor

Li, Yanglong

Instructor’s profile

Professor, Department of Translation Studies, School of Foreign Languages, BUAA.

PhD. in English Language and Literature (Tsinghua University); MA in TESL (Western Michigan University); BA in English Language and Literature (Sichuan International Studies University)

Course goals

The course, Translation Theory and Practice, is designed both for MTI students and MA students of Foreign Languages and Literature. It aims to familiarize the students with similarities and dissimilarities between English and Chinese languages, practical translation theories, translation shifts, and practical translation approaches and skills. Through lots of the students’ off-class article translations and in-class discussions of their translation products, the students are expected to improve their translation abilities and skills, and the abilities of how to effectively use the theoretical knowledge in translation practice as well.

Topics

The course consists of 2 parts, basic translation theory studies and skill training, and translation practice and in-class discussions on the students’ translated products.

The basic translation theory covers 1) science of translation; 2) cultural translation; 3) skopos and manipulation theories; 4) translation shifts; 5) translation and quality evaluation approaches. The skill training includes repetition, conjunctions, omissions, structure and word-order shifts, modifiers, additions and reductions, compensation approaches and long sentence translation.

The translation practice and in-class discussions: eight articles selected from magazines of Newsweek or Time etc., with 1500-1700 words each per week.

Assessment

The course is assessed through one course paper and an English-Chinese translation of about 1500-1700 word article.

Reference books

BASSNETT, Susan. Translation Studies, Third edition. London & New York: Routledge. 2002.

Chen, Dehong & Zhang, Nanfeng．Selections of Western Translation Theories．Hong Kang：City University of Hong Kong Press. 2000．

LI, Yanglong. Readings on Western Translation Theories．Xi-an：World Publishing Corperation．2007．

NEWMARK, Peter. Approaches to Translation. Oxford: Pergamon. 1982.

NIDA, Eugene A. & TABER, Charles R. The Theory and Practice of Translation. Leiden: E. J. Brill. 1982．

NORD, Christiane. Translating as a Purposeful Activity, Functionalist Approaches Explained. Manchester: St. Jerome Publishing. 1997.

WILSS, Wolfram. The Science of Translation: Problems and Methods. Tübingen: Gunter Narr. 1982.

Working language

English, Chinese

Notes