Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction 
1. Definition of Translation 
2. Criteria of Translation？ 
3. Is Translation Easy？ 
4. Literal Translation vs. Liberal Translation 
5. Some Translation Theories in the West 
6. Translatability 
7. Basic Differences Between English and Chinese 
Chapter 2 Disparity Between "Corresponding Words"in English and chinese 
1. Semantic Range and Classification 
2. Collocational Meaning 
3. Colorful Meaning 
4. The Innocent-Looking Preposition 
5. Personal Names 
6. Special Plurals 
7. Vogue Words 
Chapter 3 Different Ways of Expressing Actions 
1. The Verb 
2. The Noun 
3. The Preposition 
4. The Adjective 
Chapter 4 Different Perspectives Behind the Language 
1. Nomenclature and Focus 
2. View of Time and Space 
3. Specific and General 
4. Passive and Active 
5. Negative and Affirmative 
6. Objectivity and Subjectivity 
Chapter 5 Texture of the Sentence Structure 
1. Word Order 
2. Disjunctive Modifier 
3. Behind the Parallel Structure: the Conjunction And 
4. The Conjunction When 
5. Repetition Word and Word Repetition 
6. Information Condensed in the Attributive Modifier 
7. The Relative Clause 
8. Rhetorical Comparison 
9. Hypotaxis and Parataxis 
10. Punctuation 
Chapter 6 Pragmatics and Translation 
1. Purpose of Communication 
2. Communicative Euphemism 
3. Addressing Terms 
4. Conventional Greetings 
5. Stylistic Connotations 
Chapter 7 translation as Cross-Cultural Communication 
1. Cultural Connotation and Idioms 
2. Some Special Terms 
3. Culturally Unique Terms 
4. Trademarks and Advertisements 
5. Allusions 
6. Implication of Color Terms 
Appendix Ⅰ Key to Exercises 
Appendix Ⅱ recommended Books on Translation

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1. Definition of Translation 
There are many definitions of translation. Now let us look at a few of them: 
Translating is the art of recomposing a work in another language without losing its original flavor. --Columbia Encyclopedia 
把已说出或写出的话的意思用另一种言语表达出来的活动。——《中国大百科全书•语言文字卷》 
Translating is the replacement of textual material in one language (SL) by equivalent textual material in another language (TL). --J. C. Catford 
Translating consists in reproducing in the receptor language the closest natural equivalent of the source language message, first in terms of meaning and secondly in terms of style. --Eugene A. Nida 
To translate is to change into another language, retaining as much of the sense as one can. --Samuel Johnson 
(Translating) is rendering the meaning of a text into another language in the way the author intended the text. --Peter Newmark 
Translation is an art that involves the re-creation of a work in another language for readers with a different background. --Malcolm Cowley 
In the above definitions, several words are of much importance. The first one is "textual"(or "text"), which reminds us what we usually translate are texts rather than independent words or sentences. The second word is "natural", which tells us that it is not enough to produce grammatically correct sentences (that is the basic demand, especially in Chinese-English translation) but idiomatic, natural sentences. A further demand is raised in the third word "flavor" (or "style"), that is, the translator should do his best to retain the special characteristics of the original writer. For example, political essays or colloquialisms, or works by Hemingway and by Mark Twain should be reproduced into different styles based on the original ones. 
We may add some definitions by modem translation theorists. 
Israeli translation theorist Gideon Toury says: "A translation is taken to be any target-language utterance which is presented or regarded as such within the target culture, on whatever grounds." 
German translation theorist Christiane Nord gives this definition: "Translation is the production of a functional target text maintaining a relationship with a given source text that is specified according to the intended or demanded function of the target text." 
Toury emphasizes the culture while Nord gives more emphasis to the pragmatic approach, that is, to fulfill the function through the text. However, American translation theorist Jean Sager points out another aspect: "Translation is an extemally motivated industrial activity, supported by information technology, which is diversified in response to the particular needs of this form of communication." This definition puts translation as an industry, and translators have to suit the needs of their employers, who may make special demands. 
Traditionally, the translator was held to be responsible for the source text. This is not enough. From the above definitions we find not only "in the way the author intended" but also "for readers with a different background". This clearly reveals that the process of translation consists of five links: