Chapter Overview of Translation Task
1.1 Background and Content of the Task
The task of translating the quality manual of strand steel enterprise is completed through group cooperation. The number of the entire translation task is approximately 18,000 words. What the author has done is 18 chapters and 1 attachment drawings of the strand steel quality manual, the total number of which is about 10,000 words. The contents of the quality manual include engineering accessories and production processes related to strand steel. So, before the translation, the author and other translation team members firstly learnt and understood the relevant engineering terminology and its process flow chart so that we can unify the terminology’s expression, and then carry out the task assignment, potential translating problems collection and re-confirmation, initial translation, review, translation, final draft and other related translation process. The final translation draft is submitted to the enterprise who wrote the quality manual. The whole process of translation practice has given the author a further understanding of the characteristics of the quality manual and a great improvement for the translation skills. Also, it enriched the author’s translation experience for text translation combined with scientific and descriptive texts. The author hopes more in-depth study and more engineering-related processes so that a better translation can be completed. Absolutely, the author hopes the translation of the quality manual can better serve the enterprise and be beneficial to win a good reputation for the enterprise in foreign countries.
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1.2 Introduction to Quality Manual
The quality manual is a general statement of the enterprise’s internal quality system; the main documents to establish and carry out the quality system; a key part of the quality system of the enterprise. (Hu Changyong,1994) No matter what scopes the quality manual is applied to, it must include: quality policy, management responsibility, activities and manual management. (Li Jingxiao,1999) Furthermore, the English translation of the quality manual can be used to gain more recognition and trust from overseas enterprises, which will enable enterprises to get a better international publicity to some extent. The quality manual is generally written by the enterprise according to the international standards. The scope of management, product scope, processes and requirements described by the enterprises are all the work carried out by the enterprise and a programmatic document to be observed by the enterprise. So, there is a saying about the quality manual: write what you do, and do what you write. (Zhang Wenhui,1995) On one hand, the quality manual can determine the quality policy and objectives of the enterprise, communicate with the internal staff of the enterprise to ensure the work can be conducted orderly; on the other hand, the quality manual is a favorable proof of the strength for the enterprise and it can help the enterprise to establish the image of the enterprise. Besides, it can help win the trust of customers and meet customers’ regulations, so as to achieve the role of corporate outreach. No matter in which aspect, the quality manual is crucial to an enterprise, especially in responding to our country’ One Belt and One Road policy.
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Chapter Ⅱ Theoretical Foundation
2.1 Introduction to Newmark’s Communicative Translation Theory
Before translating, the author searched a lot of relevant translating theories. Such as: Nida once said in The Theory and Practice of Translation that ‘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 the terms of style’（Nida & Taber, 2004）; Gentzler believes that if the translator chooses to translate close to the translations, it will be acceptable. (Gentzler,1980); Yan Fu believes that three translation difficulties should be “faithfulness, expressiveness, elegance” in the translation. (Yan Fu,1897)
Peter Newmark, who is a famous English translation theorist and translation educator, proposed semantic translation and communicative translation. Many translation scholars have been immersed in literal translation and free translation, but have neglected the purpose of translation of the target text, the characteristics of the reader and the type of text. He holds the opinion that communicative translation should ‘attempt to produce on its readers an effect as close as possible to that obtained on the readers of the original.’（Newmark,2001）In the book Approaches to Translation, Newmark proposes that different translating method – semantic translation and communicative translation should be adopted according to different text types.(Newmark,1981). The biggest similarities and differences between semantic translation and communicative translation are:
(1) Semantic translation is more objective, emphasizing accuracy, so that more translation forms are verbatim translation, literal translation and faithful translation; while communicative translation is more subjective, paying attention to the reader's reaction, so that more translation forms are domestication, free translation and authentic translation.
(2) In terms of expression, the semantic translation is closer to the source form, but it is more complicative and clumsy than communicative translation, so, compared to the semantic translation, communicative translation is more smooth, clear, and suitable for the reading habits of target readers.
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2.2 Application of the Theory to Translation Practice
After analyzing these translation theories, the author found that Newmark’s communicative translation theory is more suitable for the translation of quality manual. Because the function of the quality manual for English version is to gain the third party’s trust from the international customers. The reader’s reading effect is quite important. The quality manual is a descriptive text with engineering terminologies, so that its textual features are more suitable for translation under the guidance of communicative translation theory. Therefore, the translation tasks of this quality manual are carried out under the guidance of communicative translation theory.
Besides, communicative translation is one of the two translation modes proposed by Newmark. The purpose is to ‘…attempts to render, as closely as the semantic and syntactic structures of the second language allow, the exact contextual meaning of the source.’（Newmark,2001）. In other words, the focus of communicative translation is to convey information according to the language and culture of the target language, rather than copying the text of the source text. The focus of communicative translation is the target language readers, which can exclude readers from reading or communication difficulties and obstacles in some point, so that communication can proceed smoothly.#p#分页标题#e#
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Chapter Description of Translation ProcessⅢ ··························· 7
3.1 Pre-translation ····································· 7
3.1.1 Unification of Terminology ·························· 7
3.1.2 Preparation of Translation Tools ···················· 8
Chapter Case AnalysisⅣ ···························· 11
4.1 Problems and Solutions of Lexical Translation ····················· 11
4.1.1 Terminology ··························· 11
4.1.2 Lexical Conversion ······················· 12
Chapter SummaryⅤ of Translation Practice ·························· 23
5.1 Reflections on Translation Process ························· 23
5.2 Qualities an Excellent Translator Should Have ····················· 24
Chapter Case AnalysisⅣ
4.1 Problems and Solutions of Lexical Translation
4.1.1 Terminology
The enterprise's quality manual contains some technical terms related to strand steel equipment and processing flow, such as:
预应力混凝土用钢绞线：Steel wires for prestressed concrete 中频回火: Intermediate frequency tempering 预应力筋用锚具: Anchorage for prestressed tendons 粗 车 Rough turning 粗钻孔 Coarse drilling 粗铰孔 Coarse reaming 精铰孔 Fine reaming 毛坯 rough 攻丝 tapering
For the confirmation of technical terms, the following methods are mainly used:
(1) Through the enterprise's 2014 old version of the quality manual to obtain the expression of relevant technical terms;
(2) Through the online query related expressions of terms, such as Alibaba English page;
(3) Group discussion and relevant information searching to confirm. Finally, the translation team members conduct the confirmation to achieve consistency in the translation.
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Chapter SuⅤ mmary of Translation Practice
5.1 Reflections on Translation Process
reference(omitted)
