A good version should not only be faithful to the original text, but also conform to the usage of Chinese and attain the unity both in content and format。 It is the most essential to be faithful to the original text。 But because of the great difference between English and Chinese, the definition of faithfulness is not to copy the original text word-for-word but to express the thought of the original faithfully。 Therefore, the translator must use the translation techniques properly on the basis of understanding the original text。

Someone thinks that the criterion of translation is that when a language is converted into another language, the information of the text should not be added or omitted。 It is incorrect。 According to the translation practice, the amplification and omission are often used in English-Chinese translation。 Adding words and omitting words must prevent two tendencies。 One is to embellish the text excessively and be free to add some subjects。 The other is to avoid difficulty but choose the simplicity。 Both amplification and omission belong to translation techniques。 The application of amplification and omission can make the version more faithful and smooth, which plays an essential role in English-Chinese translation。

II。 The Factors of Translation

2。1 The Definition of Translation

With the development of globalization, the translation has played an important role in world’s politics, economy, science, literature and technology。 In the past, many scholars and experts have studied the definition of translation。 To say popularly, translation is an activity where the information of one language is turned into another language。 From the point of view of literature, translation is a form of artistic creation。 It emphasizes the creative function of language, and the translation is particular about the artistic effect。 Literary translation is to convey all the intentions of author。 That is to say, it is to affect the author’s thoughts and feelings through artistic techniques。 Mao Dun said, literary translation is to express the artistic conception of the original text by using another language。 In the study of linguistics, many linguists and translation theorists gave definitions of translation。 论文网

   Nida defined the translation as, “translation is to find the message in the receptor language as far as possible, if according to the equivalence in nature language, first is the equivalence, secondly in terms of styles” (79)。

   In fact, translation is an activity of language transformation。 It is not a simple transformation between the words of language and the structure of sentences。 What’s more, translation is not only the transformation on language level。 The semantic conversion is more important。 In the English-Chinese translation, if translation only pays attention to the transformation on text level, the content and the meaning of the original text can not be expressed better。

   In addition, translation is a tool and process of communication between two languages。 It is an activity which uses one language to express another language。 Its purpose is to promote the development of social politics, economy and culture。 As we all know, people from different countries speak different languages。 Though they express their information in different way, the meaning of their words is same。 In a word, translation must jump out the shackles of language level, and must be faithful to the content of original text。

2。2 The Principles of Translation

When we discuss the principles of translation in China, we have to mention Yan Fu。 In 1898, he put forward three principles in translation: faithfulness, expressiveness and elegance。 Faithfulness means the fully and completely expressing the content or thought of the original text。 That is to say, the translated text should be faithful to the original text。 Expressiveness means that the text should be translated expressive and coherent without anything awkward。 Specifically speaking, it demands that the version should be clear and smooth without any grammatical mistakes or confused logic and sense。 Elegance means that the translated text should keep the style of the original。 However, it is not adapted today because of representing the use of classical Chinese before the Han Dynasty。 Faithfulness and expressiveness are often used as today’s translation principles。 As time goes by, there are a lot of theories replacing the three principles。 Lu Xun advocated that the translation should keep the full flavor of the original text。 While Qian Zhongshu thinks that the highest standard of translation is “Sublimed Adaptation”。 When translators transform a book from one language to another, their views can keep the original text without showing a sign of stiff word-for-word translation as a result of conventional differences in language。 Fu Lei, a famous translator, put forward “Spiritual Conformity”。 That is, translation is like copying paintings, what to desire and attain is not alike in appearance but in spirit。 He emphasizes the reproduction of the spirit or the flavor of the original。文献综述