2.2 Back Translation and Textless Back Translation
On the one hand, back translation, as defined by Shuttleworth (2004: 54) in his Dictionary of Translation Studies, involves translating a text from a specific language back into its original language for comparison with the source text. It serves as a quality check for translations and is often used in research to study changes that occur during the translation process.
On the other hand, Li’s (Li & Tu 2019) idea of textless back translation is different from traditional back translation. Despite the absence of the original text in the back translation process, the core focus remains on Chinese culture. It’s more about bringing back Chinese culture rather than translating word for word.
When translating into Chinese, it’s crucial to ensure that the language closely fits what Chinese readers expect. Additionally, the cultural details must match what Chinese readers know, as they’re more familiar with the original culture. Wang (2016) further emphasizes the need to naturalize the translated culture towards the target culture, minimizing the intrusion of foreign cultural factors to enhance cultural authenticity and readability.
3 Translation Process Description ........................... 8
3.1 Pre-translation ...................... 8
3.2 While-translation ....................... 8
3.3 Post-translation ............................ 9
4 Case Analysis .............................. 10
4.1 Lexical Analysis .......................... 10
4.1.1 Wade-Giles Name Transliteration ........................ 10
4.1.2 Culture -specific Items ...................... 17
5 Conclusion .................. 26
5.1 Major Findings ............................ 26
5.2 Limitations and Suggestions for Further Research .......................... 27
4 Case Analysis
4.1 Lexical Analysis
The analysis of the translation text from a lexical standpoint involves several key aspects. Firstly, there’s a notable presence of Wade-Giles romanization throughout the text. However, upon consulting the Wade-Giles and Pinyin Conversion Table, it becomes apparent that certain words fail to accurately convey the author’s intended meaning. This emphasizes the importance of understanding the method of conversion and its impact on the translation process.
Secondly, the text predominantly focuses on documenting the daily life of Chinese people in Shandong. It frequently incorporates expressions commonly used by ordinary Chinese individuals, which reflect unique cultural nuances specific to China. The translator conscientiously notes these cultural subtleties to ensure a faithful rendition of the original text.
Moreover, when it comes to translating Chinese familial titles, Ida’s approach demonstrates distinctively English characteristics. The translator provides several examples to analyze the differences in expression between Chinese and English regarding kinship titles. Consequently, this chapter is structured into three parts: Wade-Giles name transliteration, cultural-specific terms, and familial titles.
5 Conclusion
5.1 Major Findings
This translation practice report adheres to the principles of textless back translation and related concepts proposed by Professor Wang Hongyin. The material possesses
