ON TRANSLATING CHINESE PROSE PRESENTATIONS

Abstract

Following the lead of Harman (2006), this is an analysis of the English prose translations of four Chinese university presentations on the Internet. Thanks to its spectacular progress in economics, China has gained worldwide attention. It is therefore no surprise that many Chinese universities feel that they must join the world competition in offering openings in higher education. The Internet is naturally their first choice for advertising their study programs and for enhancing their chances for international collaboration. This article argues that many English translations of the presentations are unlikely to fulfill the mission. They are fairly unreadable because there is too much superfluous information which is, furthermore, often culture-bound and “culturally unchanged”. The analysis is primarily intended to call attention to some of the features also noted by English translators in Chinese prose. In another perspective, it may help raise the awareness of Chinese translators of cultural differences, so as to make for smoother communication. The article briefly refers to the Skopos theory and questions concerning cultural values in the globalized world.