Translation Methods of Chinese Prose from the Perspective of Functional Equivalence Theory—Taking the Translation of Wild Grass by Zhang Peiji as an Example

Abstract

Modern Chinese prose is an important part of Chinese culture and literature, so translation of modern Chinese prose becomes increasingly important. Prose has the following unique features: flexible in form but condensed in spirit, with emotional, elegant and concise language. In order to convey these features in Chinese-English translation, we can adopt functional equivalence theory. With reader’s response as its core, the theory holds that the closest natural equivalence should be achieved in translation so that the target readers will have the same response in terms of appreciating and understanding of the original text. This paper takes Wild Grass translated by Zhang Peiji as an example and proves that functional equivalence can be applied in the translation of modern Chinese prose.