Preface: Profile of the Variational Translation Theory
Chapter 1 Complete Translation and Variational Translation
Section 1 Traditional category of translation
Section 2 Newly-established category of translation
Chapter 2 Variational Translation Theory: A Brand-new Translation Theory
Section 1 What is variational translation theory
Section 2 Context of establishing variational translation Theory
Section 3 The system of variational translation
Chapter 3 Variational Translation Research: A Scientific Research Line
Section 1 Fact-based research strategy
Section 2 Pyramid-shaped research object
Section 3 Research tasks for effective development
Chapter 4 The Essence of Variational Translation
Section 1 The nature of translation
Section 2 The features of variational translation
Section 3 The nature of variational translation
Chapter 5 Variational Translation System
Section 1 The diagram of variational translation system
Section 2 Three elements of variational translation system
Chapter 6 Adaptation Techniques
Section 1 Adaptation and Its Classification
Section 2 Seven adaptation techniques
Chapter 7 Methods of Variational Translation
Section 1 Classification of variational translation methods
Section 2 Eleven variational translation methods
Chapter 8 Hierarchy of Variational Translation
Section 1 Table of variational translation hierarchy
Section 2 The relations of variational translation methods in the hierarchy
Chapter 9 The Unit of Variational Translation
Section 1 An outline of translation unit
Section 2 The unit of variational translation
Chapter 10 The Process of Variational Translation
Section 1 The macroscopic process of variational translation
Section 2 The microscopic process of variational translation
Chapter 11 The Mechanism of Variational Translation
Section 1 Reader’s restriction on the choice of translator
Section 2 Adaptation techniques determined by translator
Section 3 Adaptation techniques constituting the variational translation method
Section 4 Adaptation techniques acting on the original
Section 5 Form change depending on content ingestion
Chapter 12 The Special Effects of Variational Translation
Section 1 Abundance: Large amount of information
Section 2 Swiftness: Quick spreading of information
Section 3 Excellence: High quality of information
Section 4 Economization: Saving time and space of translation
Section 5 Preciseness: Precise positioning of information
Chapter 13 The Standards of Variational Translation
Section 1 Brief discussion of translation standards
Section 2 The standards of variational translation
Chapter 14 The Scope of Variational Translation
Section 1 Literary and art works
Section 2 Social science works
Section 3 Scientific and technological works
Chapter 15 The Value of Variational Translation
Section 1 Embodying translator’s life value
Section 2 Highlighting the use value of original work
Section 3 Meeting readers’ special requirements
Section 4 Pursuing the social efficiency of translation
References
Glossary
Zhonglian Huang is a Professor of Translation at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. He is a distinguished translation theorist, the initiator of variational translation theory, and founder of science translatology and applied translation studies. His main interests lie in translatology and the comparative study of translational Chinese and foreign languages. He has conducted four research projects sponsored by the National Office for Philosophy and Social Sciences and six projects funded by the Ministry of Education. He is the author of 26 monographs and translated works, and over 300 academic articles and the Editor-in-Chief of three academic book series. His current titles include Expert of the 100-Talent Program of Shannxi Province, Pearl River Scholar of Guangdong Province, board member of the accreditation committee of academic programs of the State Council, and committee member of the National Social Science Foundation.
Yongzhong Zhang is an Associate Professor of Translation at Hubei University of Economics, China. Holding a Ph.D. degree in Translation and Intercultural Studies, he has published two monographs and 23 academic articles in these areas.
This book, adopting the perspective of cross-cultural communication, theoretically justifies and addresses human variational translation practice for the first time in the area of translation studies, focusing on the adaptation techniques and variational translation methods, as well as general features and laws of the variational translation process. It classifies and summarizes seven main adaptation techniques and eleven translation methods applicable to all variational translation activities. These techniques and methods, quite different from those used in complete translation or full translation, are systematically studied together with examples, allowing readers to not only understand their interrelations and differences within the context of variational translation methods, but also to master them in order to improve their translation efficacy and efficiency. Readers will gain a better understanding of how variational translation is produced, and of its important role in advancing cross-cultural communication and in reconstructing human knowledge and culture.
This book is intended for translation scholars, translation practitioners, students, and others whose work involves the theory and practice of translation and who want to enhance their translation proficiency in cross-cultural communication for the Information Age.