As a translator, we deal with Chinese-English and English-Chinese translation in daily work. Now I’d like to talk about C-E translation, one essential aspect in the work.

It is not easy for native Chinese speakers to translate from Chinese to English, due to differences in culture and expression between both languages. So how to do it well is a matter of deep concern to many translators. I think we should make efforts from three aspects :

Firstly, we should master the necessary English grammar knowledge. Grammer is foundation of the language. Only when we have acquired a good knowledge of grammar can we write correctly, or we may make mistakes even we know Chinese well.

Secondly, read English orignal works, go to English website and watch English movies. Through these, we can build up our language sense, and then upgrade it to a higher level. Therefore, when we come into contact with some Chinese sentences, we may immediately know how to suitably express them in English.

And many translators may translate materials from different industries, so learn some industies related English material may help them in future Chinese-English translation. Also, we can learn how to express in English accurately and authentically from these English material.

Thirdly, practice C-E translation. As the saying goes, “practice makes perfect. ” Practice not means just conducting translation exercises and doing nothing after this process. We also need to modify the words, sentences or passanges we did not translate well, and try to express them more accurately, and lastly summarize them. Through these processes, we make progress every day.

C-E translation is a complex process, which requires us to perform it seriously and carefully. Besides, it is a long way to do it well. So we should work hard on this aspect and improve it day by day!

Read Also: Tips for C-E Translation

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