1)Words with Chinese Characters
Reading through official report,we find many words with Chinese characters,brief but precise.Only four Chinese characters are able to deliver the full content of a policy while vividly expressing social attitudes.Therefore,in dealing with such words,the basic principle is to take both content and the hidden emotional tendency into consideration.For example,“crack down on”in“crack down on pornography and illegal publications”cannot be replaced by such neutral words as“remove”,“end”or“extinguish”.Even the word“resist”fails to express government's strong determination to stamp pornography and illegal publications out by forceful means.
Generally,there are two major approaches adopted in the translation of words with Chinese characters:
When it comes to worldly accepted and history honored policies,direct translation loyal to Chinese expression habits is suitable,such as“one country,two systems”(“一国两制”),“a moderately prosperous society in all respects”(全面小康),“socialism with Chinese characteristics”(中国特色社会主义),“look at him with new eyes”(对他刮目相看)etc.These special words,taking shape gradually in the process of the development of China's economic,political,cultural and social structure and decided by China's national conditions,do not apply to foreign countries.Direct translation implies the special nature of those policies,making foreigners better understand Chinese culture.
However,there are also many new words that do not have a settled and widely recognized English expression due to their late birth.Although we Chinese people may know implied meaning well,it's still beyond foreign readers'comprehension.So,in this perspective,the technique of amplification should be utilized by adding the full content in detail to convey messages across cultures.Examples of such technique include“fostering moral standards and promoting rounded development of people”(立德树人)instead of“establish morality and cultivate people”,“be published in a newspaper”(见报)instead of“appear on the newspaper”,etc.