发言主题：典籍英译，中国可算世界一流

Translation for English-Language Newspapers in China

Zhang Ciyun

Shanghai Daily

Abstract: The translation for English-language newspapers in China is a special category of the translation industry. It’s different from the “literal translation,” “for information translation,” “for publication translation,” “technical translation,” “literary translation” or “marketing translation” as conventionally classified in translation studies.

Working for a daily newspaper, the translator/reporter faces great pressure of meeting deadlines and following the requirements for news reporting and writing. As a result, the translator/reporter will, more often than not, begin their work by adopting the “for information translation” methodology and end up in using the “for publication translation” tactics.

They also tend to begin their work as a translator and end up as a rewriter.

Author of this essay has also found out that contrary to most people’s belief in the translation industry, in this specific field it’s not impossible for a non-native translator/reporter to generate quality and publishable English news stories, features and editorials that need little editing.

Mr. Zhang Ciyun was born in Shanghai in July 1949. Mr. Zhang graduated from Stanford University, U.S.A., in 1984 with a master’s degree, journalism major. He is now the Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Information Office, Editor-in-Chief of the English-language newspaper Shanghai Daily and Vice President of the Shanghai Translators’ Association. Since 1980, Mr. Zhang has participated in and directed the creation of four English-language newspapers on the Chinese mainland, including two most influential English daily newspapers in the country today. In addition to his voluminous journalistic publications, Mr. Zhang has also won the reputation as a prolific translator in the past three decades. His published translation works include “Chinese Idioms and Their Stories,” “The Sino-US Relations (1945-1950),” “Strange Tales from the Liaozhai Studio” and “History of Ancient Tibet.” Most of his translation works are from Chinese to English.