Abstract
Abstract: The translation of Culture-specific Items (CSI) has been a challenge for translators as well as cited examples for untranslatability. With the analysis of the strategies employed on the Chinese-English translation of measurement unit by Howard Goldblatt in his translation works of different times, this paper discusses the transition from “untranslatable†to “translatable†of certain CSIs. Translation strategies for CSI are also proposed with the consideration of how Chinese culture being introduced into the outside world. The study shows that although Goldblatt clearly advocates “reader-centered†translation, that is, the translator should translate for the target language reader, and emphasizes that the translator can only translate and be responsible for the target language reader, we can still see his efforts to introduce Chinese culture to American readers through his translation.
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