1 Introduction

This paper is highly informative for both translators and writers. First of all, the author hopes that the analysis presented in this study will help with biography translation. There are a lot of biographical works available for the Chinese audience right now, but not many have been thoroughly examined. The goal of this paper’s study is to provide translators with a fuller comprehension of the chapters and to serve as a reference for biographical works they may translate. In addition to recounting the life story of the main character, a biography also uses the main character’s story to reflect the broader social and cultural context (Zhou Jie, 2020). Moreover, as the world grows increasingly interconnected, the practice of translating biographies back and forth between countries has advanced, making communication between biographies easier. This will support the biography’s development (Zhou Jie, 2020). In the process of translation the author finds that although he can read the original text, it is difficult to express it, and it is much more difficult to express it appropriately, vividly and aptly, fluently and smoothly. There are also different cultural backgrounds, which create different things and environments, and it is necessary for the translator to do his own work to understand their cultural backgrounds. Through in-depth deliberation of this translation, discussion of the problems involved, and combining the translation methods and strategies usually learned, the author summarize the methods and strategies that translators can use in translating biographies. Although there are various kinds of translations, translation strategies can still be borrowed from each other in other translation processes. These works help the author to continue learning and working in the future (Li Xiaodan, 2013). The author hopes to improve his translation ability through this translation practice and apply the translation theory more proficiently in the studies ahead (Tang Weiwei, 2021).

In recent years, with the continuous development of China’s economy and the gradual acceleration of the process of global integration, inter-country exchanges do not only stop at the economic level, but also literature, film and television works have also flooded into the Chinese market. During the period of cultural conflict and collision, it is natural to need the support of the bridge of translation, which not only plays the role of spreading the national culture and introducing the foreign culture, but also is the tool of communication between the two cultures (Gao Yang, 2015). This challenge becomes even more pronounced when dealing with biographical literature. This paper delves into the strategies, such as foreignization and domestication, employed in the translation of biographical literature, with a specific emphasis on two translation techniques----literal translation and free translation. The author will scrutinize the impact of various translation techniques on biographical literature, including the fluency and readability of translations resulting from the faithfulness that literal translation may yield to the source text, the effects of free translation on target reader comprehension, and the role of cultural adaptation in shaping the dissemination and reception of biographical literature. Through this comprehensive exploration, we gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities present in translating biographical literature.

2 Exploration of Translation Strategies

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2.1 Distinction between Foreignization and Domestication

In literary translation, foreignization and domestication are the more commonly used translation strategies. domestication is similar to free translation, which tends to the reader’s native language, i.e., the target language as the destination; foreignization is similar to literial translation, which takes the culture of the source language as the destination, and tends to the author’s native language (Gao Yang, 2015). From a theoretical point of view, both foreignization and domestication are a kind of translation strategy, whose name was proposed by the American translation theorist Lawrence Venut. In 1995, he collectively called the translation strategy of keeping the author of the source language intact, translating on the basis of preserving the original content and the writing style of the original author, and guiding the reader to enter the author, which was once elaborated by the German translation theorist Schleiermacher in “On the Method of Translation”, and the translation strategy of translating as far as possible into the original language was called “foreignization”. “The translation strategy of letting the readers of the target language stay put as far as possible and guiding the author to approach the readers is called “domestication”. Since then, foreignization and domestication have become the common terminology used by translation researchers in the field of translation (Wang Lijiao, Chen Jun, Kang Xiaomei, 2018).

In translation practice, foreignization and domestication are not opposed to each other, but are two mutually complementary translation strategies serving different translation purposes and readers. domestication is conducive to the understanding of the original language by the readers of the translated language, while foreignization helps to enrich the means of expression of the translated language (Zhang Yaxi, 2016). With the increase of international exchanges and the popularization of foreign information by new media, domestic readers are familiar with some major events and scenic spots in foreign countries, and many readers have already possessed a certain degree of foreign language proficiency, so the demand for original translations has increased, and the translators are also required to increase the proportion of foreignization in translations accordingly. Therefore, the so-called selection of the strategies of foreignization and domestication is not either one or the other but rather is based on the rational use of the specific purpose of translation and the scenario and focuses on it (Chen Hao, 2017).

2.2 Distinction and Balance between Literal Translation and Free Translation

Literial translation and free translation are similar to foreignization and domestication. But they belong to translation techniques (Wang Lijiao, Chen Jun, Kang Xiaomei, 2018). Because of the long tradition of literal and free translation, our scholars mostly refer to their understanding of literal and free translation when interpreting foreignization and domestication. For example, Sun Zhili argues that “foreignization is roughly equivalent to direct translation and domestication is roughly equivalent to free translation.” According to Zhang Meifang, the concepts implied by domestication and foreignization are in fact much the same as the concepts traditionally referred to in China as direct and intentional translation. In fact, nowadays, when we re-examine direct and intentional translation from the perspective of domestication and foreignization, we can see that the difference between the two is still quite significant (Chen Hao, 2017). The author, on the other hand, believes that literal translation and free translation are two corresponding translation techniques guided by the strategies of foreignization and domestication. Feng Qinghua (2009) said that free translatoon is a translation method that only keeps the content of the original text and does not stick to the structure of the original text. According to Liu Chongde (1991), free translation is the second option after the literal translation fails to express the meaning of the original text (Liu Shuiyuan, 2023).

3 Case Studies

For English majors or those familiar with Western culture, some words will not be an obstacle to their understanding of the text, but most Chinese do not have the appropriate background of knowledge, so it can be argued that they lack basic knowledge of Western culture. For many of them, some words would be incomprehensible without explanation. In line with the translation’s objective, translators strive to introduce Western culture to Chinese readers.

For example, some expressions in Kellogg’s Corn Flakes are completely foreign to the Chinese readers as no equivalent can be found in Chinese culture. Some words and the meanings contained in these words are culturally incomprehensible to the target readers. Considering that there is no Chinese cultural image to replace these words, the author can use the strategy of literal translation.

For example, the “great disappointment” in the original text, which was a movement in the American religious circles at that time, had no corresponding statement in Chinese culture. A direct translation such as “大失望” can offer a new cultural experience to the target readers. Moreover, some of these words run through the original text and are important so they should not be deleted.

Another example from Steve Jobs is “In February 1974, after eighteen months ofhanging around Reed, Jobs decided to move back tohis parents home in Los Altos and look for a job.” and the translation is “1974年2月，在里德学院晃荡了18个月以后,乔布斯决定搬回父母在洛斯阿尔托斯的住处，然后找一份工作。” The sentence chosen above is a declarative sentence which simply states an objective fact about the situation of Steve Jobs in 1974 without modifying clauses and phrases. Steve Jobs’ early life is described chronologically in the original text. Since the purpose of the sentence is to objectively convey information about the circumstances of his former school life, a verbatim or direct translation is the best way to accurately and objectively convey the information and recreate the situation (Chen Shaodan, 2023).

Literal translation with annotation is also a common translation technique when translating allusions to English works. The literal translation with annotation method is done by keeping the basic form of the original text and annotating it in this case. There are a lot of place names and enumerators in the allusions of English literature, which may lead to many errors and problems in the translation if the direct translation method is used, while the free translation method may misinterpret or distort the culture of the people. In this case, we have to use the method of literal translation with annotation for translation, so as to retain the original meaning of the language as much as possible while avoiding the loss of national characteristics, so that the translated text can be more in line with the meaning of the original text.

For example, “offer a present to a guest with other peoples tings make a git of something given by another” is translated into Chinese as “借花献佛”, and in the face of this kind of article, using the literal translation with annotation method can keep the expected translation In addition to this, the translation by the method of literal translation with annotation can retain the meaning and characteristics of the original text, and can also better show the cultural connotation contained therein (Liu Ruixuan, 2019).

Still, in the Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, “the Millerism” and “the Seventh Day Adventist church” in the original text are quite unfamiliar to most target language readers, and without annotation, readers may be confused about some words and may stop reading to figure out the word for themselves, or they may continue reading and ignore the word. In either case, the purpose of this translation will not be achieved. Therefore, the translator adds notes with cultural considerations in mind. “The Seventh Day Adventist church” is a proper noun and the information in brackets is not in the original text. This is added because Chinese readers may not have extensive knowledge of foreign culture and history. Therefore, a direct translation might not capture their attention or might make the text appear obscure. As a result, the text becomes more accessible, aligning with the translator’s goal of ensuring that target readers can enjoy the biography as much as their foreign counterparts.

“Even if administrators in the army did not, Bellows, president of the commission, and its other founders understood what poor sanitary conditions, insufficient food, a lack of hygiene and of screening for contagious disease would mean for the health of the U.S. Army. The lessons of the British fight in Crimea a few years before were well known, where the death rate from disease among soldiers had been more than double the toll taken by enemy fire.” This a example from Architects of an American Landscape and the translation is “即使军队的管理人员不知道，但是委员会主席贝洛斯和其他创始人也明白卫生条 件差、食物不足、缺乏卫生和传染病筛查对美国军队的健康意味着什么。几年前英国在克里米亚的战斗中，因霍乱肆意，受伤得不到妥善救治的教训是众所周知的，那里士兵的疾病死亡率是死于敌人炮火人数的两倍多。” In this example, the author describes the creation of a new army in the United States and invites Olmsted to head the health committee. The author cites the lessons of the British war to show that it is necessary to improve the medical and sanitary conditions of the troops. If “British fight in Crimea” is translated into “英国在克里米亚的战争”, it is difficult for readers to read the context, and readers do not know what people have learned in war. Therefore, the translator transfers the information about the Crimea War related to this paragraph, and translates it as “英国在克里米亚的战斗中，因霍乱肆意，受伤得不到妥善救治的教训”, so that readers can immediately understand the lessons Britain learned in the Crimea War and the need for Olmsted to head the health committee (Chen Dan, 2023).

In many cases, the content of the original text should not be easily changed. It is the translator’s responsibility to introduce the foreign culture to the target audience. However, this depends on many factors. However, the application of free translation is to change the position of words and sentence structures in the original text in order to adapt to the real meaning of the original text and the culture of the intended readers. The purpose of free translation is to make the translation as fluent as possible under the principle that the translation is faithful to the thought content of the original text. Due to the diversity of Chinese and foreign cultures, the translator must take into account the reading habits and aesthetic psychology of the target readers, that is to say, only using the translation strategy of literal translation is far from being enough to achieve a satisfactory translation effect. Therefore, free translation is another common translation strategy (Chen Shaodan, 2023)

For example, in Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, “It was during his time in Florida that his relevance began to fade, as medicine continued to grow and progress beyond his outdated ideals.” The direct translation of “relevance began to fade” as “相关性开始减弱” is difficult for Chinese readers to understand. Here, ‘relevance’ pertains to his significance within the field of medicine. and in relation to the later statement that medicine is constantly evolving and his relevance to medicine began to fade, then it can be translated as “他渐渐淡出了医学界” to make the sentence smooth and easy to read.

The title of a biography in The New Yorker magazine----“The Deflationist--How Paul Krugman Found Politics” was translated into “经济学家保罗·克鲁格曼与政治”. It’s hard to search for an equivalent Chinese expression for an English word in English-Chinese dictionaries. In addition, it is too unintelligible for target readers to understand with selected mechanical translation. The word “Deflationist” in the title refers to those economists who deal with deflation, however an equivalent expression cannot be found in Chinese. Therefore choosing an extended meaning word “economist”, which is used to describe Paul Krugman in the article all the time, a corresponding word to “Politics”, is much better than a phrase “主张通货紧缩者” which is even not approriate in title (Liu Songing, 2018).

At the same time, some of the long and difficult sentences in the original text are whole sentences separated by no punctuation but if they are not broken up in the translation, the translation may cause difficulties for Chinese readers to understand the sentence, which is against the Skopos that intends to create a friendly atmosphere for readers. Considering Chinese reading habits, by breaking the complete sentence into two clauses, the translation not only changes the order of the sentences as the translator wishes, but also allows the reader a short break rather than forcing them to read the whole sentence in one sitting, which would spoil their appetite for further reading. Given the Chinese preference for shorter sentences, the translation may be more concise than the original sentence for the benefit of Chinese readers. The result is that translations are more readable for the target audience.

In The Deflationist--How Paul Krugman Found Politics, there was an example----“He sits in the room where they eat their breakfast, which has a long window open to the sea.” The translation is “他们坐在宽敞的落地窗前，吃着早餐，面朝大海。” The sentence in the original text consists of two clauses, which also turns out that English is hypotaxis. In translation of this sentence, the translator condense two clauses into a simple sentence to make it more concise and contracted. In addition, obviously the structural order of the sentence above in source text is not consistent with those of Chinese one, and therefore changing its original order into target one is necessary, a condensed sentence to conform with parataxis of Chinese (Liu Songqing, 2018).

In Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, for example, “The Whites served yet again as John Harvey’s benefactors, loaning him the money to attend medical school.” The translator puts the second half of the sentence in front of it, which is more in line with the cause-and-effect relationship in the Chinese, which can make the reader more organized when reading. For another example, “In an effort to affirm and validate their beliefs, the Seventh Day leadership opted to begin sending select devoted young men within their movement to various schools for professional training in the medical field.” When translating this sentence, due to its original length, the translator not only moved the subject to the front but also divided the second half into shorter sentences with clearer logic. This adjustment aims to enhance the reading experience for Chinese readers.

4 Conclusion

The study of biography is an important discipline in the history of contemporary literature, and the medium of translation is indispensable to the study of foreign biographies or the comparison of Chinese and foreign biographies. in biographical literature make it necessary for translators to take both into account in the process of translation. In order to accurately grasp the meaning of English biographies and understand their precise meanings, it is crucial to do a good job in translating English biographies. When translating, it is necessary to fully combine the differences between China and the West, fully understand the cultural background and national characteristics of the West, understand the background and the main idea of the biography story, and use different translation strategies and techniques to accurately express the main idea of the work, so as to facilitate us to understand it more accurately and deeply, and to strengthen the dissemination of Western culture in China (Zhang Chi, 2022). In the exploration of translation strategies for biography, it is evident that each approach offers distinct advantages and limitations. Literal translation maintains accuracy to the source text but can sacrifice cultural and emotional nuances. Free translation facilitates natural communication with the target audience but may alter the original narrative’s essence. Cultural adaptation bridges cultural gaps yet raises questions about authenticity. The similarity between different cultures serves as an objective basis for the use of domestication in translation. Domestication helps translators to avoid cultural conflicts and various forms of misunderstanding when translating the source language into the target language, conveying the cultural significance of the source language to readers of the target language culture. Domestication enables readers of the translated text to better understand its form and content within their own knowledge range. To some extent, domestication achieves “cultural equivalence” between the source culture and the target culture. However, domestication also has many disadvantages, such as the overuse of four-character idioms, the overuse of archaic words, the overuse of “substitution,” and the groundless use of imagery or allusions. Therefore, some scholars in China believe that reading works translated using domestication is merely a review of our own country’s culture and has lost the significance of understanding and appreciating other countries’ cultures. Similarly, foreignization enriches the language and culture of the target language to a large extent, bringing many new vocabularies and some special expressions to the target country. Foreignization can maximize the retention of the exotic cultural characteristics inherent in the original text, allowing readers to understand foreign cultures and broaden their horizons. Foreignization conveys phenomena of the source world and is faithful to the original work. However, foreignization also has some shortcomings, such as maintaining literal fidelity to the source language without considering whether the structure and expression of the source language conform to the expression habits of the target language, which may result in a “translated tone” in the translated text and lower readability. This type of translation may distort the cultural information of the original text, render the meaning ambiguous, fail to convey effective information, and leave readers confused. Therefore, when using new expressive methods, it is essential to adhere to the norms of Chinese to ensure the smoothness and fluency of the translation (Wei Lin, 2016).

The choice of strategy depends on the translator’s grasp of both the source and target cultures, the author’s intentions, and the intended impact on the readers. In the end, more than one strategy may be required to capture the full richness of the original work (Chen Shaoqiong, 2022). As a translator, he should pay attention to improving his English literary works, strengthening the reading of various English literary works, expanding his knowledge horizons, understanding more western literary contents, improving his English literary literacy level, and laying an important literary foundation for high-quality translation of English literary works.

Acknowledgment

I would like to thank Professor Yu Jinhong of Department of Foreign Languages, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, who guided me in exploring interesting English literature and gave me a lot of encouragement and advice that enabled me to complete this study. I am grateful for her patience and generosity. 

This study is supported by Research on Glen Phillips’ Landscape Writing and Painting from the Perspective of Literary Geography (No: Z-2023-305-021) and the High-level University Construction Project “Teacher-Student Community”.

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