ABSTRACT

As an integral part of the political system of each state, the administrative division has been attached great importance to in ancient China; names for the administrative regions in different dynasties vary owing to multiple historical factors that highlight centralization and decentralization. 

This study is aimed at exploring the C-E translation of these geographical names on the basis of CNKI, which entails extracting examples of translation from the CNKI data base that might illustrate and categorize the different translation methods. The advantages and drawbacks of these examples are analyzed to excavate the complexities of the application of the principle of “translation equivalence”. It is concluded that there is no rigid or unchangeable equivalence between the target and the original language, so the translation of names of Chinese administrative regions is just a process of dynamic equivalence.

Keywords: administrative division; translation; category; dynamic equivalence

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABSTRACT

摘要

Chapter One INTRODUCTION-1

1.1 Need for the Present Study-1

1.2 Objective of the Present Study-2

1.3 Overview of the Thesis-2

Chapter Two LITERATURE REVIEW-4

2.1 History of the Ancient Chinese Administrative Division-4

2.2 Translation of Geographical Names-4

2.3 Translation of Ancient Chinese Administrative Regions-6

Chapter Three METHODS FOR TRANSLATING NAMES OF ANCIENT CHINESE ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS-7

3.1 Transliteration-8

3.2 Free Translation-9

3.3 Total Domestication-10

3.4 Summary-11

Chapter Four A CASE STUDY OF “DUHUFU” AND “ANNAM”-13

4.1 Translation of “Duhufu”-13

4.2 Translation of “Annam”-14

Chapter Five CONCLUSION-16

REFERENCES-18