Abstract This paper is mainly about Nida’s functional equivalence theroy and Chinese scientific writings translation. In the first part, Nida’s functional equivalence theory will be discussed and the history and concept of the theory will also be shown. The analysis of some scientific writings will make up the second part. Besides, the application of functional equivalence theory in scientific writing translation is also discussed in the final part. 53924

Keywords: Functional equivalence theory；Chinese Scientific writings   Translation；The principles for scientific writing translation

摘要本文主要讨论了奈达的功能语言学理论已经汉语科技文本翻译策略。第一部分将主要阐述功能语言学的主要概念以及历史。第二部分主要阐述了语篇对等里的主题结构和信息结构。第三部分将分析一些汉语科技文本翻译的实例。另外，在第三部分里还将讨论功能语言学在汉语科技文本翻译中的应用及其意义。

毕业论文关键词：功能对等理论；汉语科技文本翻译；汉语科技文本翻译原则等

Contents

I. Nida’s functional equivalence theory １

II. Textual equivalence:thematic and information structures ４

2.1 Thematic Structure: theme and rheme ４

2.2  Information Structure: given and new ４

2.3 Aspect of Translation from a Discoursal Perspective ５

III. Scientific writing translation ６

3.1  Principles for the scientific writing translation ６

3.2 Functional equivalence in scientific writing translation １２

IV.  Conclusion １４

Works Cited １５

 I. Nida’s functional equivalence theory 

 Being the kernel of the translation theory, Functional Equivalence Theory is proposed by Eugene Nida —the famous linguist and translator in America. His theories were introduced into China earlier which had a remarkable influence on the translation theoretical circle in 1960s and 1970s. Therefore, F-E Theory not only has a great impact on Chinese translation circle, but also gains a great many comments.

Unlike the traditional translation theories that mainly stress the correspondence between the source language and target language, Nida’s functional equivalence theory stresses reader’s response. Nida points out that in order to reach the ideal translation, it is necessary to find the closet natural equivalence. Nida's functional equivalence theory open up a new perspective to translation studies.  In Nida’s view, translation is not only the equivalence of words’ meaning, but also includes semantics, and style, the message translation of both the surface lexical information. Nida’s focusing on receptor’s response in his new concept of translating is actually the theory of dynamic equivalence，which is” directed primarily toward equivalence of response rather than equivalence of form”(Nida,1969)．  In Nida’s opinion, a dynamic equivalent translation must fit the receptor language and culture in order to make the translated message intelligible and natural to the target language receptors．”A translation of dynamic equivalence aims at complete naturalness of expression,and tries to relate the receptor to modes of behavior relevant within the context of his own culture; it does not insist that he understands the cultural patterns of the source language context in order to comprehend the message(Nida，1964：159).”  In 1969, in Nida’s work From One Language to Another, he started to use the term functional equivalence to replace dynamic equivalent. However, there is not much difference between them. Nida described functional equivalence like this: “Basically, dynamic equivalence has been described in terms of functional equivalence．The translation has been defined on the basis that the receptors of a translation should comprehend the translated text to such all extent that they call understand how the original receptors must have understood the original text (Nida, 1969).”  Nida further perfect his theory in the 1990s. In his book Language, Culture and Translating, he pided functional equivalence into different degrees of adequacy from minimal to maximal effectiveness on the basis of both cognitive and experiential factors. The Minimal definition of functional equivalence is “The readers of a translated text should be able to comprehend it to the point that they call conceive of how the original readers of the text must have understood and appreciated it.” The Maximal definition of functional equivalence could be stated as “The readers of a translated text should be able to understand and appreciate it in essentially the same manner as the original readers did”.