1.2《谋杀案与谜团：一个合理的解释》

Example1

ST: Logic told me it couldn’t be, but doubt suggested it was — a dead person.

TT: 理智告诉我这不可能，但我又不断猜想着——这是一个死人。(P16)

Analysis: The word “doubt” in the source text here and “Logic” in the previous sentence, both are nouns. If the previous sentence is translated directly as ‘理智告诉我这不可能,’ Chinese readers can understand it and also find it familiar, which aligns with their daily expression habits. However, if the subsequent sentence is translated as ‘但猜想又告诉我这就是个死人,’ it may sound somewhat strange to the target readers. Changing the part of speech of some words in the original text while keeping the original content unchanged can make the translation smooth and natural and conform to the expression habits of the target language. so that the Skopos rule can be observed in such a way. Thus, translating the sentence as ‘理智告诉我不可能，但我又不断的猜想——这是一个死人’ would better suit readers’ reading habits and cultural norms.”

Example2

ST: One elegant foot ahead of the other, toes pointed, and her arms akimbo as if she were a nymph dancing on the shore.

TT:一只脚优雅地放在另一只脚的前面，绷着脚尖，双手叉腰，仿佛一位仙女在岸边翩翩起舞。(P17)

Analysis:  In this sentence, which can be translated as: “一只优雅的脚在另一只前面，蹦着脚尖，双手叉腰，仿佛一位仙女在岸边翩翩起舞。’Elegant’ is used as an adjective to describe the woman’s foot. From the point of view of the depiction of the whole sentence, this sentence focuses on the woman’s overall gracefulness of movement, which describes the woman as a fairy. The author’s purpose here is to create a queer atmosphere for the readers. To adhere to the Skopos rule, it might be better to translate the adjective “elegant” here as an adverb modifying the woman’s posture to provide readers with a more vivid visual image of the scene, thus enabling the author to experience the atmosphere of the novel. So that it would not hinder the readers’ ability to fully immerse themselves in the narrative atmosphere and make it easier for them to grasp the intended meaning.

Example3

ST: A suspicious feeling that I was being watched invaded every fiber of my body.

TT: 一种被人监视的可疑感侵袭了我的每一个毛孔。（P17）

Analysis: The purpose of the author’s writing here is to describe how the protagonist is disturbed by the discovery of the body. The word ‘fiber’ is most often encountered in everyday life in the sense of ‘纤维’. However, such a translation cannot meet the author’s purpose. In translation, some words or characters with social and cultural significance may not have a direct translation. If they cannot be translated based on context and target cultural norms, another method called semantic extension must be used. This is done to ensure that the translation is understandable and fulfills the Skopos rule. So, thinking of Chinese daily expressions, the meaning of ‘fiber’ can be interpreted as ‘毛孔’ to make the content more accessible and relatable to the readers.

Example4

ST:  I was about to say no. But I knew the woman on the other end, both of us trying to remain professional.

TT: 我本想拒绝。后来我想，我和电话那头的女人都在努力保持着沉着冷静。（P18）

Analysis: Here, the protagonist of the novel calls the police after finding the body and has a conversation with the operator. If we translate “remain professional” as ‘保持专业’. It may confuse the target readers as to why the protagonist needs to be ‘专业’ since she is not a police or operator. In general, there is not a one-to-one correspondence between Chinese and English words, so to help the reader better understand the plot of the novel, translating it as ‘沉着冷静’ in this context would be more in line with the Skopos rule.