The textbooks were studied carefully and the focused is mainly on its translation theory explanation and the examples to support it. The combination between the translation theory and the examples to support it in the textbooks were graded and were pided into different levels: A, A-, B, B-, C, C-, D, D-, F. Examples received A or A- are good ones while those received F are failed ones. The examples in the six textbooks are used in this paper for comparative study based on the theory about translation textbooks put forwad by Yang Zijian ( Yang Zijian,2000:7 ) , Tao Youlan ( Tao Youlan,2008:12 ) and Han Zhe ( Han Zhe, 2004:33 ) .
Through analysis, this paper aims at discovering the existing problems in the six main textbooks, studying the relation between translation theory and translation practice and then coming out with some useful advice to help improve translation textbooks and translation learning.
2 The Standard and Examples of Translation Textbooks
2.1 The Standard of Translation Textbooks
In the field of translation textbook analysis, Yang Zijian ( Yang Zijian,2000:7 ) made great contribution to the development of the basic standard of translation textbooks. People in this field generally consider the principles mentioned by Yang Zijian ( Yang Zijian,2000:7 ) as measures to judge translation textbooks.
Yang Zijian ( Yang Zijian 2000:7 ) thought the compilation of translation textbooks a very sophisticated one, because it demands high level of the compiler and should meet the needs of different teaching purposes and reading group. Although it is a hard work, the study of translation textbooks has developed a lot. There are some basic principles that translation textbooks should follow. The textbooks should be centered on the literary style and compiled according to its internal logic; the main part of the textbooks should focus on the analysis of articles instead of independent sentences; when analyzing the articles, pragmatic knowledge should be used and explained; translation theory should be explained clearly and systematically.来~自^751论+文.网www.751com.cn/
2.2 Examples: Important Measure to Explain Translation Theory
Many linguists have argued about the relationship between the translation theories and the examples used to support it. To discuss it, we have to study the standard of good examples as well as the importance of examples.
2.2.1 The Standard of Good Examples
Tao Youlan ( 2008:12 ) gave the standard of good examples a clear statement: “ Good examples should base on the bilingual level of English major students and follow a set of systematical compilation plan. The comparative study of the results in pragmatics and translation theory should be highlight. In order to make the translation practice, that is, the examples natural and native, the compiler should choose the examples which respect the style of the whole article instead of isolated sentences that is hard to understand. The cultural difference should be carefully taken care of as well.”