3。 Introduction to Yan Fu ＇s Three-Word Translation Theory

In 1898, Yan Fu put forward his Three-Word Translation thought in his preface to the translation of T。H Huxley 's book Evolution and Ethics and Other Essays（Lian Shuneng 4）。 He believes that “there are three difficulties in translation: faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance”。 Nowadays, Yan Fu’s theory is regarded as cliché in Chinese academic circles。 In the past few centuries, it has been widely acknowledged by most translators。 It provides a standard for translation study and practice。 Many famous translation theories are made on the basis of his theory。 Therefore, some hold the view that studying the “Faithfulness, Expressiveness and Elegance” equals to study the whole translation theories of China。 From what has been discussed above, we can see that Yan Fu’s triple principle of translation has exerted a great impact on the translation circle of China。

3。1 Definition of “Faithfulness”文献综述

Faithfulness is the first theory raised by Yan Fu which is considered as the most fundamental translation principle in the translation circle of China。 Faithfulness refers to convey and transmit the original content or thought fully and completely。 Yan Fu believes that faithfulness should be given the priority in the process of translation。 According to Lin Yutang, another prominent translation theorist in china, he holds the view that Faithfulness is the first duty that a translator should keep（1995:306）。Therefore, we can find that “Faithfulness” plays a very important role in the process of translation。 In a narrow sense, Faithfulness is the fidelity to the original idea, expressing the meaning of the original text in another language。 Strictly speaking, faithfulness is the core of the three principles proposed by Liu Zhongde—faithfulness, smoothness and closeness (Lian Shuneng 5)。 All in all, a good translation requires that the translator should be loyal to the content, formal and style of the original one。