The main idea of this part Undoubtedly, while carrying out a translation task, the translator is faced with many challenges. He must work hard and exert his subjectivity actively and fully in order to ensure the good quality of his work. Only by actively conducting the translating activity can the translator fulfill the divine task.

Do you agree that the translator extends the life of the original work? Yes, of course. A great work belongs not just to one nation, but to the whole world. How can it be true that a great work belongs to the whole world? It can be made true through translation. The life of a work relies on the readers ’ appreciation. If the readership （ number of readers of an author or of a newspaper, magazine,etc. 读者人数） of a work is enlarged, the life of the work is prolonged. Such a divine task can only be accomplished by the painstaking work of the translator since he is the important link between the original author and the target reader. The translator is ready to come out and shoulder the task to help the author and the reader to know each other. The translator ’ s rewriting of the original in the target language can transform the original work into a classical work in another culture.

What requirements are there for the translator to exert his subjectivity? Essential requirements are as follows: good language competence; cultural background knowledge; extensive knowledge; earnest devotion to the task.

Why does a translator need to have good language competence? Good language competence, i.e. a good command of both the source and the target language, is an obvious requirement for a translator (Jin Di & Eugene Nida, 1984:26). In order to achieve success in his career, the translator must be accomplished in both languages — the source language and the target language. Without sufficient knowledge of the source language, the translator will find it difficult to correctly understand the OT, which may result in a wrong interpretation of the OT; without a good command of the target language, the translator may find it difficult to reproduce the OT in the TLT, and will eventually produce a translation with translation accent.

Why is it necessary for the translator to possess some cultural background knowledge? Culture, which is a very large and complex concept, contains many aspects and numerous elements, which include customs, thought patterns, religious beliefs, kinship system, cultural heritage, systems of values, national spirit, psychological structure, etc. Naturally, translators should be well acquainted with the two cultures involved. And it is especially important for them to be familiar with the foreign culture. Dictionaries can be of help in dealing with lexical problems, but they rarely go far enough in providing the cultural connotations which are embedded in the language. We may get to know the importance of cultural background knowledge in translation. “ For truly successful translating, biculturalism ( 二元文化 ) is even more important than bilingualism （熟练地 讲两种语言的能力，双语能力；两种语言的使用，双语制）, since words only have meanings in terms of the cultures in which they function ” (Eugene Nida, 1993:110).

Why is it necessary for the translator to possess extensive knowledge? The translator is supposed to have a good command of professional knowledge. By professional knowledge we mean the subject matter of the would-be translated material. Only when the translator knows the professional knowledge related to the original, can he accurately understand it and then express it in the TLT. However, a professional translator usually meets with different subject matters. Each time when he translates a text, he should be familiar with the professional knowledge involved. Otherwise, he cannot effectively convey the spirit of the original to the target reader even if he turns to technical dictionaries for help. A professional translator may be entrusted with different kinds of materials to be translated. Therefore, he should have a wide scope of knowledge so as to accomplish the translation activity successfully.

Why should the translator be committed to his work? What the translator should keep in mind is that he must reproduce both the form and content of the original to the fullest extent. If he can accomplish that, he is responsible to the reader as well as to the author. If a reader knows nothing about the foreign language, he hopes to get all information from the translated version about the original. For such readers the translated version is what they rely on to know the original. If the translator doesn ’ t hold himself responsible to the reader and if he renders the work at random, the reader will get wrong information about the original. And such an irresponsible attitude can lead to misinterpretations, misrepresentations, and infelicities.

Famous quotations “ It often takes as long as ten days or even a whole month to establish a term in translation after repeated consideration and hesitation ” ( 刘重德, 1991:6). “ This (devotion to the task) is the force which, as it involves the spirit, not just the mind, will be ultimately decisive in the marking of a good translator, as can be found in such striking evidence in the life of every past master of this difficult art ” (Jin Di & Eugene Nida, 1984:30)