An Evaluation of Chinese-English Translation from the Perspective of House's Translation Quality Assessment Model-Taking Memories of Beiping by Zhang Peiji as an Example

Abstract

Based on Juliane House's Translation Quality Assessment (TQA) model, this paper evaluates the translation quality of Lao She's classic essay Memories of Beiping and its English translation by Zhang Peiji. The study systematically compares the degree of match and mismatches between the source text (ST) and the target text (TT) across three register dimensions: Field, Tenor, and Mode. Guided by the evaluative criteria and comprehensive framework of House's model, this paper argues that Zhang's translation successfully captures the profound nostalgia and lyrical prose style of the original text. It achieves a high degree of equivalence in both emotional intent and information transmission, demonstrating a strong overall profile match. Nevertheless, minor dimensional mismatches persist in the subtle conveyance of a few culture-specific items and colloquial nuances. Through detailed case analyses, this study aims to explore effective pathways for Chinese essays to "go global" while preserving their authentic cultural essence.