ABSTRACT
Combining systemic functional linguistics (SFL) with translation studies, this chapter aims to investigate the use and functions of the first-person plural ‘we’ in the English translations of the Annual Work Report (AWR) of the Chinese government from 2000 to 2019. The study adopts a two-pronged approach combining low-level automatic analysis and high-level manual analysis. It has been found that the pronoun ‘we’ is often added in the process of translation and functions to highlight qualities that are considered desirable on the part of the Chinese government/people. Interpersonally, the use of ‘we’ in combination with modulation helps to highlight a sense of volition and obligation to undertake the work to build a better future for the country. Experientially, assigning ‘we’ the role of agent in material processes contributes to establishing an active and dynamic image of the Chinese government/people in both achieving pre-set goals in the last year and carrying out the government’s plan for the ongoing year. The discussions support that a methodological synergy between discourse analysis and translation studies can serve as a powerful tool to deconstruct and analyse the transfer of political discourses from one language/culture into another.
