Abstract: As a classic literary masterpiece, Records of the Grand Historian has exerted a profound influence on the later generations. Based on Toury's translational norms theory, this paper makes a descriptive comparative study of the two selected versions of the Records of the Grand Historian by Yang Xianyi, Dai Naidie and Burton Watson respectively. This paper analyzes the differences and similarities between the two groups of translators in the selection of the target text under the restriction of the preliminary norm, the different translation tendencies of the target text under the influence of the initial norm, and the different translation strategies used in the translation process under the impact of the operational norm. The results show that the translational norms have obvious influence on the two groups of translators, resulting in the differences of the two versions. This research can shed some light on understanding the influence of translational norms on the process and result of translation.

Key words: Records of the Grand Historian, translational norm, translation strategy