翻译历史人物的传记与翻译非历史人物的传记实质上是同一回事，但在处理方面是两回事。历史人物与非历史人物的内容没有分别，都是传记，都是传记翻译;但历史人物传记涉及很多时代久远的故事、职称、著作，与翻译现代人物传记的情况有很大的差别。行文方面，撰写历史人物的文字以古文居多，有时需要经过一重语内翻译才能完成语际翻译的工作。
本篇的历史人物是欧阳修，一位大家都非常熟识的文学家。翻译历史人物，适当用词非常重要，例如古代的“政治家”，很少以带有政党政治含义的 politician 来译，statesman 较为适合。同理，文学家亦不宜以 literary scholar 来译，man of letters 较好。“字”是别名，一般译为 style name (或译作动词 style)。“号”是较正式的别名，以言志，以托意，有必要将其意思翻译出来，所以“醉翁”译为The Old Drunkard，“六一居士”译为 Six-one Layman。古时代的“吉州永丰”今人知道的人应该不多，所以说明是“今属江西”，可译为 now a part of Jiangxi。“自称”是 he called himself。“天圣年间”中的“天圣”指北宋仁宗赵祯年号，以西方历法计算是由1023年至1032年。根据史籍，欧阳修得进士之年是1030。“进士”一般音译为 jinshi，其他译法较为繁复。其后其所任的官职的译名可由参考书中找到。“知制诘”是 Official Transcriber of Imperial Decrees，“翰林学士”是 Text-collator of the Imperial Academy，“枢密副使”是 Vice Commissioner of Military Affairs，“参知政事”是Assistant Chief Councillor，“兵部尚书”是Minister of Military Affairs。
下一段的“苏轼父子”指的是苏轼和苏辙，所以译文应为 Su Shi and Su Zhe (father and son)。“与宋祁合修”中的“合修”是 co-compile。《新唐书》是 A New History of the Tang Dynasty，而《新五代史》是A New History of the Five Dynasties。
【源文】
欧阳修(1007—1072)，北宋时期政治家、文学家、史学家和诗人。字永叔，号醉翁、六一居士，吉州永丰(今属江西)人，自称庐陵人，因吉州原属庐陆郡。天圣年间进士，宋仁宗时，任职知制诘、翰林学士;宋英宗时，担任枢密副使、参知政事;宋神宗时升任兵部尚书，以太子少师致仕。去世后谥号“文忠”。
欧阳修是北宋诗文革新运动的领导者，诗、词、散文均为一时之冠，苏轼父子及曾巩、王安石皆出其门下。除与宋祁合修《新唐书》外，独立撰写有《新五代史》。
【译文】
Ouyang Xiu (1007–1072) was a statesman, man of letters, historian, and poet of the Northern Song period. Styled Yongshu, and self-nicknamed Zuiweng (The Old Drunkard) and Liuyi Jushi (Six-one Layman), he was a native of Yongfeng in Ji Prefecture (now a part of Jiangxi). He called himself a native of Luling, as the Ji Perfecture originally belonged to Luling County. In 1030, he passed the jinshi degree examination. During the reign of Emperor Renzong, he served as Official Transcriber of Imperial Decrees and as Text-collator of the Imperial Academy. During the reign of Emperor Yingzong, he served as Vice Commissioner of Military Affairs, and Assistant Chief Councillor. During the reign of Emperor Shenzong, he was promoted to Minister of Military Affairs and retired as Junior Preceptor of the Heir Apparent. He was given the posthumous title of Wenzhong when he died in 1072.
Ouyang Xiu was a leader of the reform movement in poetry and literature during the Northern Song period and well-known for his poetry, ci-poetry, and prose. Su Xun, Su Shi and Su Zhe (father and son), Zeng Gong, and Wang Anshi were his disciples. Apart from co-compiling A New History of the Tang Dynasty with Song Qi, he also independently wrote A New History of the Five Dynasties.
