Abstract：Thematic progression theory is a useful tool to study text translation. This paper investigated the application of thematic progression patterns in English-Chinese popular science text translation in two aspects based on the language materials of the twelfth part from A Brief History of Time through statistical approach. Accordingly, it concludes that the translators can remain or partly change the original thematic progression patterns in popular science translation practice so as to achieve equivalence in form and meaning when forming the target text.

Keyword：popular science translation;thematic progression theory;A Brief History of Time;