The Application of Linguistics in Translation30.doc

语言学在翻译中的运用The Application of Linguistics in TranslationContentsAbstract.1Key Words.1I. Introduction.2II. Literature View.2III. Current Status Quo of Translation at Home and Abroad.3IV. Linguistic Theories of Importance to Translation.41. Noam Chomskys linguistic theory.42. Hallidays linguistic theory.5V. The Application of Linguistics in Translation.61The pragmatic dimension of context.71) Illocutionary structure72) The interpretation of illocutionary force in translation.72. Text linguistic approach to translation.83. Context-based problems in translation.84. Presuppositions in translation.95. The theme and rheme in translation.10VI. Conclusion.11 References.11The Application of Linguistics in TranslationThe Application of Linguistics in TranslationAbstract: Recently, the translators at home and from abroad have acquainted themselves with translation in terms of linguistics. Translation, as an academic study and research in universities and a profession in commercial fields, for a considerably long span of period, has witnessed an overwhelming flourishing. From linguistic perspective, this paper, with the novel linguistic theories proposed by some authoritative linguists, apart from stereotyped traditional translation techniques, more concentrates on the tentative combination between linguistics and translation than on the fruitless fuss over empty translation techniques and theories, which are out of style, if I can call it, and are apt to fail to meet the requirements of the translation in new information era. Furthermore, this paper will achieve the effect of“similarity in function, and correspondence in meaning”，as Eugene Nida puts it, and in turn lives up to the principlesfaithfulness, smoothness and elegance. The application of linguistics in the practice of translation, with regard to new insights theoretically and practically gained, will further improve the art and development of translation and will give full play to the translators ability. In this paper, a new approach in the light of linguistics will be elaborately discussed and reviewed. Key words: translation; linguistics; technique; application摘 要: 近年来，根据语言学方面而论，一些国内外翻译家已对这方面的翻译有所研究。作为大学里的一门学术研究和调研科目，以及各商业领域里的一门职业，翻译在很长时间里突显得欣欣向荣、硕果累累。通过一些权威语言学家提出的新颖语言学理论，本文从语言学的角度出发，摈弃传统陈腐的翻译技巧，集中更多注意力在翻译和语言学二者的结合之上，而不是言之无物、落后于时代的（如果可以这样说的话）技巧之上。因为这些翻译技巧已不能达到新时代翻译的要求。本文还以尤金.奈达（社会符号语言学派代表人物）提出的“功能相似，意义相符”的原则，以及体现这些原则忠实、通顺、达意。就获得的新理论认识和实践成果而言，在翻译实践中运用语言学知识将进一步改善翻译艺术、发展翻译事业、发挥翻译者的能力。本文中将仔细讨论和评论借助语言学知识的翻译途径。关键字: 翻译；语言学；技巧；运用I. Introduction Translation has witnessed a long history of progress, from the very outset of the earth where was inhabited by separated people speaking different languages to the scientific and technological society. During the lengthy span of time, out of necessary communication, human beings have exerted tremendous effort on translation from one language to the other. Translation, in the process of leading to its maturity, has found great popularity among those professionals with devotion to this business as well as a large number of undergraduates. However, the majority of them intend to count on pure translation theories and simple techniques as well. The translators, by no means, can tell whether translation is exclusively one-sided or universally multiple-sided, and fail to manage to reveal the sense of faithfulness to the source text. To be a qualified and eligible translator, one, the new beginners in particular, is in high need of an exhaustive and comprehensive command of the source language as well as the target language which is of vital importance to an excellent rendering. As such I, hereby, offer my new understanding of translation relevant to linguistics to translation practices. Translation, whether it is out of the perspective of syntax, pragmatics, discourse analysis, stands a chance to blaze a trail in the field where is in essential need of refreshment and new blood. II. Literature ViewDuring the span of the periods, translation has witnessed, from the time when communication played a fundamental factor in the process of civilization to the bursting of knowledge in the unprecedented information age, a long history of up and down, in which some of the remarkable views are necessarily to be noticed. They go like the following:Philological approach, focused on the rudimentary elementsthe literal meaning of the character of the source text, and the thematic structure and style of the discourses, intends to translate literally rather than to translate flexibly. It also challenges the ability of target language readers.Translation according to linguistics is the product of the development of modern linguistics. Catford, an English linguist, proposed to regulate a set of rules based upon contrastive linguistics, to achieve language equivalence in translation. As a result, it will offer a sound basis and devices to wordtoword translation. But, it only can be applied to the transfer of surface structure of the language, and will fail to present the language connotation, tend to ignore the functions in textual communication, and attention linguistic context instead of nonlinguistic context, namely, social cultures.Communication approach regards translation as social activities, and believes the fundamental problems for translation are that it should be researched from the respect of source, message, receptor, feedback, noise, channel and medium, and the like. This proposal puts much emphasis on the forms which, to a great degree, can reproduce the meaning of the source text to the receptors; you may call it, readers of the rendering version. Whats more, it aims at winning the readers overall comprehension and appreciation. Compared to linguistic approach, it has made a great progress in terms of translation, not exhaustive enough, though. In the periods followed behind those of communication approach, sociosemiotics, out of the motivation of intercultural communication, came into being. Eugene Nida, as a leading expert hailing the application of socisemiotics in translation, considered the world the embodiment of varied symbol systems, including the most profound, complicated, and comprehensive partslanguage. Language is used to explain the meaning of other symbols within this system. Socisemiotics deals with words, sentences and texts in intercultural communication background, but the symbolic meaning exposed in a given historical setting.III. Current Status Quo of Translation at Home and AbroadTo my knowledge, the current situation of translation has been found appealingly favorable and prosperous, regardless of the ups and downs during the long span of time when the science of translation first came into being. To look at the dark side, the translation, for instance, was turned out to be far from satisfactory against the readers preferences, to a certain degree. A considerable number of renderings have flooded in the market, resulting from many factorsinability and ill qualification of the translators, lacking of required scope of knowledge and of approachable translation theories as guidance, just name a few. As a result, translation, for a long time, has been unfavorably ill treated and dealt with. Consequently, a large amount of renderings have been felt unacceptably readable and understandable. After all, there is never a thing without ups and downs in the process of its development. So does the science of translation. To look at the bright side, translatology, termed by the circle of translation, has made great progress in the respect of its maturity after numerable and unaccountable attempts to achieve perfection.It is noticeable, the great success of a large volume of renderings made by few well known translators, that the appearance of a substantial collection of the overseas versions translated from other languages into its counterpartChinese, not so many though. However, the Chinese have witnessed a refreshing prosperity in translation, and the translation, vague as it always has been, has taken a brandnew look. A great number of knowledgeable experts in translation, with the mind of pursuing the art of translation, have exerted considerable efforts which have been represented as written forms in a large of academic papers and periodicals related. The Chinese translators journal, for instance, is in the front line of translation research, just name a few. It not only offers the Chinese fresh insights, inspirations and way of thinking out of a series of academic theories, particularly the linguistics; but applicable and appropriate techniques deriving from these theories. Whats more, the translators in turn, the students majoring in foreign languages in particular, will be furnished with new approaches accessible and available.IV. Linguistic Theories of Importance to Translation1. Noam Chomskys linguistic theoriesNoam Chomskys theory of syntax and generative grammar was not a theory of translation, nor was it intended to be. In fact, Chomsky cautioned against its appropriation in such a fashion. The universal forms that fascinated Noam Chomsky have more to do with the rules that structure grammars, rules that precede any concept of specific deep structure to any given sentence of any specific language. Noam Chomskys theory involves three levels of conceptualization: a base component made up of “phrase structure rules” that generate a deep structure, which in turn is changed, via transformational rules into a surface structure. Noam Chomsky is more complex than a twolevel deep structure /surface structure argument. His model has several levels ,the bottom of which is a very vague“initial element”,followed by the “base component ”,which is composed of two kinds of rewriting rules:“phrase structure rules”. Which are common to all the languages, and“ lexical rules”. Which also deprive from universal categories. The phrase structure rules generate the deep structure of a sentence, which according to Noam Chomskys Aspects of the Theory of Syntax contained all transformational rules. According to Noam Chomsky, the phrase structures represent the internalized and unconscious working of the mind; deep structure determines meaning underlying sentences; and surface structure determines sound. Transformational generative grammar is the embodiment of the most basic rules: SNP+VP. This sentence pattern is the core of the seven common sentence patterns all through English. To sum up, English is a language of hypotaxis, while Chinese is that of parataxis. Generally speaking, as for English, only the nouns and the words of noun property can be treated as subjects, and a considerable number of words, regardless of nouns, verb, adverbs and even prepositions, can be regarded as subjects. In this respect, English is a topicprominent language and Chinese is a subjectprominent one.2. Hallidays linguistic theoryAccording to M.A.K. Halliday, when we interact with people, talking with them or getting something done, we construct the message in a way which allows it to fit smoothly into the speech even the text. The contextual metafunction is realized at the sentence level in the light of information theory.Any sentence (clause) organizes the message in a certain way 1) and 2) state the same fact, but the choice of the active or the passive voice is not without reason.1) Tom broke the teapot.2) The teapot was broken by Tom.The starting point for the message in 1) is somebody while that for the message in 2) is something. Put in another way, the given information in 1) is Tom, a person known to both the speaker and the hearer, the given information in 2) is a specific teapot which both the speaker and the hearer have in mind.1) answers the question“what did Tom do?”, 2) is the reply to“what happened to Tom?”The constituent that stands for the startingpoint for the message is termed theme, all the rest of the sentence is labeled rheme. The following examples illustrate the distinction.TomThe teapotLast night Playing with his brotherIt is the teapotIt is regrettable broke the teapot. was broken by Tom. Tom broke the teapot. Tom broke the teapot. that Tom broke. that Tom broke the teapot. Theme Rheme Let us now look at a more extended example of how a Hallidayan-style thematic analysis of a text might proceed in English. The following short extract selected for analysis is from Stephen Hawkings A Brief History of Time (1988:2):Aristotle thought that the earth was stationary and that the sun, the moon, the planets, and the stars moved in circular orbits about the earth. He believed this because he felt, for mystical reason, that the earth was the center of the universe, and that circular motion was the most perfect.Suggested analysis:T1AristotleR1thought that t2 the earthr3 was stationaryt3 the sun, the moon, the planets, and the stars.r3 moved in circular orbits about the earth.T1He R1believed this (because)t2 hefelt, for mystical reasons,(that) t3 the earth r3 was the center of the universe,(and that) t4 circular motion r4 was the most perfect V. The Application of Linguistics in TranslationAs far as the linguistic approaches are concerned, a considerable amount of insights dawn on us in translation since we can see their applications in practical translation. At present, substantial academic periodicals have witnessed the hustling and bustling activities. In the circle of translators, regular discussion seminars on translation from linguistic perspectives have been keenly welcomed and enthusiastically hailed. They the precedents have been paving the road to translation which is characterized by faithfulness and smoothness. With the spirit of exploration and pursuit, this section is designed to achieve the effect of fine translation and fulfill further applications of linguistic techniques in translation.1. The pragmatic dimension of context1) Illocutionary structureSo far, we have assumed that a text consists of a succession of speech acts and that, in order to achieve equivalence in translation, the illocutionary force of each sentence needs to be dealt with in translation. Indeed, it is true that much of the literature on speech acts relates to the analysis of individual sentences and that what happens whe