Abstract Metaphor, which exists extensively in our daily life, is not merely a linguistic phenomenon but also a significant thinking mode for people to learn the world. Meanwhile, metaphor is also used in a large number of literary works to achieve special expressive and aesthetic effect. Metaphor and translation share many common grounds since metaphor is a way of thinking while translation is the thinking activity of human beings. However, metaphor has different meanings in different cultures so it inevitably brings some difficulties in literary translation.
Since its proposal, Nida’s Dynamic Equivalence Theory has caused a big stir in the translation field both at home and abroad. It calls for the same effect of the translation on target-text readers as that on original readers, putting great emphasis on the agreement between target language and source language. It is widely acknowledged that Dynamic Equivalence Theory plays a guiding role in translation practice.37833
This paper, taking Fortress Besieged as an example, aims at analyzing different metaphor translation methods used in the novel from Nida’s Dynamic Equivalence Theory. There are mainly two purposes: firstly, to arose more interest of Chinese and overseas scholars in the novel and its English translation in the hope that more English versions can be published; secondly, to find out some practical and useful ways to deal with metaphor translation in literary works so that people can understand them further and better. Only in this way can we bring our ample and profound Chinese culture to the whole world and promote cultural exchanges between different countries.
The study finds out that while dealing with metaphor translation in the novel, the translators mainly adopt literal translation and remain metaphorical objects to retain the original charm of Chinese language therefore to promote the integration of Chinese culture into the world. However, when literal translation fails to achieve the optimal equivalence, the translators also turn to free translation, abandoning the original vehicles. Besides, despite its guiding status in the translation field, some limitations still exist in Nida’s Dynamic Equivalence Theory, especially in literary translation.
Key Words: Fortress Besieged Metaphor Translation Dynamic Equivalence Theory
摘 要隐喻广泛存在于人们的日常生活话语中,不仅是一种语言现象,更是人们认知世界的一种重要思文方式。为达到特定的表达和审美效果,隐喻同样也用于大量文学作品中。隐喻是一种思文方式,而翻译是人的一种思文活动,两者有许多共同点。但由于不同民族的生活习惯,思文方式及文化上的差异,隐喻在不同文化中的含义不尽相同,这也给文学作品的翻译带来了一定困难。
奈达的动态对等翻译理论一经提出就在国内外翻译界引起巨大反响。动态对等翻译观强调译文对译文读者所起的作用要与原文对原文读者所起的作用基本相同,高度重视目的语与源语的契合程度,对翻译实践具有很强的指导性。
本文以隐喻丰富的《围城》为例,从奈达的动态对等理论角度分析了其中隐喻英译所采用的具体翻译方法及其原因,旨在:1.引起中外学者对《围城》小说及其英译本的更多关注,促使更多英译版的产生2.探寻文学作品中隐喻英译的实际有效方法,解决隐喻的丰富内涵给文学作品翻译带来的理解困难,让博大精深的中华文化走向世界,进一步促进不同民族的文化交流。
通过研究发现,译者在处理《围城》中的隐喻翻译上主要采用直译的方法,基本上保留了喻体,源语的特色得以再现,旨在让中国文化走向世界。当直译达不到最大对等时,译者也会舍弃喻体转向意译。另外该研究也发现尽管在翻译界具有指导性地位,奈达的动态对等理论在处理文学翻译时仍存在一定局限性。 功能对等理论《围城》隐喻翻译研究:http://www.751com.cn/yingyu/lunwen_36698.html