A Comparative Study on the Translation of Food Names in Hong Lou Meng from the Perspective of Functional Equivalence Theory

Abstract Hong Lou Meng, one of China’s Four Great Classical Novels, is a masterpiece of Chinese classical literature. Because of its vital importance in Chinese literature, research on the translation of Hong Lou Meng also occupies a significant position in Chinese translation circle. This paper compares the two English translation versions in terms of food names in Hong Lou Meng, excluding the drinks as well as dry and fresh fruits, and chases down the reasons why the two translators choose different translation strategies. Using Functional Equivalence Theory as its theoretical basis, this paper finds out that A Dream of Red Mansions, translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang, is more loyal to the original text while The Story of the Stone, translated by David Hawkes and John Minford, pays more attention to the acceptability of target language readers. Finally, this paper aims to explore some practical suggestions for later diet-related translation practices.47109

Keywords：Hong Lou Meng; functional equivalence; food names; translation strategy

 功能对等理论视角下《红楼梦》中饮食名称翻译的对比研究

摘要作为中国古典四大名著之一，《红楼梦》堪称中国经典文学的典范。由于其在中国文学史上的至关重要性，《红楼梦》的翻译在中国翻译界也占有一席之地。本文对《红楼梦》两个英译本中饮食名称（不包括茶酒饮料和干鲜果品）的翻译进行比较分析，探求不同译者选用不同翻译策略的原因。在功能对等理论的指导下，本文得出如下结论：杨宪益、戴乃迭夫妇的译文《红楼梦》更忠实于原小说，而戴维·霍克思与其女婿约翰·闵福德的译文《石头记》则更关注目标读者对译文的接受程度。究其根本，本文旨在为今后的饮食翻译实践提出一些可行建议。

毕业论文关键词：《红楼梦》；功能对等；饮食名称；翻译策略 

Contents

1. Introduction 1

1.1 Introduction to Hong Lou Meng and Its Translations 1

1.2 Rationale and Significance of this Paper 1

1.3 Main Content and Originalities 2

2. Literature Review 3

2.1 Current Situations at Home and Abroad 3

2.1.1 Domestic Comparative Studies of the Two English Versions 3

2.1.2 Overseas Studies 4

2.2 Existing Problems 5

3. Introduction to Functional Equivalence Theory 6

3.1 Main Ideas 6

3.2 Principles for Producing Functional Equivalence 7

4. Comparative Analyses 8

4.1 Food Names Concerning Ingredients 8

4.2 Food Names Concerning Cooking Techniques 9

4.3 Food Names Concerning Cultural Allusions 10

5. Conclusion 12

5.1 Major Findings and Suggestions 12

5.1.1 Major Findings 12

5.1.2 Some Suggestions 12

5.2 Limitations of the Study 13

References 14

Appendix 16