2.2.2 Definition and importance of metaphor

The term metaphor originates from ‘Metaphoria’, a Greek word meaning ‘to carry’. In metaphor, there is a comparison of two perse things that have some similar features. The meaning is connotative because topic or similarity markers such as like, as, are omitted. Metaphor is first defined by Aristotle as “a shift carrying over a word from its normal use to a new one” (Richards, 1965: 89). According to Newmark, metaphor is “Any figurative expression: The transferred sense of a physical word; the personification of an abstraction; the application of a word or collocation to what it does not literally denote. Metaphors may be ‘single’ (one-word) or ‘extended’ (a collocation, an idiom, a sentence, a proverb, an allegory, a complete imaginative text)” (Newmark, 1998: 104). Describing an essence, occurrence or character more extensively and briefly and in a more sophisticated manner is the primary aim compared with using literal language.

2.3 Present relevant research 

Before 21st century, there was little study on C-E translation of Six Chapters of A Floating Life. However, more and more attention from academic community has been attracted since the republication of Lin Yutang’s English version of the book in 1999. Generally speaking, studies involved can be classified into seven types: overall review of English edition, translator, comparison between perse English versions, cultural aspects, literary aspects and linguistic aspects, translation strategies.

Firstly, study of overall review makes a general comment on the translation of Six Chapters of A Floating Life especially Lin’s translation, including not only the praises of outstanding merits but also the disadvantages.

Secondly, study of translator is about the translator’s subjectivity. In other wards, the choices of source text, strategies and methods are under the influence of subjective factors such as writing style, translation motivation, translation principles, attitudes towards culture and life, sense of value, ideology, feminist consciousness, etc. 

Thirdly, comparison of different English versions studies the similarities and differences mostly from perspectives of culture and translator’s subjectivity, detailedly analyzing translation strategies of culture information, presentation forms of culture, reoccurrence of language features, comprehension of source text from the view of culture, and compensation strategy of cultural default. Lin Yutang and Shirley M. Black are the translators often mentioned.