A Cognitive Analysis Of Translation Of The Conceptual Matephor

In the perspectives of cognitive philosophy and linguistic prototype-category view and conceptual blends theories, this thesis systematically analyses and studies the conceptual metaphors within the exhaustively closed para-corpora of ST and two TTs by Liang Shiqiu and Zhu Shenghao of Hamlet quantitatively and qualitatively. The ST conceptual metaphors are construed within the theme of tragedy and the sub-themes of revenge, comics and metaphysics. Thereupon, Liang's and Zhu's translation of the ST conceptual metaphors are chiefly explored to the extent that the feature and the repertoire of the translation are examined in re-exposure of the ST theme and reconstruction of the ST sense, and the cognitive motivation and mental mechanism are being detected from the translators internally.The thesis contains seven chapters in about 190,000 words.The first chapter summarizes the actuality of Hamlet E-C translation research with the existing problem: rarely is an analysis carried out in fathom on the ST E-C translation from the perspective of the built-in cultural deposits in English and Chinese; the translators'cognition of the ST sense is in great need to be examined in terms of linguistic structures and reasoning faculty. To solve this problem, the key is to study the ST conceptual metaphor interpretation and the translator's disposal of them. The importance that conceptual metaphors play in ST theme interpretation is demonstrated, together with the significance that the cognitive contexts has in analysis of TT cultural deposition bilingually, through the scrutiny on outcome of the two translators'the metaphor treatments.The second chapter mainly explores the theories concerning conceptual metaphor translation. Such theme-interpreting elements are first examined as the ST form traits, linguistic style and images. Therewith, the translators'conceptual blending across languages and mapping domains are discussed with regards to category, prototype category, mapping (lean mapping, rich mapping, multi-level mapping), cognitive context, esp. the difference and identicalness of bilingual cultural and cognitive model. In the light of the interactive process of conceptual blending and translator's realization of subjectivity with TT conceptual metaphor audience, the thesis reveals the facts that the translator's translation strategy is determined by his prototype-category view, the intra-structure of conceptual metaphor, the inter-subjectivity between the translator, the author and the target audience.The body of the thesis is the third to the sixth chapters. The thesis first detects the rational insight of Shakespeare and the fundamental cognitive context of cultural model with reference to the ideology of the Elizabethan Christian faith. The ST theme of tragedy and the sub-themes of revenge, comics and metaphysics are thereupon analyzed cognitively; the four master metaphorical systems of disease, hunting, bawdry and metaphysical being are completely construed with their accessorial metaphorical systems on the basis of the exhaustively closed para-corpora of ST and two TTs. The Liang's and Zhu's translation policy to those metaphorical systems and the repertoire of their translation are discussed upon the above-mentioned interpretation, in terms of the re-exposure of the ST theme and reconstruction of the ST sense. Accordingly, the thesis unveils the translator's cognitive motivation and mental mechanism.The third chapter reviews and analyzes the ST conceptual metaphors in the theme of tragedy and the two translators'translation solution to them.According to the analysis, the master metaphorical system with the images of disease represents the theme of tragedy, in addition, so do the accessorial metaphorical system with the images of darkness, mildew, and death etc. and two metaphors with images of wheel. The master metaphorical system of"emotion VS disease"mapping structure depicts the corruption of Denmark and crime of the murder Claudius; the accessorial takes the donminant tones in addition to the major system, through their mapping on the repressive emotion visually. They both bring the audience to the authentic scene via intense visual, aural and tactual impacts.The two translators adopted the following metaphor translation solution in this theme: when bilingual conceptual metaphors are identical on the basic level category, retain the image and sense in TT while the concept bilingually shares the same prototype category; retain the sense but change the image, or generalize or simplify the concept in TT while the concept bilingually differs in prototype category. To the multi-level mapping conceptual metaphor, the salience of the metaphor determines the choice of meaning of a concept in TT.The fourth chapter reviews and analyzes the ST conceptual metaphors in the subtheme of revenge and the two translators'translation solution to them.The subtheme of revenge is composed of the master metaphorical system of hunting images and the accessorial of other images. These conceptual metaphors constitute the plots and conflicts of Hamlet, and portray the igniting anger, stress and pain of the protagonist. In the master metaphorical system, hunting images with animals and plants mapping the preying behaviors; in the other accessorial system, such images as sin mapping the brutal and illegal behaviors of damage. Both systems convey the meaning of persecution. Thus the multi-image, multi-semantic network of conceptual metaphors makes up the"change"and"discovery"factors of the tragedy. Noticeably, the conceptual metaphor with the image of sin is a vital metaphorical concept for Hamlet to diverge and surpass the traditional bloody drama of revenge.The strategy and policy the two translators adopted in metaphor translation of this subtheme can be summarized as: cultural model substitution and cultural generalization. Concretely, retain the metaphor in an altered image in TT when the metaphorical concept has the same target domain but a different source domain. When the metaphorical concept has the same target and source domain, retain sense and delete or alter the image as to highlight the target concept of the metaphor in case of the lean mapping conceptual metaphor, thus the cultural model substitution strategy is adopted; or retain image and delete sense to highlight the source concept of the metaphor, thus the cultural generalization strategy is adopted. In the same context, in case of metaphorical concept of multi-cultural (or multi-cultural-specific) images, namely, the rich mapping conceptual metaphor, retain sense with image deletion or translate the metaphorical concept with a complete deletion of metaphor.The fifth chapter reviews and analyzes the ST conceptual metaphors in the subtheme of comics and the two translators'translation solution to them.This subtheme comprises the conceptual metaphors of one group with rhetorical devices and the other group without, while the latter with the images of non-bawdry and bawdry. Those non-bawdry metaphors represent the unmarried femal accordant with the sex ethic codes and the married female with the marital ethic codes in such words as pure, virtue, honest, chaste, treasure, moon,ice etc.. The metaphors with bawdy imagery express the illegal or despicable behaviors or events in the sense of dirty and immorality. The thesis indicates that the conceptual metaphors with bawdy imagery of Hamlet put an end to the European medieval carnival culture like a milestone; it embodies Shakespearean pungent humor with his incisive anatomy of humanity. The conceptual metaphor in this subtheme is a very important factor for Hamlet to be a thought-provoking tragedy as it hints the conflicts of the characters and conveys their political discourse.The two translators adopted the strategy and policy in metaphor translation of this subtheme as such: The prototype category of the protagonist decides the metaphor translation orientation. When the metaphoric concept is bilingually identical in basic level category, the one at the same level is partially rendered in metaphor or in sense with alteration or deletion of the image; the one at different levels is paraphrased with addition or deletion of the image.The sixth chapter reviews and analyzes the ST conceptual metaphors in the subtheme of metaphysics and the two translators'translation solution to them.In this subtheme the conceptual metaphors are classified in two ranges with one of religious culture and the other of non-religious culture. The former divides into those with imagery of ghost and gods, and those with other Christian imagery. The latter comprises supernatural or visional natural images including dream, shadow and abnormal mental states. The ghostdom is in fact the virtual mapping of human world: ghost maps the nonentity of the outside world, and it extracts sense from the interplay and inter-penetration in human pre-logical thinking. The metaphors of the other Christian imagery originate from the"humanized"religion. The metaphors with both images of religion exhibit the mystic atmosphere of the drama. The non-religious metaphysical imagery in the metaphors is adopted to express the intangible matters or emotions, or the void, senseless matters or ideas as well as the inexplicable and incomprehensible matter or situation.This subtheme is the ideological base of this tragedy and the reflection of the perpetual humanity. The metaphors of this subtheme sublimes the core sense of this tragedy and endnotes the commentary that Shakespeare has been embraced by the whole world.The strategy and policy the two translators adopted in metaphor translation of this subtheme can be summarized as the cultural multi-model substitution in conceptual metaphor translation. Practically, the conceptual metaphors with lean mapping are to be rendered with intact images. Those with rich mapping are to be rendered with images preserved and partially preserved with sense in deletion or change. Those with multi-level mapping are to be rendered by images altered or partially preserved. In case of non-substituted cultural model in TT, the sense of the metaphor is to be rendered or partially rendered, or is to be rendered by deletion of the metaphor in TT.In conclusion Liang's and Zhu's translation solution is summarized. The difference and similarity of their translation solution are comprehensively compared. The repertoires of their translation solution are examined in terms of the in re-exposure of the ST theme and reconstruction of the ST sense. In general, their treatments of the conceptual metaphors grossly conveyed the tragic sentiment. In contrast, Liang's ST imagery orientation affected the TT's fluency. Zhu's Chinese conventional monarch-prototype-category orientation and TL categorical prototype orientation influence the TT in two perspectives——to certain extent, TT diverges the intention of Shakespeare and breaks the rhythm of the stage atmosphere .