A Comparative STudy On Chinese And English Address Terms And Translation Strategies

Address terms are words that speakers use to address the person they are talking to. They play a significant role in daily communication. Due to drastic differences between Chinese and English culture, address terms vary greatly. This thesis is intended to give an analytical comparison between Chinese and English terms and propose applicable strategies in translation between the two.This thesis is divided into three parts. Introduction, chapter one and chapter two belong to the first part, in which detailed studies on address terms in general are given, including definition, classification, function, literature review of previous studies, and also peripheral factors around address terms.The second part includes chapter three and four, in which the two specific language systems– Chinese and English are investigated from historical and cultural origins to comparison between their current characteristics. Language and culture are interrelated. No matter which comes first, one never escapes from the other's influence. Therefore, it is necessary to relate to their respective culture while studying the language patterns.Chapter five and conclusion belong to the last part, in which problems in cross-cultural communication and translation caused by the differences between Chinese and English address terms are talked about, followed by advises and suggestions. The thesis is concluded by a summary of achievements and limitations.It is hoped that the thesis would help enhance cross-cultural communications and inspire translators and those who are interested in the study of address terms.