A Comparative Study On The Two English Versions Of Biancheng From The Perspective Of Functional Equivalence Theory

Functional equivalence, the core of Eugene A. Nida s translation theory, has exerted profound influence on translation studies at home and abroad. Regarded as one of the most effective criteria for people to evaluate different translated versions, functional equivalence theory advocates the closest natural equivalent of the source language message and pays special attention to receptor s response rather than the language form.From the perspective of functional equivalence, what concerns a translator most is whether the translated text can arouse a close equivalence of response between the target receptors and source receptors.In this thesis, the theory of functional equivalence acts as a guidance to analyze and evaluate the two English versions of the classical Chinese novel Biancheng, to find out if equivalence is achieved under the different strategies adopted by the two translators, and to see which version can enable the target receptors to understand the original message adequately and accurately and can evoke a close equivalence of response between the source receptors and target receptors. The combination of functional equivalence with literary translation tries to explain differences between and give an appropriate evaluation of the two English versions through the analytic and comparative study of numerous examples from both versions.The author attempts to provide a new angle in appreciating and evaluating the translated versions of literature, reveal the feasibility of applying functional equivalence in literary translation, confirm the guiding role of Nida s functional equivalence in literary translation practice, and search out the most effective approaches to achieve the closest natural equivalence .This thesis is composed of six chapters.Chapter one serves as an introduction to the whole thesis, and chapter two gives a brief review of theories on translation equivalence. After a concise discussion on Nida s functional equivalence theory in chapter three, there comes chapter four, a brief study of Shen Congwen s Biancheng and its two English versions used. Then, in chapter five, the main part of the thesis, a detailed analysis is made by comparing a great number of examples to evaluates the translated versions in the aspects of image and scenery, culture-loaded expressions, and rhetoric devices.Finally, chapter six gives a brief summary of this thesis and draw a conclusion of the major findings.