Functional Approaches To Translating Chinese Kinship Nouns

With the development of the globalization trend, the importance of intercultural communication is increasingly recognized. The roles that cultural features play in cross-cultural communication have been subjects of study for many domestic and foreign scholars. Translation of cultural nouns is a crucial way in which the cultural capital of the source language can be transmitted to the culture of a given target language. For the purpose of cultural communication, what translating strategies a translator should take to translate those words existing exclusively in the source language? On the basis of the theories of functional equivalence, of textual translation and of other theories concerning translation, the translation of Chinese kinship nouns is analyzed in order to demonstrate some vital functional elements in the translation of cultural words. This dissertation consists of four chapters. Chapter One deals with the definitions and classification of culture and kinship noun, and with their interrelation. Common cultural factors lead to the similarities of some kinship nouns in different cultures. On the other hand, differences between cultures make some kinship nouns different sharply from one another in their linguistic forms and cultural connotations. Chapter Two elaborates upon the classification of Chinese kinship nouns and their phonetic, grammatical, semantic and cultural features. Then detailed study is made upon the definite features of English kinship nouns. By way of comparison, their differences are made clear so that their inherent cultural features are outlined. Chapter Three dwells upon translating cultural nouns and Chinese kinship nouns in view of the functions of cultural transmission. The definition and elements of translation, along with its cultural function, have effects upon translating Chinese kinship nouns. Different ways of translating Chinese kinship nouns are listed and some relevant analyses of factors with regard to sentence, grammar, text and context are also made in this chapter. Chapter Four discusses the concepts and contributing factors of functional transplantation. It also handles the carriers and methods of transplantation. Functional equivalence, textual translation and neologism are quoted for the theoretical feasibility of transplanting kinship nouns. The linguistic features of the SL and TL kinship nouns are vital in transplantation. On these features, various methods of transplantation, even those of coinage, can be resorted to so as to enrich TL and its culture. The cultural connotation of a cultural word is defined as a cultural nucleus which varies in different cultural words. The size of a cultural nucleus determines in some extent how an appropriate transplanted word can be realized. This paper is focused on kinship nouns and complies with the principle of combining translation theory with translation practice. Some transplanted kinship nouns are exemplified to reveal the influences of SL, TL, the readership and the translator on translation practice. It is argued that the translator's initiative and creativity are accentuated in translation and that cultural nouns are translatable.