Differences In Thought Patterns Between English And Chinese And Their Impact Upon Translation

From the angle of translatology, translation includes thought level, semantic level and aesthetic level. But thought level is the basis and precondition upon which the other levels are built. The thesis is divided into three chapters: the relationship between thought, language and translation is presented in the first chapter; the second chapter traces back cultural backgrounds contributing to differences in thought patterns between English and Chinese; in chapter three, the interaction between Chinese and Western thought patterns and discourses is interpreted in detail. Discourse samples revealing the major characteristics of Chinese and Western thought patterns are illustrated as proofs for the arguments in this thesis. Generally speaking, learning the differences in Chinese and English thought patterns contributes to a superior quality of English-Chinese translation.