Information Shift In English-Chinese Translation

Translation study has been proceeding from a variety of perspectives, among which the informational approach is especially viable and rewarding in both aspects of theoretical exploration and practical application. Its achievements mainly ensue from the development of the Information Theory which helps to reveal the essence that translation is transferring information from the source text to the target text. However, the pioneer research in this regard is found short of depth and accuracy in its failure to take into consideration the features of information and the bearings of some key parameters upon this transmission, and in the inappropriate assumption of an ideal information flow, among other aspects. Aiming at a solution to the above, this paper probes into the detailed features of information in terms of theme-rheme structure, given-new information flow, redundancy of information and the division of informativity. The theme-rheme structure reflects the development of the original text as well as the writer's intention in organizing his materials, so is the given-new information flow which especially concerns the treatment of givenness on the part of recievers. It follows that a translator is expected to conform to the pattern of thematic progression in question and reflect the givenness or newness of a certain piece of information in his translation version. Second comes the division of informativity, which goes closely along with redundancy of information in the course of translation. Language differences have it that an item may not assume the same amount of information against its counterpart, so that adjustment of informativity is called for. This adjustment is also motivated in the light of some 'outside' parameters, like ideology, readers' expectations and culture, among other things; the adjustment usually takes the forms of upgrading or downgrading informativity, depending on whether the item in question should be expanded or condensed in terms of information explanation. As for the redundancy of information, it is not necessarily synonymous to verbiage but may turn out to be a subsidiary element that is capable of facilitating comprehension and offsetting the loss incurred by 'noise'. This paper develops the above notions in altogether six chapters. Chapter one gives an introduction, which makes a brief account of this approach and the scope where it may be applied. The second chapter, Literature Review, accounts for the past achievements and the status quo which motivates a further study of this kind. Chapter three is designed to lay the foundation of this approach and then explain in detail its key notions, such as theme-rheme structure, given-new information flow and redundancy. Chapter four is termed after criteria, but is actually more of a suggestion by which a translator may be better guided in two ways: the theme-rheme structure and information flow. My main concern is saved for chapter five, Applications, which is demonstrated with ample examples from the simplest level of lexeme up to syntactic level and eventually discoursal level. This demonstration is meanwhile carried out under the guidance of three notions: mediating information (either upgrading or downgrading), the theme-rheme structure, and the given-new information flow. This chapter, incidentally, also displays the impairment incurred by doing otherwise as well as the incapability of this approach when functioning alone. The last chapter ends with the conclusions and suggestions for further studies in this regard.