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

Being an important branch of literature, drama is a literature art as well as a performing one. That means a drama should both be readable and performable. The former refers to the fact that the language in the dramatic text should be fluent, expressive and graceful to read; the latter means that the text should be speakable for the actors and understandable for the audience. It is the duality that brings drama translation its unique features. However, the value of a drama can only be fully reflected by performance. As a result, the creation of a drama is firstly for stage, and secondly for page.This thesis makes a systematic comparison on the two English versions of Teahouse from the perspective of Functional Equivalence Theory proposed by Nida, who puts great emphasis on the"receptor's responses", and points out that in translation, the same effects should be obtained in the target culture as those in the source culture. This theory offers the drama translation an essential guide line. When dealing with the cultural obstacles in drama translation, translators should take into account the target audience, the cultural norms and traditions of the target language and make corresponding adjustments."Teahouse is the great work which stands for the top achievement of Lao She in the art of language. It's already won the universal praise. In the circle of play, Teahouse is unanimously considered as a good play in which'One line depicts one role.'". (英若诚,1999:6) The play is most famous for its rich dialects with Beijing flavor, individualized, terse and humorous language, and abundant cultural connotation. A valuable material for the researchers of Chinese cultural, Teahouse is also a great challenge for the translators. Guided by Nida's Functional Equivalence Theory, this thesis makes a detailed comparison on the two English versions of Teahouse translated by Howard Gibbon and Ying Ruocheng respectively, to see if equivalence is achieved under the different strategies adopted by the two translators. Through the comparative study, a final conclusion is reached that only by taking full advantage of the purpose of translation, can the translator adopt appropriate translation strategies. Therefore, in drama translation, the translator should pay due attention to"performability"so as to achieve functional equivalence.