A Corpus-Assisted Study On The Personal Pronouns' Translation In Three Kingdoms

As one of the greatest classical novels in the Chinese history, San Guo Yan Yi exerts a deep influence on the development of the Chinese civilization. So far it has been translated into many foreign languages, which serves as a bridge for the communication of the western and eastern cultures. A large number of profound researches have been conducted on different aspects of this great work. This study analyzes the translated version by Moss Roberts and obtains some findings with the help of the parallel corpus. The major findings are as follows:First of all, in translating the personal pronouns, Moss Roberts does not simply translate them into their counterparts in English. Instead, he applies five techniques according to different contexts and grammar, namely, corresponding translation, conversion of case, omission, addition and conversion to noun.Secondly, zhen(朕)was the special first personal pronoun used only by the emperor in ancient China to refer to himself. Moss Roberts pays particular attention to it and translates it into the counterpart according to the context.Thirdly, Moss Roberts places the first personal pronoun behind other personal pronouns or nouns to adapt to the need of the readers.