A Study On Translation Of Drmatic Dialogue With Conversational Implicature From The Perspective Of Pragmatic Equivalence

Conversational implicature theory is proposed by the famous linguistic philosopher Grice. According to Grice, in order to make the conversation go on fluently, both the participants should abide by some rules which he named cooperative principle. However, in our daily life, people may always intentionally violate the Cooperative Principle as to express some implied meaning which is different from or even contradicts with the literal meaning. However, it is the implicit meaning of the utterance that reveals the speaker’s real intention. Therefore, the translator should pay much attention to the conversational implicature in the source text and the motives of the speaker.This thesis is going to make an analysis of the translation of conversational implicature in drama As to the readers and audiences, correct understanding of the meaning of dramatic dialogue is the basis of the enjoyment of the whole play. Therefore, dramatic dialogue, as the most important form of theatrical literature, is the decisive factor to the outcome of drama and the translation of drama lies in the translation of dramatic dialogue. Since in modern dramatic dialogues, it is common that conversational implicature arises by violating the maxims of cooperative principle, it makes the feasibility of studying dramatic dialogue with conversational implicature from the perspective of cooperative principle. Drama has its unique inherent nature of duality. It can exist either as a written text within the literary system or as a stage performance with complex theatrical forms. The author believes that due to the characteristic of conversational implicature and the duel nature of drama, pragmatic equivalence is the key factor in translation of dramatic dialogue with conversational implicature and pragmatic effect it created upon the readers should be given priority. Only when pragmatic equivalence is realized in translation can target language readers/audiences get the same force as source language readers/audiences do. There are two main principles to abide by when translating: one is to retain the implicature and the other is to retain its function in case that it is impossible to keep the original implicature.This thesis makes a study on the translation of dramatic dialogue with conversational implicature. The author takes a case study on Barnes’translation of Ri Chu. After analyzing the features of the language in Ri Chu, which include colloquialism, individuality, gestic text and performability, this thesis makes a pragmatic analysis of the conversational implicature both in the source text and in the target text. Also, the translation strategies used are being discussed. In consideration of the characteristics of dramatic dialogue and the readers’competence, translation strategies like literal translation, adaptation and paraphrase should be given priority instead of strategies like explanation, adding footnote and note which may be a burden to the understanding of target readers/audiences. By studying the translation of dramatic dialogue with conversational implicature in Ri Chu and analyzing the possibility and necessity of the application of pragmatic equivalence principle in this kind of translation,this thesis is supposed to provide some helpful suggestions to the studies of Ri Chu and the translation of dramatic dialogue with conversational implicature.