An Analysis Of The Translation Of Rhetorical Devices In Biancheng From The Perspective Of Functionalist Approach

Shen Congwen is one of the most important “native soil” writers in modernChinese literature on part with Lu Xun. He is known for combining the vernacularstyle with classical Chinese writing techniques and was twice nominated for theNobel Prize in1987and1988. Xia Zhiqing remarked that Shen Congwen was “themost brilliant and imaginative writer in Chinese modern literature” and “good atexquisite style like pastoral song”.Biancheng is one of Shen Congwen’s representatives, which might be thought asa “little Greek temple” the writer wished to build for its advocating humanity andconcerning human’s fate. In Biancheng, he employs various literary techniques torealize his concept of creation：to present a kind of life style with beauty, health,nature and not against humanity. Until now Its English versions have been delved intofrom multiple perspectives, however, rhetorical devices have not aroused the interestsof researchers.Functionalist approach in translation studies was initiated in the1970s. It movedtranslation studies away from the static linguistic typologies, seeing translation as acommunicative activity with purposes and involving the source text author, translator,target reader, initiator and the user of the translation. Under the guidance offunctionalist approach, the author takes the latest English version Jeffrey C. Kinkley’sBorder Town as a case and explores the applicability of functionalist approaches in thetranslation of rhetorical devices. In translating rhetorical devices it is almostimpossible to conform to the original form because of differences in language, cultureand thinking patterns etc, the author points out that the reproduction of the rhetoricaleffects and functions should be put on priority, the form and sound effects secondwhen dealing with them. The applicability of functionalist approach in the translationof rhetorical devices is expounded from three angles: text typology, skopos theory andcoherence, taking five representative rhetorical devices as examples for analysis.Through this research the author reveals that Kinkley’s version reproduces the rhetorical effects and functions of original rhetorical devices on the whole, thetranslator mainly adopts foreignization, literal translation and transliteration etc. toachieve his purpose of introducing Chinese culture, the translated text is coherent andfaithful to the original text with high readability, however, there is also imperfectionsuch as his overlooking a clause in a rhetorical device and mistranslating apronunciation of a Chinese character.