A Study On “Noise Reduction” In English Translations Of Shanhaijing From The Communication Perspective

Among the multitude of Chinese classics,Shanhaijing,involving a variety of fields,is rich in content and known as an encyclopedia of ancient China.In recent years,as more and more attention has been focused on its English translation,the research in this area from diverse and interdisciplinary perspectives flourishes.However,study that systematically explores the“noises” existed in the communication process of English translations of Shanhaijing and the corresponding “noise reduction” strategies from the communication perspective are rare.Based on the previous studies of relevant areas,this thesis,adopting the communication theories as well as a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods,builds an analytical framework which is targeted at investigating the “noises” present in the communication process of translations and the appropriate “noise reduction” strategies in an attempt to explore the following three major research questions:(1)Drawing on Lasswell’s 5W communication model,what are the key elements involved in the communication process of English translations of Shanhaijing?(2)Based on the concept of “noise”,what kinds of “noises” are present in the communication process of English translations of Shanhaijing from readers’ perception?(3)What strategies can be adopted to reduce each type of “noise”existed in the communication process of English translations of Shanhaijing?The research findings are as follows: First,the major elements involved in the communication process of English translations of Shanhaijing include translators(communicator),the source texts and target texts(message),print media(medium),actual readers(audience),and readers’ acceptance(effect).Second,there are four types of “noises” existed in the communication process of Shanhaijing’s English translations,namely cognitive “noises”,semantic“noises”,physical “noises”,and psychological “noises”.Third,cognitive“noises” can be eliminated through expanding the translator’s horizon to achieve its fusion with the source text’s horizon;“noise reduction” strategies for semantic “noises” include “Restructuring”,“Substitution”,“Transliteration(Literal/Free Translation)”,“Intratextual Addition”,“Extratextual Annotation”,etc.;physical “noises” can be removed by enhancing the book design;“noise reduction” strategies for psychological “noises” include “Reframing Discourses” and “Visual Narrative”.Based on the communication theories,this thesis,taking readers’ acceptance as the starting point,explores the “noises” present in the communication process of Shanhaijing’s English translations and the corresponding “noise reduction” strategies,which is remarkably different from the previous research that investigates the “noises” and “noise reduction”strategies by employing text analysis method.The purpose of this thesis lies in enlightening English translation practice of Chinese classics and exploring new research perspective for studying the English translation of these classics.In the context of presenting compelling Chinese stories to the world,exploring the reader-oriented way of translating Chinese classics into English is critical to inform the translation practice of Chinese culture.