Study On The Translation Of Abstract Nouns Based On The Variational Translation Theory

Conciseness,a key principle in rhetoric,is a main feature of abstract nouns.Another feature is the high degree of generality,which is necessary for the highly developed human mind.Due to these characteristics,their information load is substantial and they possess great value in conveying information in the source text.This report uses Chapter 7 of The Language of the Inuit as material for translation practice,proposing and summarizing translation strategies for various types of English abstract nouns under the guidance of the variational translation theory.English uses a wide range of abstract nouns and showcases intricate and adaptable usages.On the other hand,Chinese abstract nouns are less prevalent.This disparity makes direct translation of English abstract nouns into Chinese impractical,thus amplifying the difficulty in expressing abstract ideas accurately.In the process of dealing with this problem,direct translation can only accurately express part of abstract nouns,and in order to achieve information equivalence,the phenomenon of variational translation is carried out throughout the translation process.Based on years of translation practice and theoretical research,Professor Huang Zhonglian puts forward the variational translation theory and explains in detail the seven adaptation techniques and twelve methods of variational translation in translation practice.The Language of the Inuit is an informative text that focuses on presenting facts and conveying information.One of the criteria of the variational translation theory is to meet readers’ needs for specific information,especially the needs for easy access to information.Therefore,the variational translation theory is the precise approach for translating this type of material.This theory involves the translator’s thinking and use of adaptation techniques to accurately convey the relevant content of the original work to specific readers under specific conditions.Both researchers and translation practitioners increasingly recognize the effectiveness of variational translation theory in achieving higher quality and faster translation of informative texts.This report classifies abstract nouns into four categories,explores the characteristics of different abstract nouns and the problems in the translation process,and guides the solution to the translation problems of classified abstract nouns with the help of variational translation theory.Through the case study,it can be concluded that the four categories of abstract nouns can be translated into Chinese by altering,adding,deleting and condensing under the guidance of variational translation theory.