Validity Of Metaphor Translation In Hong Lou Meng In Light Of Relevance Theory

Relevance theory holds that any speeches are relevant; the process of comprehending speeches is the process of finding relevance. The success of communicative act depends on whether language codes have the optimal relevance. Relevance is determined by two factors: one is contextual effects; the other is processing effort. In order to achieve the best communicative efficacy, the translator should look for the maximum relevance.Translation, being a kind of communicative speech act, is closely related to the inferential process of human brain. It involves not only language codes, but more importantly the dynamic inferential process based on dynamic contexts. The inferential process is based upon relevance. A successful translation should deliver the communicative intention of the source text writer clearly and correctly to the target audience. In order to achieve this target, the translator should try to achieve the maximum relevance. That is to say, he should adjust the two key factors to a best degree. The better the contextual effects and the lower the processing effort, the higher the degree of relevance.Professor Zhao Yanchun divides language codes into two levels: univalent translation constituent and bivalent translation constituent. Through the analysis of conventional meaning, short-circuited conversational implicature and conversational implicature in different contexts, Zhao has put forward the best way to achieve translational validity. The thesis tries to analyse the realization of translational validity from the angle of translation constituent through drawing diagrams. Metaphor is a special language phenomenon which has rich connotations because it involves aspects like language, culture, society, psychology and religion etc.. The research on the translational validity of metaphor becomes a valuable subject. The thesis tries to analyze validity of metaphor translation in Hong Lou Meng in light of relevance theory and to evaluate the efficacy of metaphor translation in the two versions of Yang Xianyi and David Hawkes based on the two factors of contextual effects and processing effort. The author hopes it can provide some useful suggestions for metaphor translation.