A Study Of Images Translation In Classic Chinese Poems: A Perspective Of Frame Theory

Image is a significant category of ancient Chinese poetics as well as a favorite subject in the western world. It indicates a verbal expression that evokes a mental picture or a physical sensation, not necessarily visual. People from different cultures speaking different languages may share the same or similar images, as well as conceive diverse images with diverse natures. Therefore, without certain shared knowledge, it is impossible to understand the images and the meaning imposed on the images in another language or another culture.Previous studies have been focusing on the importance of image representation in poetry translation, starting from the perspectives of relevance theory, domestication and foreignization, the aesthetic value and fuzzy beauty of Chinese poetry, and translatability of imagery, etc. to explore the representation of image in poetry translation. Most of these are on a theoretical basis, but there are few discussions on the details of actual operation that come down to the cognitive level. Therefore, this essay tries to approach the issue in a more effective way——cognitive way. It is also the innovation of this paper.This thesis uses cognitive frame theory as its guiding theory and applies it to image translation, analyzing the definition, meaning, characteristic of frame and explaining the inner relation between image and frame. It indicates that the task of translation is to find in the target language the linguistic expression which helps to activate the cognitive frame identical or similar to those in the source language. The aim of this thesis lies in finding a new path for image translation.Frame theory has blazed a new trail for the study of image translation in classic Chinese poems and is trying to arouse interest and attention among image translation research. There is still a lot not theoretically settled and the viewpoint in this thesis is not taken as the final, either. Further study in image translation should be made.The thesis consists of six parts.Part One serves as an introduction to the origin of the research, necessity and significance of the research, guiding theory of the research as well as organization of the thesis.Part Two presents the explanation of images in classic Chinese poems, analyzing the role of images in poem, introducing the classification, characteristics of image,and then provides the former research associated with image translation made by some scholars.Part Three provides guiding theory for the thesis, giving an introduction to the origin, classification, characteristics, definition of frame theory. It also discusses the significance of frame theory in translation.Part Four presents how to apply frame theory to image translation. Frame evokes positive or passive effect to image understanding. Different cultures bring different cultural frames even frame conflicts, which cause difficulty in the process of translation. This part also gives some guidances to image translation with the examples of concrete frames.Part Five puts forward some strategies and methods in translation according to the inspiration of frame theory, so as to avoid troubles brought by the difference of frames.The last part is the conclusion of the thesis and research. It affirms the great importance of frame theory in image translation. Meanwhile, it points out the deficiency of the thesis, and puts forward a few suggestions to the future research.