On The Importance Of Context Theory To Translation By Comparing Two English Versions Of Teahouse

Drama translation is an important branch of literary translation. However, it seems that the bulk of genre-focused translation study involves the specific problem of translation poetry and fiction while drama is one of the most neglected areas. Much of the translation criticism concerning dramatic texts is usually an attempt to expound the reproduction of certain features of dramatic language in the target text from the angle of aesthetics. For example, Yu Guangzhong, based on the representation of colloquialism in the target text, advocates such translation principle of drama as "agreeable to the eye of the reader, pleasing to the ear of the audience, and easy to be read aloud fluently by the actor". Similarly, Ying Roucheng gives the highest priority to colloquialism and conciseness in translating texts of drama. Such translation criticism without the guidance of sufficient translation theories inevitably tends to be either one-sided or subjective.Context, as an important concept in linguistics, exerts great influence on the production and interpretation of utterances. In the entire process of translation, both the correct comprehension of the source text and the appropriate expression in the target language depend on the specific context, negligence of which may lead to misunderstanding and mistranslating. The significance of context in translation has already been universally agreed upon in the field of translation studies at home and abroad. In A Linguistic Theory of Translation, J.C.Catford, introducing Halliday's view on context into translation theory for the first tune, emphasizes the importance of context to translation. In Approaches to Translation, Peter Newmark firmly asserts that "context is the overriding factor in all translation, and has primacy over any rule, theory or primary meaning". In the article entitled "Thought, Context and Translation" (Foreign Language, 1992, (3): 17-23), Geng Longming explores theclose relationship among thought, context and translation. In Pragmatics and English Learning, He Ziran holds that the translator should manage to reproduce the original contextual effects in the target language context after detailed and correct analysis of the original context.Because of context's richness in connotation and diversity in features, many linguists hold different viewpoints on the definition, elements and functions of context. How to make the best of different theories of context so as to make this theory serve to a great degree as a guideline in translation practice and translation criticism makes up the key problem in the present thesis. The author, on the basis of the investigations and researches in the study of context, makes an attempt to provide the definition, elements and functions of context as following. Context refers to the environment in which meanings are exchanged, including all the indirect as well as the direct factors which influence the production and interpretation of utterances. It mainly consists of linguistic context, situational context and cultural context. Context performs two basic functions: restrictive function which refers to the restricting or determining effects of the specific context on the speaker's or writer's choice of appropriate ways of expression, and interpretive function which refers to the interpreting or explaining effects of the specific context on the listener's or reader's understanding of certain linguistic phenomenon.Teahouse is one of Lao She's greatest work, which can be considered the summit of his art. The drama reflects nearly fifty years of historical changes in Chinese society from the late Qing Dynasty to the pre-liberation period through the depiction of the fate of a teahouse and the ordinary folk who frequented the teahouse. The playwright successfully created a complete, specific and historical context within the limited stage space and time. The speech of every character is in agreement with the particular social-historical context as well as his or herindividual context. As for such a dram...