Translation Of Pragmatic Implicature In The C-E/E-C Translation Of Allusions: A Cultural Perspective

This thesis intends to study translation of pragmatic implicature in the C-E/E-C translation of allusions in a cultural perspective. Allusions, as embedded in specific cultures, have given rise to insurmountable problems in cross-cultural translation. The connotation of allusion is not always identifiable; it is rather implied and approachable only to those readers who are grounded in the same culture. Therefore, how to convey the implied meaning of a source-cultural allusion to the target language readers comprises the most important step in translating allusions. The term 'implicature', as denned in pragmatics, has close affinities with the essential features of allusion, such as implicity, covertness and subtlety, etc. Translation of pragmatic implicature focuses on how the implied or intended meaning of the source text can be conveyed in the target text with an aim to achieve appropriateness in the social and cultural context of the target language. It can be argued that conveyance of the implied meaning of source-cultural allusions approximates translation of pragmatic implicature, which is immensely determined by the contexts of which cultural context constitutes the most critical part. As the implied meaning or implicature of an allusion largely pertains to its cultural connotation, translation of allusions is, on a whole, the transmission of cultural connotations. Translation of pragmatic implicature, being the focus of pragmatic translation, has shed considerable light on the conveyance of cultural connotations of allusions in cross-cultural translation.The present thesis introduces two important concepts in pragmatic translation, namely, implicature and explicature, respectively upheld by scholars of pragmatics Qian Guanlian and He Ziran. Prof. Qian argues from a literary point of view that the implicature of the source text should remain implicit in the target text so as not to spoil the literariness of the text as he insists that implicity, or 'gaps', in Iser's words, comprises the most important feature of literariness of a specific text. On the contrary, Prof. He holds that the implicature of the source text should be madeexplicit in the target text, which can help the target language readers to overcome cultural bumps. In the case of implicature, the foreign flavor may be retained yet the target language readers' acceptability is challenged. In the case of explicature, the comprehensibility of the target language readers is taken into full consideration yet the cultural flavor may be decolored or even distorted. The author of this thesis holds that both of these two arguments have their merits and demerits in the application of cultural translation. The author suggests that a well manipulation of these two provide a pathway for the conveyance of cultural connotation or pragmatic implicature of allusions.Starting in a cultural perspective, the author explores the various potential strategies for conveying pragmatic implicatures or cultural connotations of culture-specific allusions. Through a detailed analysis of authentic examples in C-E /E-C translation of allusions taken from Shakespearean plays, Chinese classics like Hong Lou Meng and a variety of other literary works, the thesis reveals that the treatment of pragmatic implicatures of allusions in cross-cultural translation is determined by a variety of factors, such as context, functions and text types, etc. The author further argues that pragmatic implicature should embrace the concept of culture and pragmatic translation requires the preservation of culture specifically in the application of allusion translations, since allusions have long been viewed as cultural deposits and crystallization of human civilization. The author believes that 'facsimile of culture' should be the guiding principle for the conveyance of pragmatic implicatures in translation of allusions in the age of globalization, which is beneficial for cultural exchange in the long run.The author of the present thesis draws the following conclusion that translation...