A Semiotic Approach To English-Chinese Translation

Translation is an activity with great practicality. It needs theory as a guide. Though a large number of scholars at home and abroad study in this field for many years, there is never a set of theory, whichh could explain translating activity thoroughly and satisfactorily. Recently more and more people study translation from different angels in their own fields. Semiotics-oriented translation theory is put forth under such background.Translation is never just the transference between two languages. It is an intercultural communication. English and Chinese belong to the different language families, Indo-European family and Sino-Tibetan family, as a result they differ in writing system, phonetics, vocabulary, grammar, etc. In essence it results from the differences between these two cultures, that is, ecological, material life, social system and ideology, etc. So to study and explore translation just from the linguistic perspective couldn't get a satisfied answer.Semiotics originated from Swiss linguist Saussure. He confirmed language is a sign system which expresses thoughts. At that time semiotics is mainly for linguistics research. Later semanticist Morris put forth the meaning theory ofsemiotics. Every sign has referential meaning, linguistic meaning, and pragmatic meaning, which later became the basis for the semiotic translation approach. It was Eugene Nida who applied semiotic theories to translation. He was a linguist and an expert in Bible translation with high attainments in language and rich experiences in translation. He applied semiotic theories to translation as a guide and mainly focused on the meaning theory of semiotics, that is, the three-dimension meanings of signs. At the same time semiotic translation approach absorbed language function theory from linguistics. Sign always conveys message, so it has a communicative function. The six language functions, which were put forwarded by Peter Newmark, are suitable for translation study. Translation means transference from one set of sign system to another set, that is, decoding and encoding. The first step in translation is to understand the source language properly, decoding. At this stage the translator should consider the source language as a sign system. To understand this sign system must involve the concrete social background, the relation between signs and its user. These factors result in the reproduction of the referential meaning, linguistic meaning and pragmatic meaning of the source language, that is, encoding.To apply semiotics to translation could grasp the function and meaning of the source language macroscopically, understand and reproduce them microcosmically. Thus it is helpful to improve translating skills.In this dissertation half of the pages are employed for the history and development of semiotics, and translation process and criteria. The third chapter puts the theory into practice and employs a great group of examples to explain and analyze this theory, hoping to understand it better and deeply.The author tries to supply a thorough theory framework for translation, based on semiotics. Perhaps her efforts are not successful, but if more and more people could put forth more advice and improve translation study in the near future, and make it more scientific and directive. That will be enough!...