On Equivalent Translation--A Pragmatic Approach

Translation is a kind of interlingual and intercultural communication. In modern society, translation plays more and more important role. For many years, translation equivalence has been the dominating concept in translation theory. Both Chinese and Western translators put forward a large number of different views on translation criterion. Equivalence is regarded as one of the basic criterions in essence. But few of them mention how to translate equivalently. We hold that equivalence in pragmatic meaning is just that foundation. The thesis consists of five chapters.Chapter one points out the necessity of the foundation of equivalent translation. This foundation can distinguish equivalent translations from inequivalent ones. If the translated version cannot achieve this foundation, translation cannot perform its basic function.Chapter two makes a brief discussion on accuracy in the history of translation study both at home and abroad. Translators stated different views on translation criterion. Equivalence is regarded as one of the basic criterions in essence. But few of them mentioned the foundation of this criterion. What will the translators do first in order to render the source text equivalently? In fact, what the translators should do first is the equivalence in pragmatic meaning.Chapter three analyses and illustrates what the pragmatic meaning is in details; points out five categories of the pragmatic meaning, that is, illocutionary force, percolutionary force, conversational implicature, figurative meaning and reference; discusses how to carry out the equivalence in pragmatic meaning in the translation process.Chapter four discusses equivalence in semantic meaning and equivalence in pragmatic meaning; points out we should give top priority to equivalence in pragmatic meaning when the semantic meaning and the pragmatic meaning cannot be achieved at the same time.Chapter five restates that equivalence in pragmatic meaning is the foundation of equivalent translation. The translator should achieve equivalence in pragmatic meaning first in order to render the source text accurately. But we do not rule out other equivalences. The translators should achieve as much equivalence as possible in order that the translations will become more perfect.