Exploration On Cognitive Mechanism And Procedures For Metaphor Translation

Based on the study of metaphor in the western academic circle around the 1980s, as well as the psychological analysis of metaphor, this thesis attempts to examine translation of metaphors from a cognitive perspective.Given the cognitive qualities of metaphor as well as the nature of translation, translation of metaphor is held as a cognition-oriented mental process, during which the human brain unravels and transmits the cognitive information of the SL metaphors. In this way, we assert that the essence of translation of metaphors is virtually a process of cross-cultural transmission of cognitive information. The highlight of this thesis is the examination of the internalized process of translation of metaphors, i.e., comprehension and reproduction. There are various factors in the comprehension of metaphor, namely, identification of a metaphorical expression, the semantic discrepancy, in the discerning of sense, cultural differences, individual characteristics in image conjuring, and the role of context. In reproducing the metaphors into the target linguistic symbols we must pay due attention to avoidance of sharp cultural color and style.As for specific procedures, this thesis presents literal translation if the same conceptual metaphor is being used in the two cultures and there exist the same or similar images. If the same conceptual metaphor is being used but there exist different images or a different conceptual metaphor is being used, the translation procedure that will be adopted here is mainly liberal translation. I hope that the insight of metaphor as a cognitive information-processing mode can facilitate the rendering of metaphors, as well as inspire further exploration on translation studies.I hope that the insight of metaphor as a cognitive information-processing mode can facilitate the rendering of metaphors, as well as inspire further exploration on translation studies.