Translation Studies In The Light Of Relevance Theory

As a new cognition pragmatics theory (1986/1995), relevance theory greatly influences western pragmatics. Nowadays, its research has been beyond the field of pragmatics, and translation is one of the disciplines significantly influenced. Ernest August Gutt has been engaged in this domain and made great achievements.A systematic research on Gutt's translation theory clarifies some misunderstandings concerning this theory, disclosing its true nature and exploring its explanatory power to translation practice. Furthermore this thesis probes into the application of Gutt's theory to literary translation, pointing out that Gutt fails to realize the important role that non-formal aesthetic markers, such as tone and feeling, play in transferring aesthetic values in literary translation, though he lays much emphasis on the transference of formal aesthetic markers. Attempts have been made to amend Gutt's theory in respect of transferring aesthetic values of literary work by means of "non-formal aesthetic markers", with the aim of making it more suitable for literary translation between Chinese and English.