Aspects Of Translation From A Register Perspective

Appling linguistics theory in dealing with translation problems features in contemporary western translation theory, from Chomsky's Transformational-Generative Grammar to Halliday's Systemic-Functional Grammar, new directions and ideas have been brought into traditional translation theory and expand the research field of the present translation. As one of the important theories in SFG, the theory of Register has been widely employed in many areas with its powerful features and functions. Regrettably, the research on Register and its application hasn't gone so far and plays a minor role on the vast stage. Until now, there are numerous ideas and further definition about Register, among others; Halliday's view attracts most attention while arousing much controversy. With respect to the application of Register in translation, it needs more exploration and study on questions of how translators can realize the equivalence of register in source language and target language, or, what are the reasons to non-equivalence in source language and target languageAfter a probe of the history of register and scholars' views, the author tries to analyze the source text and realize the equivalence between source text and target language from the three variables of register ~ field, tenor and mode. Equivalence, along with faith, is the goal that translator pursues, however, is there absolute faith or equivalence? The actual answer is no.With Nida's dynamic equivalence theory adopted as criterion of translation, together with the translation practice, the author undertakes a step-by-step analysis on three variables with the deductive research method to study the equivalence and, non-equivalence with the inductive research method, arriving at a conclusion that, the theory of register is a useful tool in the analysis of source text; in translation, the equivalence of register should be taken into account; non-equivalence is resulted from the values differing in cultural communities, different aesthetics of different nations and the ways varying in languages expression.