A Pragmatic Adaptation Perspective On Translation: The Case Of Hongloumeng

This thesis has made a tentative study on translation, particularly literary translation, from a pragmatic perspective of adaptation. Verschueren (1999) proposes a new pragmatic perspective of adaptation and assumes language use to be a continuous making of linguistic choices with different degrees of salience for the purpose of adaptation. This thesis attempts to apply such a pragmatic theory to the study of translation, exploring possibilities of establishing a coherent and unified pragmatic framework for translation studies.Based on the framework outlined by Verschueren, we view translation as an instance of language use and a special kind of communication. Therefore, it is possible for us to regard translation as a dynamic process of adaptation with regard to linguistic reality and extra-linguistic contexts with various degrees of salience. The author holds that what distinguishes the various translation theories is their different adaptation inclinations, the focuses of adaptation. Thus, the debates between such translation strategies as literal translation and free translation, and domestication and alienation, can hopefully come to an end.In order to make the present study more significant in guiding translation practice, a translation model under adaptation theory is also proposed to interpret the process of translation as adaptation. The discussion of adaptation is presented at two levels, namely, the linguistic level and the extra-linguistic level. To make this study more convincing, authentic examples from the two English versions of Cao Xueqin's Hongloumeng, by Yang Hsien-yi and Gladys Yang, and David Hawkes and John Minford respectively, are given and analyzed in details. Besides, some elements are considered to have exerted great influence on the translators' adaptation inclinations. In conclusion, the author holds that translation in essence represents a continuous making of choices ranging from selection of the ST to specific techniques employed to achieve a desired purpose.