A Comparative Study On Translation Of Animal Words And Personal Names In Hong Lou Meng

Hong Lou Meng(《红楼梦》 ) has two unabridged English versions. One is Yang Hsien-Yi and Gladys Yang's A Dream Of Red Mansions. The other is David Hawkes' The Story of the Stone. It is generally agreed that the Yangs' version is mainly author-oriented, while Hawkes' reader-oriented.This thesis analyzes the strategies of the two versions in the translation of the two types of culture-loaded words(culture-loaded animal words and personal names) from the functionalist point of view. The thesis selects all culture-loaded animal words from chapter one to chapter twenty-six in Hong Lou Meng, and five major types of personal names in daily usage as samples for research. The analysis shows that the two versions mainly employ the same methods in translating culture-loaded animal words, but when it comes to the translation of personal names, different methods are employed. In general, Hawkes' version, in the two areas, is more reader-oriented than the Yangs'.The thesis then gives explanations for the strategy choice based on an analysis of the translation brief. The choice for the translation strategy is made due to several interactive factors including the social and cultural environment, the time and place of text reception, the target-text addressee, the intended text function, and the intention of the translator and patron. Nevertheless, the final decision is made by the translator. The thesis holds that the intended text function is the key factor leading to the situation where the two versions mainly take the same methods in the translation of culture-loaded animal words, while mainly take different methods in the translation ofpersonal names. As for the overall more reader-oriented tendency in Hawkes' version compared with the Yangs', the thesis attributes it mainly to the translators' different attitudes in targeting the possible target-text addressee.The thesis finally provides an evaluation of the adequacy of the two target texts in reconstructing original cultural elements by way of the typical case study. It is believed in the thesis that in cultural areas, the translator should first take acceptability of the TT into consideration, then try to reconstruct original cultural elements. Both the Yangs' version and Hawkes' version are successful in realizing the effect of adequacy. Nevertheless, by comparison, Hawkes' version is more adequate generally. Hawkes pays more attention to the intended expressive text function, and endeavors to achieve in the target text the same range of functions as the source text. The thesis also points out general problems in the two versions. The Yangs sometimes abide by fidelity rule too literally. Hawkes occasionally deviates from the original too freely. These extreme methods contradict their intended translation purposes and result in an inadequacy of the TT.