Linguistic Forms And Literary Significance In Translation Of Fiction

As an intermediary discipline between linguistics and literary criticism, literary stylistics has already drawn attention in various fields for its objective analysis of linguistic forms and the exploration of literary significance of literary works. In fictional translation study, where an objective, systematic and applicable methodology is needed for translation quality assessment, the necessity of literary stylistic approach has been realized. However the practical application of this approach in translation criticism is still far from satisfactory. The present study is intended to make a critical study of the two Chinese versions of Jane Austen's Emma under the guidance of literary stylistic theories so as to shed some light on the correlations between linguistic forms and literary significance in fictional translation. In the study, stylistic equivalence is proposed as the criterion in critical analysis which is carried out from the three main aspects of the style of Emma: rhythm, irony, and speech and thought presentation. This classification is the result of a combined consideration of both the style of the original novel and the translation study of its two Chinese versions. The results of the study have pointed out the negative and positive renderings in the two Chinese versions from a stylistic perspective and proved the usefulness and necessity of introducing literary stylistic approach in fictional translation criticism. It is hoped that the present study will display the charm of literary stylistics in the field of translation and further promote the development of these fields through interdisciplinary study.