A Literary Stylistic Study Of Irony Translation In Fiction

Irony translation has long been a headache in literary translation. This thesis attempts to demonstrate that the application of stylistic approach could play an effective and efficient role in irony translation and formulate an objective and reasonable evaluation framework.Chapter one firstly reviews the concept and categories of irony. Then a brief survey of previous studies on irony translation shows the lack of both a systematic way of analysis and an objective guiding principle of irony translation. As a result, it is significant to find out an efficient and convincing solution to tackle the problem.Chapter two starts with an introduction to the concept, object of analysis and mode of study of stylistics and then proves the feasibility of applying stylistic approach to irony translation in fiction. Since irony is now regarded as not only a rhetorical device but a writing style which infuses the writer's attitude of viewing the world around him,"stylistic equivalence"should be taken as the translating criterion. Namely, the target text should preserve the thematic unity and aesthetic effect of the original while at the same time retaining as much as possible its basic fictional content. On the basis of that, the writer lists three steps of applying stylistic approach to irony translation in fiction. As for translation criticism, the writer observes that in irony translation,"deceptive equivalence", the equivalence between the original and the target text in referential content but not in aesthetic value or significance, is easily made even by experienced translators. To this, the writer argues that a translator's stylistic competence and the principle of"stylistic equivalence"could help to avoid"deceptive equivalence"in irony translation.Chapter three makes a meticulous stylistic analysis and comparison of the translation of different kinds of irony and their"deceptive equivalence"in different versions of Austen's Pride and Prejudice. The suggestive translations are also given when necessary.The fourth chapter sums up the argument of the thesis, its significance, limitations and suggestion for the follow-up study.This paper argues that the application of stylistic approach in irony translation could improve their perception of linguistic form and aesthetic function of irony, stimulate the translator to adopt linguistic form with"stylistic equivalence"and bring about the improvement of fictional translation.