On Translation Equivalence From Semiotic Perspective

Equivalence is a key issue in the study of translation which caused a great many arguments. At home and abroad, many scholars and experts have systematically analyzed and discussed equivalence from different perspectives, but failed to agree on a single translating method and a criterion of judgment. Therefore, we need to start from a brand new perspective and break the limitation of the traditional equivalence research on translation. Under such a situation, semiotics is combined with translation research.Traditional translation theories studied translation equivalence from either linguistic perspective, pragmatic perspective or communicative perspective, which cannot provide us a full-scale support. Semiotic translation is based on the commonalities among language systems, and includes both verbal and nonverbal and subjective and objective factors. It provides a possibility for a full-scale investigation on equivalent translation and breaks the unilateralism of the tradition research. It has become a new concept in modern linguistics.Dominated by Morris' semiotic view of meaning, this thesis takes advantage of Jakobson's subdivision of translation as a fundamental theory frame. This paper consists of six chapters. The first chapter introduces the background and significance of semiotic translation study and presents the structure of this thesis. In the second chapter, it describes the core theories in modern semiotics as well as their influence in translation study. It also introduces Morris' semiotic view of meaning and Jakobson's three types of translation. From chapter three to chapter five, it discusses how to achieve equivalence in intersemiotic translation, interlingual translation and intralingual translation with supporting examples. The task of intersemiotic translation is to keep the same physical feature between the original and the rendering. Intralingual translation is a decoding process happened in two different cultures, how to convey the meaning accurately is the key. To keep semantic equivalence is to hold the same denotation and connation of a sign instead of its literal meaning; to achieve syntactic equivalence is to remain the same...