The Translation Of Metaphors And Relevance Theory

This thesis aims to study the translation of metaphors in literary works from the perspective of relevance theory. As a communication theory, relevance theory was proposed by Sperber and Wilson (1986/2001), which has great explanatory power over translation. In Translation and Relevance: Cognition and Context, Gutt (1991/2004) argues that relevance theory provides translators with the best framework available for understanding translation and guiding translation practice. Relevance translation theory can possibly account for various aspects of metaphor translation.This thesis explores how dynamic equivalence theory treats the translation of metaphors and its main inadequacies and points out that the principle of relevance can work as a guiding principle for translators to make decisions in translating metaphors. Relevance theory has many insightful implications for translation. The notions contextual effects versus processing effort, optimal relevance, poetic effects can help explain various problems of metaphor translation. It also elaborates what direct translation and indirect translation are and how they deal with the translation of metaphors.Based on the theoretical elaborations, four specific metaphor translation methods are discussed through the analysis of the data gathered from the classical Chinese novel Hong Lou Meng and its two English versions. Through the analysis of the data, this thesis emphasizes the importance of retaining the metaphors since metaphorical language is a typical characteristic of the literary works. The increase in the processing effort for interpreting the metaphors can be offset by some increase in the contextual effects. While in cases where the cognitive environments of the target language readers differ significantly from those of the source language readers, the translators need to bridge the gap by resorting to other three methods. It then reaffirms that the translator should make decisions in accordance with the principle of relevance and that the translator's competence is the decisive factor in the translation of metaphors, or in any kind of translation.