Redundancy In Chinese-English Translation

Redundancy is a core concept of the information theory developed by Claude E. Shannon, an American mathematician and communication engineer. Initially intended only for communication scientists, the theory has, however, gradually acquired wider application outside the realm of hard science. It has even generated enthusiasm among scholars of humanistic disciplines. In hope to offer a more scientific perspective towards the study and practice of translation, Eugene A. Nida, an American translation theorist, adopts many concepts from Shannon's information theory including the concept of redundancy. Given the significant differences between scientific and humanistic redundancy, the thesis argues that Nida's borrowing of the concept of redundancy from information theory into translation studies steps onto ground that is unstable. Rejecting the idea that redundancy in natural language is something that can be measured objectively and mathematically, the author hopes to provide an alternative understanding towards redundancy in translation that is more compatible with the humanistic nature of translation studies.To this end, the author explores the dynamic aspect of redundancy holding that redundancy is not fixed in certain linguistic codes and the redundant status of a piece of linguistic material cannot be pronounced once and for all. With the Skopos theory being the theoretical framework, the author demonstrates with examples that redundancy should be treated differently in light of different skopos. Adequacy to skopos is proposed as the overriding principle when dealing with redundancy in translation, and intratextual coherence and intertextual coherence as two secondary principles.