The Instructing Significance Of Functionalist Approaches To Translation With Complement Of The Theory Of Context

Functionalist Approaches to Translation is a quite functional translation. Being different from other traditional translation theories, it mainly concerns the usage and function of the translation approaches and theories, so it is much more available for the translator to carry out translation task. So far, the domestic translators and the translation-related magazines have concerned this theory in such field as it brief introduction, the linguistic basis, some important terms and principles and the relationship between this theory and other linguistic or translation theories. This thesis aims at exploring another important function of this theory—the instructing significance of Functionalist Approaches to Translation to the whole translation course.This thesis is trying to emphasize its instructing significance with the comparative analysis of four English versions of The True Story of Ah Q written by Mr. Lu Hsun to let the translators to under the guidance of this theory seek the better translation statistics and carry out successful translation practice. is the outstanding accomplishment in the history of Chinese modern novel, and it is also one of the modern novels which were introduced to the whole world earliest; meantime, it has so special social, historical, cultural and religious background and so specific writing characteristics that it involves many problems that can be solved by Functionalist Approaches to Translation, which is just the reason why it becomes the analyzing object. The thesis chooses four English versions of this novel from American Chinese George Kin Leung, the famous translator Chi-Chen Wang, Yang Hsien-yi & Gladys Yang, and William A. Lyell. However, there is no one theory could be called perfect, Functionalist Approaches to Translation is not the exception, we need a little assistance from another theory—the theory of Context, for it has some overlap content with Functionalist Approaches to Translation.Functionalist Approaches to Translation came into being in 1970s in Germany; it tries to liberate translation from the source language's yoke, and to explain translation activities from the target language's point of view, so it really brings a revolution in the theoretical translation field. It treats the activity of translation as a totally new purposeful and intentional communicative action that concerns the requests of translation readers, its kernel is Functionailsm. It lays stress both on the source language and the target language; it requests that the translators should form their own opinions and make their own decisions on the original work under the influence of the target language's customs, traditions and anticipative effects and functions. The translator should pay attention to the both.This thesis adopts the method of comparative analysis, carries out the comparative analysis of the various English versions with the help of the important terms and principles including"brief translation","source text analysis", translators'subjective initiative, context etc. and abundant examples. Through the comparative analysis, we could get the following conclusion: Functionalist Approaches to Translation has important instructing significance in the whole translation course including the stage of preparation, practice, examination and evaluation; with the guidance of Functionalist Approaches to Translation and the assistance of the theory of Context, we could realize the better translation purpose on the translation text, especially in the aspect of cultural difference.