On The Translation Of Eliza's Idiolectal Varieties In Pygmalion

Register theory divides the language variations into two dimensions: one is use-related, and the other is user-related. Language use is influenced by various factors such as situations, areas, social background, functions, genres, times etc. and therefore differ from each other in language form. The varieties adopted by the language user in certain situation differ from person to person and will send not only its semantic and referencial meanings, but also various kinds of social meanings, such as the addresser's social background, economic status, cultural factors, national origin and so on. Register has three aspects, namely, field, mode and tenor. Register theory has laid a theoretical foundation for the changes of varieties. For example, in drama, the character's language plays extremely important role, for the character's personality, the development of the plot and realization of the theme all rely on the character's own language, namely, the line to reveal, and the dialogue is almost the only way for playwrights to depict the character's personality. Then in the Chinese version, how to relay the character's idiolect concerns whether the original spirit can be represented. The research will take the translation of Eliza's dialogues as the study object, carrying on a systematic and descriptive case study under the frame work of register theory.Eliza, a humbly born flower girl and one of the main characters in Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, originally speaks London vernacular. After six months'language training, she has gone so far that she can not only enter the upper class but also be recognized as a princess at an embassy's garden party owing to her standard pronunciation and elegant dresses. It can be found out that Eliza's idiolect before, during and after the language training distinctly varies from one another and therefore plays a critical role in the plot development and realization of the theme. The Chinese version by Mr. Yang Xianyi is acknowledged to have conveyed both the original style maximally and the content faithfully. Through analysis of some typical translation of Eliza's dialogues at the three different stages, different idiolectal varieties can be found, i.e., regional dialects before her language training, inappropriate style during her language training and standard dialects after her language training. In Mr. Yang Xianyi's Chinese version, different strategies and techniques are used flexibly to reproduce Eliza's idiolect. Eliza's regional dialects before her language training are mainly reproduced through free translation and Chinese oral style, i.e., Chinese colloquialism; Eliza's inappropriate style during her language training is mainly relayed through literal translation and preservation of Eliza's pragmatic deviation, register mixing and style licence; Eliza's standard dialects after her language training are mainly reproduced through literal translation and Chinese written style. At the same time, the differences between Chinese culture and English culture and the dramatic effect also affect the choice of translation strategies and techniques. The translation strategies and techniques adopted in Mr. Yang Xianyi's Chinese version will have both learning and guiding significance in relaying the character's idiolect in literary translation, especially in drama translation.