Register Study And Its Application To Translation Teaching For Undergraduate English Majors

Register theory is viewed as one of the most important theories in Systemic Functional Grammar. M.A.K Halliday, a prominent British linguist and founder of Systemic Functional Linguistics, divides these variables under three headings: field, tenor and mode; together they determine register and form an integrated system. Register theory studies language variations in different situation types and therefore reshapes our understanding of translation teaching. In the light of register theory, a translator should strive to attain equivalence not only at linguistic level (lexical, syntactical), but more importantly, at functional level (ideational meaning, interpersonal meaning, textual meaning). Register theory is a forceful guarantee in reproducing fully the meaning of source texts and in uplifting the artistic value of the translation.In recent years, scholars at home and abroad have been exploring how to integrate register theory into translation teaching. Their findings indicate that register-related errors are widespread in the translation practice of undergraduate English majors. One reason is that register knowledge is not given its due weight in classroom teaching. As translation teachers, it is our responsibility to cultivate students'register awareness and improve their capacity in applying the right register to the right contexts.This thesis is a combination of theory with practice. It is organized into six parts. Part One is a brief introduction to the research questions and the layout of the thesis. Part Two is literature review. It is a historical review of register development by examining a wide spectrum of views: Malinovski, Firth, Halliday, etc. Part Three discusses the application of register theory into translation teaching. With rich examples, this part explores different register features and relevant translation criteria under different texts, namely, literary texts and non-literary texts. Part Four is an investigation into present translation teaching, focusing on three aspects: course books, classroom teaching and students'practice. Based on the major findings of Part Four, Part Five discusses the current problems in translation teaching and at the same time puts forth feasible suggestions. Part Six is the concluding part, highlighting the importance of register-awareness and pointing out the necessity to integrate the three variables into translation teaching. Furthermore, it indicates the implications as well as the limitations of the thesis.