Relevance Theory And Functional Equivalent Compensation For Translating Figures Of Speech In Literary Works

This thesis investigates the translation of figures of speech from the perspective ofRelevance Theory and takes the theory of functional equivalence as compensation. For aclearer and more definite comprehension of figures of speech, this thesis firstly probes into thefigures of speech and its nature in the dimension of rhetorics.This thesis provides powerful support for explaining the pragmatic mechanism of figuresof speech from perspective of Relevance Theory. Sperber and Wilson proposed RelevanceTheory and gave a cognitive perspective for explaining how to conduct successfulcommunication by constructing the optimal relevance. The study of Relevance Theory andGutt's Relevance Translation Theory is also intensive and profound. The pragmatic basis andcognitive views have forceful accounts for the mechanism of figures of speech and thegeneration of its cultural contexts. Relevance Theory views that translation is a process ofostensive-inferential during which contextual effect is quite important and the communicatorspursue the optimal relevance in certain cognitive environment. As translation is a kind ofcross-cultural communication, this thesis analyzes the figures of speech such as metaphor andpun in Fortress Besieged and summarizes the achievements of Relevance Theory.Though Relevance Theory can make great contribution in translating figures of speech,still it has its own confinements. The mutual manifestoes cannot be successfully achievedbecause the cognitive environment in each language is not the same. And the definition"relevance"is a fuzzy term which may not provide an accurate translation criterion. StillRelevance Theory may eliminate the specialties or uniqueness of Chinese culture and make thecultural implied meaning and cultural default in figures of speech fade away. In view of theconfinements of Relevance Theory, this thesis adopts Functional Equivalence as compensationto explain the translation of figures of speech. The compensation of Functional Equivalencecovers three aspects respectively: the cognitive environment can be rebuilt in FunctionalEquivalence; Functional Equivalence has clear and accurate definition of its criterion;Functional Equivalence can minimize the cultural gaps and the cultural defaults; so meanwhile cultural peculiarities can reappear.At the end of this thesis, the author points out the flaws in the version of FortressBesieged by Jeanne Kelly and Nathan K. Mao. The originality of this thesis lies in thecombination of these two theories. Finally, the initiative and creative suggestion in translationof figures of speech in literary works will be proposed. The aesthetic goal is the superb normand pursuit for literary works.