A Study On The Cognitive Process Of Simile Translation In The Yang's Version Of The Scholars Based On Relevance-Adaptation Model

Simile is a reflection of the culture and the cognitive style in the language. There are few domestic studies on simile compared with those on metaphor, and there are even fewer studies on cognitive process in the translation of simile utterance. The Scholars is one of the masterpieces of Chinese ancient novels, whose use of language is quite sophisticated. Therefore, analyzing its language can shed light on understanding Chinese language and culture. Moreover, the English version The Scholars translated by Mr. Yan Xianyi and Mrs. Gladys Yang also stands out as a masterpiece. It is quite significant to study the cognitive process in the translation of the simile utterances in The Scholars.Based on the revised Relevance-Adaptation model, this thesis has both theoretical and empirical study on the translation of simile utterances in the English version The Scholars, aiming at exploring cognitive process of simile translation and the translation strategies.Yang's (杨平,2001) and Ran's (冉永平,2004) models both have their merits and demerits. Therefore, the present author, by assimilating their merits, puts forward to the revised Relevance-Adaptation model, and then employs this model to analyze the cognitive process of simile translation and the use of strategies. By synthesizing and analyzing the data, the following conclusions are reached:1. The most often used to the least often used translation strategies in simile translation are the techniques of literal translation, paraphrase, transformation, literal translation plus paraphrase, omission or other techniques.2. The revised Relevance-Adaptation model is put forward to base on the previous studies.3. The translator, as an addressee, does need to adapt to both linguistic and cultural information of source text when seeking relevance and as an addressor, he does need to seek relevance as he adapts to context and language of the target text. Therefore, the process of translation involves both Adaptation-Relevance and Relevance-Adaptation. This verifies the rationality of the revised Relevance-Adaptation model.This thesis consists of four chapters. The first chapter introduces background, method and the structure of the present thesis. The second chapter has an overview of the existing models of Relevance-Adaptation, the studies of simile and the techniques commonly used to translate simile utterances. Then we put forward to a revised model of Relevance-Adaptation, justifying the feasibility of applying the new model to translation. The third chapter, based on the operational definition of simile mentioned in Chapter Two, tries to pick out all the simile utterances from the source text of The Scholars and then based the operational definition of translation techniques, analyzes the techniques used to translate the simile utterances in Yangs' version of The Scholars and does a detailed analysis on the cognitive process of simile translation under the framework of the revised Relevance-Adaptation model. The fourth chapter includes summary, limitations of the present research and the suggestions for further study...