The Construction Of A Model For The Translation Quality Assessment Of Public Speeches

This thesis constructed a model of public speech translation quality assessment by a rethinking of Si Xianzhu's translation quality assessment model in the light of systemic-functional linguistics. Besides sense equivalent, we should take metaphorical form equivalent into account when we evaluate the translation of a public speech. The public speech translation not only reproduces the sense but also the metaphorical form in target language. Based on grammatical metaphors, the metaphorical form is embodied in both interpersonal grammatical metaphor and ideational grammatical metaphor. This model involves four steps: assessing the sense equivalent, preserving the procedures and parameters in Si's model; assessing the interpersonal metaphorical equivalent to detect the deviations in the TT on metaphors of Mood and metaphors of modality; assessing the ideational metaphorical equivalent in metaphors of transitivity and nominalization together; and on the basis of the findings of those preceding three steps, the last step is to assess the TT comprehensively.The model was verified with reference to the assessment of two Chinese versions of Franklin Roosevelt's speech, namely,"For a Declaration of War Against Japan". As to sense equivalent, there are four interpersonal deviations, seven ideational deviations and one negative equivalent in Yang Zhimin's version; four interpersonal deviations and seven ideational deviations in Weng Yu and Pan Li's version. As to interpersonal metaphorical equivalent, there is one deviation of metaphors of modality in Yang's version; one deviation of metaphors of Mood in Weng and Pan's version. As to ideational metaphorical equivalent, we analyzed the metaphors of transitivity and nominalization together in the source speech and the two Chinese versions. There is one deviation in Yang's version and three deviations in Weng and Pan's version. Therefore, Yang's version is better than that of Weng and Pan in the sense of public speech translation quality assessment model.In conclusion, we contend that the consideration of interpersonal and ideational metaphorical equivalent is conducive to a thorough translation quality assessment of public speech, both in terms of sense equivalent and metaphorical form equivalent. Hence, it improves the quality of translation assessment. Furthermore, the model proves to be technically feasible.