Cultural Functional Equivalence In Translating Culture-Loaded Words

Based on Susan Bassnett’s cultural functional equivalence, the core of her cultural translation theory, this thesis conducts a study on the cultural functional equivalence in translating the culture-loaded words. Two English versions of Ah Q Zheng Zhuan respectively by the Yangs and Lyell are used as data. By exploring the realization of cultural functional equivalence in the data, this thesis summarizes the translation methods with their applied context and situation as well as factors that the translator should pay attention to for achieving cultural functional equivalence in the translation of culture-loaded words.As far as methods are concerned, they are mainly:(1) Transliteration plus annotation or contextual explanation, which is preferred in the translation of culture-loaded words related to historic figures and dynasties as well as other proper nouns that have no counterparts in the source language.(2) Literal translation, an appropriate method used when the involved knowledge of the original words is within the understanding of the target readers.(3) Literal translation plus annotation or contextual explanation, which is adopted when literal translation cannot convey the function of the original words. It is especially suitable for the translation of the material, social and religious culture-loaded words.(4) Free translation, which could be adopted when the original words cannot be effectively rendered by literal translation or that plus annotation and contextual explanation.(5) Replacement, which is preferred when the cultural connotation of the original words is not so important in the context. It is often employed for the translation of idioms and the words with metaphor.(6) Illustration, which is advocated as one compensatory approach in the translation in this thesis. It is found that Lyell’s version prefers to employ annotations and contextual explanations, which are more efficient in achieving cultural functional equivalence.Furthermore, it is found that a successful translation usually takes the following three factors (1) cultural difference,(2) context,(3) readership into consideration in achieving cultural functional equivalence.