Foreignization And Domestication On Color Terms Selected From Hong Lou Meng And Its Two English Versions

As an important means of communication, language is also indispensable to the culture. Chinese and English are of different origins, and hence enjoy apparent difference. Under the influence of different living conditions, religions and beliefs, social conventions, national methodology and historical background and so on, different cultures vary in their color terms. On the other hand, the same color may arouse varied extended meanings in different cultures.Compared to other works in the area of literature, Hong Lou Meng(HLM hereinafter) remains unsurpassed. This unparalleled masterpiece enables the readers to appreciate multi-colored scroll paintings by the particular glamour of color terms. HLM, with superb skill in maneuvering color terms as one feature, can’t live without them from the description of the characters’appearance, the arrangement of furniture and equipment in the residence, from the shift of seasonal scenery to poems, couplets, idioms and even the psychological and facial movements of the characters. Therefore, it is of great significance to value the unique artistic charm of color terms by probing into how to translate them appropriately, which is a big challenge to the translators. Meanwhile, due to different culture backgrounds and translation purposes, it is feasible for the translators to adopt different translation strategies.This dissertation is on the basis of the date collected from the two English versions of HLM:one is A Dream of Red Mansions by the couple of Yang Xianyi and the other is The Story of the Stone by David Hawkes. The aesthetic value of color terms in literature will be discussed firstly, then an analysis of the main translation theories and strategies of color terms will be followed, finally there is a discussion on how foreignization and domestication applied in translating color terms as well as the inspiration on MTI teaching.