Cognitive Exploration Of Omission And Deletion In The Translation Of Wolf Totem

As a frequently adopted strategy in translation, omission and deletion have aroused the attention of many scholars who have conducted a series of studies on it from various perspectives. Originally, the strategy was viewed negatively and not encouraged since it went against the fundamental value of being faithful to the original. With the role of the translator gaining more importance, increasing emphasis has been placed upon readers’reception and translating process. Hence, less criticism is attached to omission and deletion and the translator’s creative deviation from the original work is even applauded. Meanwhile, some scholars have started to analyze possible reasons for and consequent effects of this seemingly inevitable strategy in translation.According to Cognitive Linguistics, translation is in nature a cognitive activity between the author, the translator, and readers, all of whom interact and communicate with each other on the basis of their experience of the reality world. The translator, core of the three participants, selects proper strategies to process the concept (s)he has integrated from his/her interaction with the author through the ST, and delivers that concept to readers through the TT (s)he has constructed after the processing.This study probes into the process of translating in cognitive vision, trying to find out the intrinsic motivation for omitting and deleting in translation as well as its cognitive influence on readers. Taking a case study on Wolf Totem translated by Howard Goldblatt, this thesis aims to explore the cognitive mechanism underlying omission and deletion in translation.