| Metadiscourse is an important means for writers to make a coherent and reader-friendly prose. It helps the writers correctly express their viewpoints and signal their attitudes towards the audience of the texts. All these functions are realized by different types of discourse markers in specific contexts, so metadiscourse is also known as metadiscourse markers.The present study focuses on metadiscourse marker "Buguo" in Hong Lou Meng and its two English versions. It aims at exploring its specific functions in Hong Lou Meng and how it is represented in different languages and different texts. With the help of ParaConc software program, the author establishes a PCCE of Hong Lou Meng. The research method adopted in this study is primarily corpus-driven, and all the following major findings are drawn from the corpus.Firstly, metadiscourse marker "Buguo" mainly has two functional categories: interactive function and interactional function. Three subcategories are found under the category of interactive function:cohesive marker, adversative marker and degree marker; and two functions under the category of interactional function, namely, attitude marker and hedges. Secondly, most functions of "Buguo" are represented in the two English versions. But all of these functions are found with certain degree of omission in the translations. Thirdly, variations in the use of "Buguo" not only exist between the original text and the target texts, but also between the two English versions.Based on the analysis of the corpus, the author discusses the functions of metadiscourse marker "Buguo". The factors that may influence the translations of them have been pointed out, too. Thus the present study makes contributions to metadiscourse study as well as translation studies. Besides, it will also be instructional for English learners on how to properly use metadiscourse markers. |
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