A Study Of English-Chinese Translation For Science And Technology From The Perspective Of Frame Semantics

Progress of science and technology drives appearence of translation of English for science and technology, and also promotes the development of translation study of English for science and technology. More and more scholars apply linguistic theory to translation study of science and technology, and attempt to make scientific theories guidance for translation practice of science and technology.Frame semantics is a theory developed by Charles Fillmore in1970s on the foundation of case grammar. It aims at illustrating a way that comprehends and depicts the meaning of lexicon and grammar structure. It supports the idea that it is necessary for people to be equipped with conceptual systems, which acts as semantic knowledge frames and provides motive as well as background of using lexicons before comprehension of their meanings.The frame can be any conceptual system, in which all concepts interrelated with each other. One is supposed to understand the whole conceptual system for clarifying any concept in this system; in return, introduction of any concept in this conceptual system can activate other concepts in the system.In1980s, linguists had applied frame semantics to semantic studies like description of word meaning and sentence structure, to the creation of corpus, to foreign language learning and teaching and discourse analysis, but rarely to translation study of English for science and technology. The thesis aims at applying frame semantics to translation study of English for science and technology and puting forward translation strategies based on the theory.Chapter One is literature review and also the thearatical foundation of the thesis. Chapater Two proves the feasibility of application of frame semantics to English for science and technology translation studies. On the one hand, frame semantics absorbs prototype theory and context theory and forms a comparatively complete theoretical system; on the other hand, definition of frame can be applied to any language level.Thus it has advantages in studying translation practice. In order to prove the feasibility of making translation study of English for science and technology from the perspective of frame semantics, the author first elaborates the theoretical system of frame semantics and trying to give readers a general idea of the theory through explanation of definition and characteristics of frame, the languge view of frame semantics, Fillmore’s and Kussmaul’s main ideas on frame semantics and the relationship between translation processes and frame semantics; then the author analyzes various cases and examples based on five translation strategies raised by Kussmaul. It turns out that frame semantics can be applied to translation practice of English for science and technology.Next, in Chapter Three, the author summarizes translation strategies by combining frame semantics with experience gained from translation practice, holding the idea that translation strategies can be seen from both macroscopic and microscopic point of view. From macroscopic view, the author believes that in the process of comprehension, the translator should start with activating the scene of sorce text and constructing a right frame in the minds through getting familiar with background knowledge and professional knowledge, improving language proficiency to realize the equivalence between source text frame and translated text frame and reproducing the scene of source text; after translation, the translator can collate the frame in the source text with the frame in the translated text to find out mistakes of the source text and to improve the quality of translated text by matching frame elements in the translated text with frame elements in the source text. Microscopic translation strategies are raised in connection with the expressing process of translation. Frame amplification, frame omission and frame transformation are good methods to achieve reasonable and coherent translated texts.At last, the author puts forward the limitations of frame semantics and makes estimation on the future directions of application of frame semantics to translation studies.