A Study Of Visualization In Xu Yuanchong’s Translation Of Mao Zedong’s Poems

Owing to unique linguistic features and rich cultural connotation, MaoZedong s poems are well favored by the researchers at home and abroad and havebeen translated into multiple versions. However, due to the influence of linguisticforms and cultural diversity, sorts of translation problems would arise in translationpractice, for instance, the vivid image and rich cultural connotation of Mao Zedong spoems are hard to be transmitted. Hence, translators need to take advantage of theircognitive abilities to solve these problems.Visualization, as a cognitive process of image, can help the translator get rid ofthe limitations of language and culture to some extent and effectively solve theproblem that is caused by the diversity of cultural image. In the meaningconstruction process of the source language and the target language, based on hisencyclopedic knowledge, the translator would use prototypes and scenes-and-framesas heuristic means to confirm the cognitive route of visualization. The relevantscenes and corresponding frames may be activated, the original style would bepreserved and cultural connotation of the source text would be represented to thelargest extent.Therefore, by utilizing prototypes and scenes-and-frames as heuristic means,this thesis analyzes the visualization in Xu Yuanchong s English version of MaoZedong s poems by descriptive approach and literature study. The author not onlydiscusses the visualization in Xu Yuanchong s English version of Mao Zedong spoems and finds effective translation methods in two situations, but also provides amethod of visualization to solve the translation problem caused by the culturaldiversity in order to achieve cultural connotation of the source text and promotecross-cultural communication. This thesis studies the cognitive process of visualization in Xu s version ofMao s poems from two situations. On the one hand, the situation where no conflictsexist between the source culture and the target culture can be divided into threesituations: the situation where no image exists in the target culture; the situationwhere an equivalent image that is activated by an equivalent expression exists in thetarget culture; the situation where an equivalent image that is activated by a differentexpression exists in the target culture. On the other hand, the other situation whereconflicts exist between the source culture and the target culture consists of twosituations: the situation where a different image that is activated by an equivalentexpression exists in the target culture; the situation where a different image that isactivated by a different expression exists in the target culture.When a relevant image is absent in the target culture, by means of visualization,the translator transplants the image of the source text to the target text. To be morespecific, influenced by the objective world and the source text, some scenes or“pictures” would emerge in his mind as soon as he observes the source text. Thetranslator selects the most appropriate “picture” fitting the prototypical image of thesource text according to the degree of the prototypicality, generates the prototypicalimage of the target text based on the chosen “picture” and eventually brings aboutthe target text. In this process, translator mainly chooses such translation methods asliteral translation, transliteration, annotation and so on.When an equivalent image that is activated by an equivalent expression existsin the target culture, the translator can directly use the equivalent expression. To bemore specific, the source language first activates some scenes. According to thedegree of the prototypicality, the translator chooses a scene that can produce anequivalent image, then produces the prototypical image of the target text and finallybrings about the target text. The translator usually employs literal translation in thissituation.When an equivalent image that is activated by a different expression exists inthe target culture, the translator finds the corresponding image fitting the image of the source text in the target culture. To be specific, influenced by the real world andthe source text, the translator may generate some scenes or pictures in his mind.Then, among the whole pictures, translator selects the most appropriate “picture”that fits the prototypical image of the source text and is well understood by the targetreaders. Based on the chosen “picture”, the translator generates the prototypicalimage of the target text and produces the target text. In this situation, the translatormainly utilizes free translation to get a resonance in the target culture.The translator can apply visualization to deal with this conflicting situationwhere a different image that is activated by an equivalent expression exists in thetarget culture. In detail, after visualization, relevant scenes may emerge in thetranslator s mind. Then, translator chooses a corresponding scene or picture inaccordance to the image of the source text rather than uses the existed expressionthat has the conflicting image in the target culture. After that, the prototypical imageof the target text and the target text are sequentially generated. In general, annotationcan be used.When he meets this situation where the source text activates another image inthe target culture and they have different connotations, translator chooses the sceneor picture according to the prototypical image of the source text, emerges the targetimage based on the chosen scene, and eventually generates the target text on thebasis of the target image. Annotation and free translation may be chosen in thissituation.Visualization, as a cognitive means, can be used to tackle with the translation ofwords that have cultural image, which can reduce the cultural conflicts and be aguide to more effectively convey the meaning.