Comparative Translation Study Of Eco-culture Expressions In Yang&Hawkes Versions Of Hong Lou Meng

The thesis has selected thirty of the abundant Chinese eco-culture expressions from the original Hong Lou Meng which reflect China’s unique ecological elements and have specific cultural connotations, and located their respective translations in the two English versions by the Yangs and Hawkes, as the material for a comparative translation research. Under the guidance of Nida’s Functional Equivalence Theory, the thesis attempts to help readers better appreciate translations of these representative Chinese eco-culture expressions in the two English versions of Hong Lou Meng by means of analysis and comparison, assess different degrees of functional equivalence they have achieved in their translations, compare the translation strategies employed by the distinguished translators, and finally analyze the factors that have played a key part in their determining which translation strategies to take.The research findings indicate that the Yangs’ translation treatments of these representative Chinese eco-culture expressions are mostly formal-equivalence ones and those of David Hawkes’ are mainly functional-equivalence ones. Furthermore, it is suggested that foreignization strategy acts as the leading strategy in the Yangs’ translation of eco-culture expressions in Hong Lou Meng while the domestication strategy dominates Hawkes’ translation. The study regards translation purpose and mainstream translation theory as the two most crucial factors in determining their respective guiding translation strategy, which in turn proves the great influence of functional equivalence theory upon David Hawkes’ translation of eco-culture expressions in Hong Lou Meng.