Metaphor Translation Of Chuang Tzu:from A Cognitive Perspective

Metaphor research involves a wide range of disciplines, especially in the field of cognitive linguistics. However, the study of metaphor and its translation from a cognitive perspective still remains a new field insufficiently tapped. Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Schema Theory are applied to this thesis. Metaphor has its rich experiential basis; metaphor can be interpreted from four aspects of linguistic schema, formal schema, content schema and cultural schema. Therefore, Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Schema Theory are employed for the analysis of three typical English editions of Chuang Tzu. Simultaneously, the reproduction of metaphorical features of the source text is adopted as its principle. This thesis is an attempt to probe into approaches to transforming the metaphorical features in the original Chinese text from a cognitive perspective in its English text.In this research, previous researches of metaphor and Chuang Tzu are reviewed at first. Then, it introduces main concepts of Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Schema Theory and expounds the feasibility of the two theories applied to the analysis of metaphor translation. According to Conceptual Metaphor Theory, metaphor is derived from the embodied experience of people; metaphor is generated through the cross-domain mapping from the source domain projected onto the target domain; its essence is a cognitive behavior rather than a rhetoric device. This theory is conducive to a thorough understanding of metaphor. For Schema Theory, in the process of reading, readers can comprehend the text by use of linguistic, formal, content and cultural schemas. In translation, as a reader of the source text and a supposed reader of the target text, the translator employs the above four schemas likewise. This theory helps the translator comprehensively interpret the source text and check the appropriateness of its translated text. Thus, it is a constructive attempt to analyze metaphors in the source text Chuang Tzu and their English translations. The author selects three typical English translations of Chuang Tzu:Wang Rongpei, Mair and Watson’s editions. Taking metaphorical reproduction of the source text as its principle, this thesis classifies metaphors in Chuang Tzu into seven types by its subjects; and it conducts a global analysis of metaphor translation in three English editions of Chuang Tzu by use of Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Schema Theory. By comparing and analyzing three English editions of Chuang Tzu, the author finds that Wang Rongpei pays more attention on interpretations of philosophical connotations in Chuang Tzu. In his translation, liberal translation and free translation are mostly adopted; Mair has a tendency to apply domesticating strategy to facilitate the target English reader’s comprehension of his translation; Watson properly transforms the metaphorical features of the source text. However, there are some misinterpretations of the source text in each English edition.The author maintains that when translating Chinese literary works with metaphorical features, a native translator can interpret metaphors in the source text from a cognitive perspective at four schematic levels. By doing this, the translator may make efforts to establish the stimulating points of schemas shared by the Chinese and western cultures. Hence, metaphorical features of the source Chinese text can be reproduced in its target English text. Meanwhile, its quintessence can be preserved intact.