A Study Of Humorous Utterances Translation From The Perspective Of Relevance Translation Theory

With the deepening of cross-cultural communication and the rapid development of information technology, a large number of western films and TV products have come into the eyes of Chinese audiences. Situation comedy, with its strong charm of numerous humorous utterances, enjoys great popularity among Chinese audiences. Through analyzing the translation of humorous utterances from the perspective of relevance translation theory in The Big Bang Theory, the author attempts to explore the strong explanatory power of relevance translation theory and specific translation methods for humorous utterances so that a new perspective can be provided for humorous utterances translation.Relevance translation theory is a translation theory with strong explanatory power put forward by Gutt, Ernst-August based on Wilson and Sperber’s relevance theory. Relevance theory claims that communication is an ostensive-inferential process during which people comply with relevance principle subconsciously. According to relevance translation theory, translation is a special communication between two languages and it is a double ostensive-inferential process, abiding by the general principles of communication. What the translator needs to do is to keep the balance between the original author’s intention in the source text and the target readers’ expectations so as to achieve optimal relevance that requires the target readers produce enough contextual effects with the least processing efforts and to accomplish communication behavior. Therefore, the translator is endowed with a double ostensive-inferential task. Firstly, the translator needs to infer the original author’s communicative intention from the communicative clues in the source text; secondly, the translator should have a good grasp of the cognitive environment of the target language and make the translation meet the expectations of the target readers. In terms of humorous utterances translation, the translator should make sure optimal relevance is achieved between the intention of the original author who creates humor and the expectations of the target readers who appreciate humor.Under the guidance of relevance translation theory, The Big Bang Theory is taken as the research object and case study is adopted to study the translation of humorous utterances. To begin with, the definition, function, classification of humor, and the translation of humorous utterances are analyzed. Then the author proposes the necessity of researching humorous utterances translation. In addition, the author introduces and summarizes relevance theory, relevance translation theory and the relation between them to indicate that relevance translation theory has explanatory and guiding power to humorous utterances translation. What’s more, the author applies relevance translation theory to analyze examples of humorous utterances translation in The Big Bang Theory and points out the merits and weaknesses. At last, some specific translation methods are proposed under the guidance of Gutt’s direct and indirect translation: literal translation, annotation, replacement, supplement, translating the implication, revision of phrase and sentence pattern, omission. All these translation methods are applied to specific humorous utterances and provide effective reference for the translation of humorous utterances.The author believes that translator should choose translation methods flexibly based on examples and context within the framework of relevance translation theory. All the translation methods can mutually complement to achieve optimal relevance between the original author’s intention and the expectations of the target readers.