A Comparative Study Of Perception Emanation Expressions In English And Chinese

Fictive motion means that languages systematically and extensively refer to stationary circumstances with forms and constructions whose basic reference is to motion(Talmy2000a:104). In fictive motion expressions, motion verbs are used to describe the inherently static scenes. The perception type of emanation fictive motion expressions(henceforth,“perception emanation expressions”) is a kind of fictive motion expressions in common,which can be classified into four types: visual, auditory, olfactory and tactile emanation expressions. This kind of fictive motion expression involves the conceptualization of two entities, the experiencer and the experienced, and of something intangible moving in a straight path between the two entities in one direction or other(Talmy 115).From the relative theories of Talmy’s Lexicalization Patterns, the thesis takes figure,ground, path and manner as comparison points and compares the English and Chinese perception emanation expressions. The expressions are collected from British National Corpus(BNC), Contemporary Corpus of Center for Chinese Linguistics from PKU(CCL), and the famous literary magazine – October. This thesis combines the method of description and explanation. First, the thesis describes the characteristics of the English and Chinese perception emanation expressions and finds the similarities and differences. Then, it makes the reasonable explanation to the similarities and differences..The main finding of the thesis is that the English and Chinese perception emanation expressions show similarities and differences. The similarities lie in the choice of figure and ground. The choice of figure and ground in the English and Chinese perception emanation expressions exhibits similarities, namely related to line of vision, sound, odor and air in motion. In English and Chinese perception emanation expressions, path verbs and prepositions, path satellites can express the path information. But the difference of English and Chinese perception emanation expressions reflects on the description of complex path. In English perception emanation expressions, complex path is usually expressed by a single motion verb followed by several prepositions. However, the complex path is described by several separate motion verbs in Chinese perception emanation expressions. In English and Chinese perception emanation expressions, manner verbs and adverbials can express the manner information. But the difference of English and Chinese perception emanation expressions reflects on the elaborate manner information. In English perception emanation expressions, the elaborate details of manner is usually expressed by a main motion verb. In contrast, the detailed manner information is described by a general motion verb with someadverbials in Chinese perception emanation expressions.Through the comparison and analysis between English and Chinese perception emanation expressions, this thesis tries to apply the findings to translation practice. From the perspective of Talmy’s lexicalization patterns, the translation problems about path and manner have been dealt. Owing to the differences in the description of complex path and elaborate manner infromation, translators must deal with the path and manner information based on the theory of lexicalization patterns in translation practice.The comparison of English and Chinese perception emanation expressions can deepen our understanding of this linguistic phenomenon. The finding of this thesis can also be good for language teaching and the English-Chinese translation.