Exploration Of Translation Unit Based On Semantic Relation

Translation unit is a basic unit in processing message in translation, the appropriate division of which is of vital significance for both translation theories and practice. Although quite a few scholars at home and abroad have conducted multidimensional researches on how to set up a translation unit, the basis for setting and the method of segmenting a translation unit is still a matter of controversy. To determine a translation unit is complex, which mainly relies on semantic and pragmatic approaches. Textual meaning is core to translation studies, while semantics is in turn a major component of texts. It is necessary to discuss the semantic division of translation units in order to achieve semantic equivalence between source language and target language. Therefore, this study, from a semantic point of view, analyzes different kind of semantic relations in texts, exploring how to divide translation unit in terms of semantic relations so as to elicit the unit used to process messages or to solve problems in translation.By referring to Saussure’s division of language system, the present study divides semantic relations into paradigmatic relation and syntagmatic relation, based on which the semantic extraction of translation unit is explored. The paradigmatic relation includes synonymy, antonymy, hyponomy, polysemy, homonymy, meronymy and so on while the syntagmatic relation mainly relates to collocation. These relations help to understand the exact meaning of source texts and divide the translation unit accordingly, achieving semantic equivalence between the source and target text.This study first gives a systematic overview of foreign and domestic theories on translation unit and proposes that translation unit should be dynamic. After that, different types of semantic relations are introduced, which are adopted as the entry point to explain the length of a translation unit. In current study, a translation unit starts with translation problems and ends with the items capable of explaining those problematic issues. Next, methods of segmenting translation units based on seven semantic relations are illustrated. Besides, in order to enhance the feasibility, the author has selected English-Chinese translation excerpts as object of study and hopes to apply the translation unit to translation practice by way of comparison with Chinese versions.In conclusion, the method of dividing translation unit based on semantic relations is reasonable in a theoretical sense and feasible in practice. It is expected that subjects like this will be further developed and deepened.