Translation In Teaching Of Chinese As A Foreign Language

Based on Thom’s English translation of Chapter Six in Hunglowmung in 1846, this thesis analyzes the translation from three perspectives: phonetic system of Chinese character, translation stylistics and specialties of translation in teaching of Chinese as a foreign language.The first part of this thesis analyzes the hsitory of phonetic system of Chinese phonetics and the role of Thom’s translation in this development by diachronic study. There had been a long history of Chinese phonetic system from ancient China. The traditional Chinese phonetic method was to use Chinese charaters for charaters. With the Buddihism being introduced into China in Han Dynasty, in order to improve the communication between two nations and spread Buddhism, the Buddhists began to use Sanskrit as Chinese phonetics to learn the pronunciation of Chinese. During Sui and Tang Dynasties, even though the communication with abroad had improved more than before, Chinese phonetic method was still in traditional way. It was until Ming Dynasty that the western missionaries began to use Roman alphabet for Chinese character as a new method. Then with more and more western missionaries came to China, Roman alphabet for Chinese phonetics had developed step by step. The main representatives in this field were Michael Ruggieri.S.J., Matteo Ricci, Robert Morrison, Samuel Wells Williams, and Thomas Francis Wade. The Chinese Phonetic Alphabet was also based on these Chinese phonetic systems.The second part of the thesis is translation stylistic features of Thom’s translation for being strictly loyal to source text and the difference between translation for language teaching and literature translation by elucidatory study. The translation purpose of Thom’s English translation of Chapter Six in Hunglowmung was to teach Chinese which was different with current mainstream study of English translation of this novel. Thom’s translation was different with literature translation, and the analysis of the difference is the value of Thom’s translation.The third part of this thesis analyzes the foreignization strategy in Thom’s translation by comparative study, it can be concluded that Thom’s English translation for Chinese classic Hunglowmung plays an important role in modern teaching of Chinese as a foreign language, translation teaching and English translation of Chinese classics. In this part, this thesis analyzes the features of translation strategy and purpose of Thom’s English version by comparing it with Bowra’s English version in the same period, and the enlightenment for modern teaching of Chinese as a foreign language and translation. This chapter analyzes the relation between translation puepose and translation strategy: the former one decides the latter one. The foreignization strategy reflected in Thom’s English transaltion was decided by his translation purpose to teach Chinese. This thesis aims to use translation for language teaching for reference in modern language teaching and translation teaching.