On Image Connotation Loss And Countermeasures In C-E Translation Of Metaphors In Chinese Government Leaders' Speeches

The thinking attribute of metaphor contributes to the cognitive turn of translation study on metaphor. How to transfer the image connotation in metaphors from the source language into the target language has been always a hard nut for translators. Research on theories and practices of C-E translation of metaphor has been a focus for us.In Chinese government leaders' speeches, C-E translation of metaphors explaining the speakers' concepts and views on Chinese policies, economy and culture has serious problems in image connotation, which may distort Chinese international publicity. Such problems should be elaborately researched and solved with efficient countermeasures.After analyzing those C-E translated speeches in official websites from 2014 to 2015, this study finds three major problems in metaphor translation:(1) cultural connotation loss, (2) semantic connotation deviation and (3) semantic connotation partial loss.Guided by the principles of Relevance Theory of Translation, this study has analyzed the above-mentioned metaphor translation problems and proposed three effective countermeasures to deal with them, achieving the maximum contextual effects with minimal processing efforts for English readers.The three countermeasures are:(1) image+explanation of cultural connotation, (2) correction of translated semantic connotation and (3) supplement of source image. They are illustrated and supported with typical examples from official websites on the basis of Relevance Theory of Translation, to prove that they are effective to solve image connotation loss in C-E translation of metaphors.The three countermeasures are very efficient to solve the C-E metaphor translation problems. This study reflects the fact that C-E metaphor translation of official speeches is never successful if image connotation loss can not be solved.