The Application Of Compensation In Expressive Texts

Katharina Reiss(1989) proposes three basic text types, namely, expressive texts, informative texts and operational texts. Reiss argues that type of text is identified with its semantic, lexical, syntactical and stylistic features, which influences the methods and strategies chosen to translate the text and forms the basis of translation criticism.The material is extracted from a collection of philosophical essays The Good Wife and Philosophy-Temptations of Saint Alicia, commenting on the popular TV series The Good Wife. By analyzing certain scenes, main characters and the relationships between them, the source text delivers insightful and penetrating arguments on the drama from a philosophical point of view. According to the definition of text types given by Reiss, the source text is identified as an expressive text.Firstly, by reviewing the important achievements made by scholars at home and abroad, including the interpretation and definition of expressive texts and compensation, we find the rationale to apply compensation strategies to the translation of expressive texts.Secondly, which is the most valuable part of the report, translation compensation is applied in the study of 6 typical examples cited from the author's translation practice, covering the application of compensation in two major rhetorical devices, namely, pun and metaphor.Lastly, the author reaches the conclusion of the indispensable role of compensation in handling the aesthetical aspect of expressive texts that need to compensate.