A Study On Body Metaphor Translation In Xi You Ji From The Perspective Of Conceptual Metaphor Theory

Xi You Ji,as a classical mythological masterpiece,is rich in unique connotations and artistic charms.In the novel,the world of deity and monsters is constructed on the basis of the human world,and is the imitation,extension and deification of the human world.This is exactly part of artistic charms of Xi You Ji,which is remarkably related to the proper use of body metaphors.Body metaphor is a kind of conceptual metaphor,in which human beings map the source domain formed by the cognition of human body onto other unfamiliar and abstract domains,so as to cognize new things.Therefore,as a cognitive instrument,body metaphor is indispensible to understand the unique connotations and artistic charms of Xi You Ji.According to the Conceptual Metaphor Theory,metaphor is not only a linguistic phenomenon but a thinking phenomenon,as well as a cognitive mechanism to comprehend abstract concepts in terms of concrete concepts.The Conceptual Metaphor Theory emphasizes the cognitive function of metaphor,which can provide an ideal framework for the thesis.Among the English versions of Xi You Ji,W.J.F.Jenner's version is one of the most famous versions in China,and exerts great influence on later generations.Based on the Conceptual Metaphor Theory,this thesis makes a cognitive interpretation of the body metaphors describing the three disciples(Sun Wukong,Zhu Wuneng and Sha Wujing)in combination with the qualitative and quantitative analyses.This thesis tries to discuss whether Jenner's translations have precisely realized the cognitive function of body metaphors in Xi You Ji.Studies reveal that in the translation of body metaphors describing the three disciples,Jenner prefers to adopt the method of free translation,by which the cognitive function of body metaphors describing the three disciples are not completely reproduced in the target novel.Moreover,when Jenner deals with HEART,MOUTH,and FACE metaphor translation,the reproduction rate of FACE metaphors is the highest,the reproduction rate of MOUTH metaphors is the second highest,and the reproduction rate of HEART metaphors is the lowest.Therefore,due to the same or similar physical embodiment of human body parts behind English and Chinese,the translators can adopt the method of literal translation or the technique of shift to convey the cognitive function of body metaphors in the target novel,and the cognitive function of them could be compensated to some extent.By extension,it is hoped that this study can provide references for the future study of body metaphor translationin other mythological works.