Proposition-based Approach To Textual Translation

The rise of the textual linguistics broadens the scope of translation studies,which begin to explore translation issues at textual level.Text,as the fundamental foothold of translation strategies,methods and techniques,plays an important part in translation studies.Scholars abroad and at home have done many researches on textual translation,which are mainly based on text and discourse analysis,making some achievements.Relatively speaking,the proposition-based approach to textual translation needs further study.Textual translation aims to produce a cohesive and coherent translation that expresses the same message naturally and logically in the target language(TL).Textual translation requires the translator to fully understand the content of the original and to adapt the translated version to the TL,avoiding the undue influence of the surface form of the source language(SL).Proposition,the carrier of semantic content,serves as the base for textual translation.Therefore,by referring to Larson's view point on proposition,the study applies the proposition to textual translation in the way that the source text(ST)is first analyzed into propositions,between which communication relations are made explicit,and to conform to the target text(TT)structure,the order of propositions is re-sequenced,so as to avoid literalism and to strive for an idiomatic TT.The thesis first demonstrates a systematic overview of foreign and domestic studies on textual translation as well as proposition,and then proposes to approach textual translation from the perspective of proposition in terms of Larson's theory.After that,three textual elements—proposition,propositional cluster,and semantic paragraph—are introduced based on the semantic hierarchy.Next,the thesis makes a comparative study on English and Chinese linear arrangements at textual level,pointing out that English and Chinese are vastly different in how to group sentences into texts.Finally,the procedures of using propositions are illustrated.Besides,to provide an operative way for translation practice,the thesis has selected E-C translation excerpts as objects of study and suggested two translation methods—synchronization and adjustment—in terms of propositions.In conclusion,proposition-based approach helps the translator analyze the ST effectively and address textual translation difficulties.It is expected that subjects like this will be further deepened and make contributions to the translation study.