Back Translation In Sinological Works From The Perspective Of Adaptation Theory

This thesis is the translation report of the excerpt of Professor Rea's The Age of Irreverence:A New History of Laughter in China.As an English academic book,it has plain language and contains lots of pre-modern Chinese linguistic and cultural materials.Thus,back translation is an important issue when the excerpt of the book is translated.As the texts involve both Chinese and English cultures,and pragmatics is a general cognitive,social and cultural perspective on linguistic phenomena,the thesis uses adaptation theory to discuss the ways of back translation,exemplified by specific cases in the translation practice.The thesis divides back translation into three categories:back translation of direct citations,back translation of paraphrases,and text-less back translations.In regard to back translation of direct citations,the Chinese materials are generally reproduced in the translated text,and in some cases the translator makes choices on whether annotations should be added or omitted in view of the communicative and linguistic contexts.For instance,when the titles of volumes of Feng Menglong's Treasury of Laugh are translated,annotations are added after the translated titles to explain their meanings.As to back translation of paraphrases,with the Chinese materials for reference,considering the communicative and linguistic contexts,the translator should make choices which adapt to the mental worlds of the readers of the translated text and retain as much as possible the ancient Chinese-language style of the Chinese materials in terms of linguistic structures such as codes,words,and sentences.For example,the contents of the parables Waiting for Hares by the Tree and Pulling up the Seedlings to Help Them Grow are omitted.If there is a difference between the original text and the Chinese material,the translated text is subject to the latter.As for text-less back translation,the Chinese materials of some of the original texts are unavailable.The translator should analyze the linguistic context,such as sequencing and related discourses,and choose the appropriate code for back translation.For instance,ancient Chinese is used when For Rent is translated.If text-less back translation involves Chinese historical and cultural elements,the translator should consider the communicative context,especially the knowledge of modern Chinese readers,and omit the redundant explanations in the original text.For instance,the introduction of Liang Qichao in the original text is omitted in translation.