A Comparative Study Of Two Chinese Versions Of Pride And Prejudice From The Perspective Of Linguistic Adaptation Theory

Linguistic adaptation theory was originally put forward by Jef Verschueren in Understanding Pragmatics,which suggests that using language is essentially a constant process of making linguistic choices under various salience degrees,in order to adapt to communicative needs.Translation is not only an intercultural communication activity,but also a special form of language use.Accordingly,it's practical to study translation based on linguistic adaptation theory.Since translation can be influenced by numerous contextual correlates,translation,from the perspective of adaptation theory,can be regarded as a constant process of choice-making under diverse salience degrees,for the purpose of contextual adaptation.Guided by linguistic adaptation theory,this thesis compares and discusses two Chinese versions of Pride and Prejudice from the perspective of structural adaptation and contextual adaptation.With translation and linguistic adaptation theory combined,translation features and translation strategies of two versions are thoroughly compared,illustrated and judged.The comparative study uncovers external and internal reasons of translation differences resulting from different linguistic structures and contexts,as well as main influential factors of translation quality.Conclusions are drawn as follows:translation is a dynamic process of context adaptation.Translators must make rational linguistic choices after dynamically and comprehensively considering all structural and contextual factors,to produce a successful translation ultimately;different translation strategies are adopted by translators to put emphasis on contextual and structural adaptation by diverse scales,so no strategy is superior to others.In a word,this thesis,based on linguistic adaptation theory,studies translation from the view of contextual and structural adaptation.On one hand,a multi-dimensional and objective standard is provided to translation evaluation;on the other hand,a comprehensive perspective is created for translation practice.