The Application Of Functional Equivalence Theory In The Translation Of English Novels

Under the guidance of Functional Equivalence Theory proposed by Eugene A.Nida,an American linguist and translation theorist,this thesis mainly studies the application of Nida's theory in the translation of Lawrence Osborne's The ballad of a small player.As a type of literary translation,novel translation is difficult.In translation process,translators must ensure that the translation would not lose the style and characteristics of the original text,and at the same time,translators should be faithful to the ideas expressed in the original text so that the readers can enjoy the beauty and understand the thoughts conveyed by the original text.To achieve these goals,we should resort to Nida's Functional Equivalence Theory,according to which translation should achieve equivalence not only in meaning,but also in language form and cultural connotation.Based on the translation practice of "The ballad of a small player",the translator analyzes how he deals with the Characters,dialogue,and the use of the rhetorical devices and words in his translation.Then he summarizes the experiences achieved during the process of the translation,further revealing the significance of Functional Equivalence in the translation of novels.This report is composed of five parts.The first part introduces the background information of this novel and analyzes the original text.The second part is an introduction of Nida's Functional Equivalence Theory and its application in the translation practice of The ballad of a small player.The third part discusses the process of the translation.The fourth part discusses the specific application of Functional Equivalence in the novel translation through specific case analysis.The fifth part summarizes the difficulties the translator has encountered in the process of translation and what the translator has learned from the translation practice.