On Explicitation Of Analogies In Chinese-English Consecutive Interpreting From A Functionalist Perspective

This thesis seeks to explore the phenomenon of explicitation,including its use and its absence,in the interpreting of analogies,i.e.,similes and metaphors,using the functionalist model of 'function-plus-loyalty,put forward by Christiane Nord.A small-scale parallel corpus is constructed with transcripts of the incumbent Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's remarks at the annual press conferences from 2014 to 2018 and their English interpretations produced by one and the same professional interpreter in the consecut:ive interpreting mode.Qualitative analyses are conducted on analogies selected from the source texts and their interpretations so as to identify possible regularities in the use of explicitation or non-explicitation,i.e.,the absence of explicitation.It is found that the frequency of the use of explicitation in the target texts is on the rise from 2014 to 2018 and is generally higher than that of the absence of explicitation,namely non-explicitation.Three patterns in explicitation usage in the consecutive interpreting of analogies are also identified:firstly,for phrases that are peculiar to the Chinese culture,their connotations in the context of a particular analogy are often explicitated in the target texts;secondly,expressions that are universally used or originated from the English culture are often rendered literally without further explanation and;thirdly,for phrases that are commonly used in the Chinese culture and whose literal interpretaitions are acceptable in the English culture,adaptations are made according to specific occasions or contexts.Such patterns can be explained using Nord' s 'function-plus-loyalty' model,within which the interpreter is required to not only take the functions assigned to the source text into account but also consider the communicative needs and expectations of all parties involved,namely the original author,the initiator of the translation task,and the target audience.