A Study Of Wing-tsit Chan's Translating Chuan Xi Lu—From The Perspective Of Metonymics

Famous American translation theorist Maria Tymoczko holds that the metonymics of translation is a process of recreation.The translator chooses the appropriate translation methods according to the objective environment and serves the corresponding translation purpose.At the same time,metonymics of translation is also reflected in partiality,that is,the entire source text is dominated and represented by highlighting specific segments or parts,or specific attributes of the source text via translation.Moreover,it lays stress on the exploration of translation studies in the context of culture,which provides valuable reference for the study of translation activities in different cultural backgrounds.As the first Chinese philosopher in the United States,Wing-tsit Chan has devoted all his life to promoting Chinese philosophy to the West,endeavoring to translate Chinese philosophy in a Chinese way.This thesis intends to explore the linguistic and cultural metonymic features of Wing-tsit Chan's translation of Chuan Xi Lu from both the macro and micro perspectives based on the comparative analysis of the two version of translation,mainly focusing on his translation of cultural words,rhetorical device and discourse cohesion etc.in the source texts in order to reveal his translation strategies.Instead of sticking to the word-for-word translation of the source text,Chan employs common words,simple sentence structures and clear logic to create a familiar language context for the western readers,which enables them to communicate with the source language at the prompt of the translation.Based on a thorough analysis of Chan's English translation of Chuan Xi Lu,conclusion can be made that the metonymic features of his translation has greatly preserved the characteristics of Chinese classical culture.As far as the cultural context construction is concerned,Chan successfully presents the differences between Chinese and Western philosophical discourse systems and reproduces Chinese philosophical ideas in English by means of metonymic substitution and cultural interpretation.In a word,his translation practice has shed light upon the construction of Chinese overseas academic discourse system.In sum,this thesis provides literature support for the further understanding of metonymics of translation and enriches its scope of application.Meanwhile,it offers new theoretical support for the English translation of Chinese philosophical classics,which helps to broaden the horizon of domestic translation studies.