On The Use Of Semantic Translation And Communicative Translation In Expressive Texts

Based on the Peter Newmark's translation theories which are semantic translation,communicative translation and text category theory,this report explores and analyzes four essays' translation from French to Chinese of Eloge de l'infini.This thesis dissects specific cases under the guidance of translation theories;meanwhile,it also briefly discusses the selection of translation strategy and the difficulties of translation.Peter Newmark is famous as a translator and translation theorist in contemporary British.In his opinion,the study of translation should not be separated from the text;and on the basis of analyzing and summarizing different translation theories,he put forward two translation concepts:semantic translation and communicative translation,with the purpose of infusing new understandings into the long existing debates of literal translation and free translation.Peter Newmark also divided text function and type into six categories:expression function,information function,vocative function,aesthetic function,phatic function and metalinguistic function,among which the first three are the principal functions that are simultaneously possessed but respectively emphasized by the most texts.The translation cases in this thesis are selected from the essays of Eloge de l'infini,written by Philippe Sollers who is the leader of the Tel Quel.These four essaies are l'evenement Jesus,le saut de l'histoire,la sorciere,and l'affaire Artaud.This is the first time for the author to attempt the humanities and social sciences subject translation,though encountering a number of problems,the author benefits a great deal from it.Above-mentioned argumentative essays are not long in length,but rich in content,incisive and radical in writing and they continue Sollers' consistent writing proposition of 'text writing'.However,the writing purpose is to defend the liberty,the creation andthe pleasure,his writing style also makes an obvious challenge for both of the translators and readers.According to Newmark's standard of division of texts,the author classifies those essays as expressive texts,therefore the 'authority' of the original author should be valued and the style of the original texts should be respected and meanwhile,the translator must meet the readers readability of the target language.This thesis is composed of introduction,main body and conclusion.The main body is consisted of three chapters:the first chapter is task description of translation which introduces background and the features of translation.In this part,the author emphasizes the proposition of Sollers and analyzes Elogede l'infini and features such as language and style;the second chapter is the process of translation which includes preparation,transition of text and certain items involving after-translation.In this part,the author describes the specific conduction of this translation practice through different stages of translation;the third chapter is the analysis of translation samples.In this part,the author analyzes problems and difficulties occurred in translation with regard of a specific sense,combining semantic translation and communicative translation tactics of Newmark with text category theory.The author also highlights the use of words and syntax.The last section is the conclusion,in which the author makes a brief summary with regards of the deficiency during the practice translation and the improvements that the translators should make.In the meantime,the author has a new understanding of the translation,which is more important.Although different texts have different emphases,semantic translation and communicative translation are complementary to each other,and neither of them could be absolutely exist.Peter Newmark's translation theories not only provide a new perspective for us to study translation standards,but also have a directive significance to the translation practice.