公文汉译英的顺应研究

论文摘要

公文作为一种专门用途文体,有其特殊的功能和语言特征,这决定了公文翻译在遵循翻译的一般规则的同时又有其独特的标准和特点,以便能达到公文的功能目的。公文蕴藏着丰富的文化、政治、社会内涵,因此,公文翻译不仅涉及到语言本身还涉及到源语言与目标语之间的文化、政治、社会差异。顺应论的主要观点是:认为使用语言的过程就是不断选择语言的过程,人们之所以能够在使用语言过程中作出选择是因为语言具有变异性、商讨性和顺应性;要对语言现象做出语用解释,必须考虑四个方面:语境关系顺应、语言结构顺应、动态顺应和顺应过程中的意识程度。在研究了英汉公文的基本特征之后,本文发现Verschueren的顺应论对公文翻译实践具有很强的解释力。同时本文认为翻译的标准应基于认知一致的原则,即译文在受众中产生的对原作者意图的认知理解效果与原作者设想的相和谐。在理解源文的过程中,译者必须考虑到相关的交际语境,而在产出译文的过程中,译者必须也要考虑到语言结构的相关因素以促使达到认知一致。本文以Verschueren的顺应论和认知一致原则为基础,从交际语境和语言结构差异的角度对影响公文翻译的各种不同但又相互联系的语境因素进行了探讨,通过对原文和译文的差异的比较,说明了译者为促成认知一致,在公文翻译过程中应如何顺应这些语境因素(语言语境与交际语境):顺应受众的心理世界、社交世界、物理世界以及顺应目的语的语言现实。具体而言,在语境因素中,思维意识的运作、认知机制、以及译者的目的、目标受众对客观权威信息的需要、美学期待和接受能力对译者的语言选择具有突出影响。语言语境中,互文性、语篇联粘、语序、风格对译者的语言选择亦具有重要影响。在词汇层次上,中英公文语言的突出特征是正式性,体现在名词化、古词和专有术语的使用。同时,多重修饰、模糊语的使用亦是中英公文语言的显著特点。因此,在词汇层次上,译者必须就目标语言的特征做出相应的顺应,做出使目标受众接受的语言选择。在句法层次上,复杂长句、平行结构和惯用句型的使用是中英公文共有特征。本文发现其中的中文公文或英文公文特性迫使译者的语言选择必须顺应目标语公文的特点,以使目标受众达成认知一致而接受译文。在顺应理论框架内,本文在三个方面丰富和补充了Verschueren有关翻译过程动态性的观点。其一,本文深入研究译者语言选择背后的心理动机与认知一致原则的关系。其二,本文研究公文翻译过程中的文化现象,研究译者如何对原文话语中的政治因素、意识形态、审美观念等方面进行操纵,以便迎合译文认知语境的相关方面。其三,本文研究了公文的特征与译者的语言选择顺应关系。总之,本文发现中英公文翻译过程也是一个不断选择语言的过程,是译者为促成与目标受众达成认知一致而对原语的语境和语言结构之间作出动态顺应的过程。

论文目录

• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• ABSTRACT
• 摘要
• Chapter 1 Introduction
• 1.1 Official Document and its Translation
• 1.2 Rationale for Investigating Official Document Translation in Light of Adaptation Theory
• 1.3 Research Questions
• 1.4 Research Methodology and Data Collection
• 1.4.1 Research Methodology
• 1.4.2 Data Collection
• 1.5 Academic Value and Pragmatic Significance
• 1.6 Overview of the Thesis
• Chapter 2 A Review of the Relevant Literature
• 2.1 Definition of Official Document
• 2.2 Linguistic Features of Official Document
• 2.2.1 Lexical Features of Official Document
• 2.2.2 Syntactical Features of Official Document
• 2.2.3 Textual Features of Official Document
• 2.2.3.1 Rhetorical feature in official document
• 2.2.3.2 Style of official document
• 2.3 Previous Studies on Official Document Translation
• Chapter 3 Theoretical Framework for the Present Study
• 3.1 A Brief Sketch of Jef Verschueren's Adaptation Theory
• 3.1.1 Choice-making
• 3.1.2 Three Properties of Language:Variability,Negotiability and Adaptability
• 3.1.3 Translation and Four Angles of Pragmatic Investigation:Context,Structure,Dynamics and Salience
• 3.2 Translation and Adaptation
• 3.2.1 Adaptation Stimulated by Language Properties:Possibilities for Translator's Choice-making
• 3.2.2 Constraints on Translator's Subjectivity:Limit to Adaptation
• 3.3 Criteria for a Successful Translation:Cognitive Consonance
• 3.3.1 Traditional Criteria
• 3.3.2 Criteria for Adaptation in Translation:Cognitive Consonance
• 3.3.2.1 Cognitive consonance:criteria for translation
• 3.3.2.2 Implications of this principle
• 3.4 Summary
• Chapter 4 Adaptation to Contextual Correlates in Translating Official Document
• 4.1 Communicative Context for Dynamic Adaptation
• 4.1.1 Adaptation Motivated by Mental Workings
• 4.1.1.1 Adaptation stimulated by translator's intentions
• 4.1.1.2 Adaptation to cognitive mechanism
• 4.1.1.3 Adaptation to needs for timely objective and authoritative information
• 4.1.1.4 Adaptation to target receptor's aesthetic expectations and acceptability level
• 4.1.2 Adaptation stimulated by social-cultural context in translating official document
• 4.1.2.1 Adaptation to the social settings and institutions
• 4.1.2.2 Adaptation to the ideology and power
• 4.1.2.3 Adaptation to the unique cultural expressions
• 4.1.3 Linguistic Contexts for Dynamic Adaptation in Translating Official Document
• 4.1.3.1 Contextual cohesion:discourse markers
• 4.1.3.2 Intertextuality
• 4.1.3.3 Sequencing
• 4.2 Summary
• Chapter 5 Adaptation to Linguistic Correlates in Translating Official Document
• 5.1 Adaptation at the Lexical Level:Formality
• 5.1.1 Normalization
• 5.1.2 Archaic Words
• 5.1.3 Technical Terms
• 5.1.4 Redundancy
• 5.1.5 Fuzziness and Ambiguity
• 5.2 Adaptation at the Syntactic Level
• 5.2.1 Long Complicated Sentences
• 5.2.1.1 Complicated attributive sentences
• 5.2.1.2 Parallel sentences
• 5.2.1.3 Shall and shall not
• 5.3 Adaptation at the Supersentential Level:style
• 5.4 Pragmatic Awareness in the Dynamic Adaptation Process of Translating Official Document
• 5.5 Summary
• Chapter 6 Conclusion
• 6.1 Summary
• 6.2 Major Findings
• 6.3 Implications of the Present Study
• 6.4 Limitations of the Study
• 6.5 Suggestions for Further Research
• References
• Appendix
• Publications