Pragmatics and translation专用课件.ppt

Pragmatics and translation How can one qualify as a translator? What kind of action is translation? Do you think translation theory is necessary for translating? Translation as an act of interlingual and intercultural communication There are two psychologically distinct modes of using language: The descriptive use: Speakers say what they think or know by means of language The interpretive use: Speakers communicate what others say or think Kate: Tom is sick today. Jim: Kate said “Tom is sick today”. Naturally, translation falls under the interpretive category of language use. As an interpretive use of language, translation aims to achieve: Interpretive resemblance between the original and the translation: The more explicatures (explicit meaning) and implicatures (implicit meaning) the two versions share, the more closely they resemble each other. E.g. The fox may grow grey but never good. a. 狐狸可以变成灰色，但从不会变好。 b. 江山易改，本性难移。 c. 狐狸再老，本性难移。 Which version is best in terms of interpretive resemblance? In pragmatic terms, interpretive resemblance is the so-called pragmatic equivalence, which, broadly speaking, also includes Eugene Nida’s dynamic equivalence (as defined: ‘stimulating an effect in the reader of the translation similar to that caused in the reader of the original’). Nida’s dynamic equivalence is virtually perlocutionary equivalence, hence part of pragmatic equivalence. Specifically, pragmatic equivalence includes at least the following layers of equivalence: Illocutionary equivalence 嘿，小张，去哪儿？ Isn’t that a little steep for a room this size? Implicature-oriented equivalence Where’s my fish? Oh, the cat looks happy. 谁知她是离开了咸菜缸又跳进了萝卜窖。 Politeness-oriented equivalence Sir, how about coming on our show? We’d be honored to have you. 您贵姓？ 免贵姓张。 Poetic-effects-oriented equivalence The meeting is as significant as a game of cricket. Strategies of pragmatic translation Strategy A: render the expression literally, if it is possible to feel or recognize in the context t