从功能对等角度看报刊新词英译

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1、摘 要本文从功能对等的角度探讨中文报刊新词的英译，共分为五个章节。第一章是对本研究的概括性介绍:陈述了报刊新词的现状、研究新词的目的和意义、新词翻译的必要性、近年来有关报刊新词的研究成果。第二章详实分析报刊新词的定义、特点、来源以及影响报刊新词英译的因素。第三章是对“功能对等”理论的研究，介绍该理论产生与发展的历史及理论的主要方面，并探讨其贡献及应用的可能性。第四章是本研究的中心即报刊新词的英译原则和策略。在此基础上，作者归纳总结出几种实用和惯用的报刊新词英译方法。第五章对研究做出总结。关键词：中文报刊新词；功能对等；翻译；策略ABSTRACTThe paper sets out to exa

2、mine the translation of Chinese newspaper neologisms from the perspective of functional equivalence theory. Altogether, the paper consists of five chapters. The first chapter is the general introduction, covering the current situation of neologism, the purpose and significance of the research on neo

3、logism, the necessity of translating neologism, the plentiful research achievements on newspaper neologism and its translation during the past years. Chapter two provides a thorough analysis of Chinese newspaper neologisms definition, characters, sources and the factors affecting the translation of

4、Chinese newspaper neologisms. Chapter three is concerned on the study of functional equivalence theory, introducing its production, development and basic aspects. It also probes the contribution of the theory and the possibility of its application. The fourth chapter is the core of this paper, which

5、 focuses on the principles and strategies for the translation of Chinese newspaper neologisms. On the basis of functional equivalence, the author sums up several practical and popular methods of how to turn Chinese newspaper neologisms into English. The last chapter concludes the paper.Keywords: Chi

6、nese newspaper neologism; functional equivalence; translation; strategies中国最大的论文知识平台Contents1. Introduction12. Studies on Chinese newspaper neologisms22.1 Definition of Chinese newspaper neologisms22.2 Characters of Chinese newspaper neologisms22.3 Main sources of Chinese newspaper neologisms42.3.1

7、Newly created neologisms42.3.2 Change of meaning42.3.3 Adoption of dialect52.3.4 Loanwords from foreign languages62.4 Factors affecting the translation of Chinese newspaper neologisms63. Researches on Nidas functional equivalence theory83.1 The production and development of the theory83.2 Basic aspe

8、cts of functional equivalence theory83.3 Contribution of Nidas translation theory and the possibility of its application94. Principles and strategies for the translation of Chinese newspaper neologisms114.1 Basic principles of translating Chinese newspaper neologisms into English114.1.1 Accuracy114.

9、1.2 Conciseness124.1.3 Reader-orientedness124.2 Strategies on translating Chinese newspaper neologisms134.2.1 Equivalent translation134.2.2 Other translation strategies adopted in the context of absence of the equivalents144.2.2.1 Deletion144.2.2.2 Trasliteration154.2.2.3 Interpretation154.2.3 Speci

10、al translation strategy: Back-translation165. Conclusion18Acknowledgements19References201Introduction“Neologism” can be defined as “newly-coined lexical units or existing lexical units that acquire new sense” 1140. As we all know, Neologisms as part of a language are also in close relationship with

11、the society and its culture, which unexceptionally influence the formation and development of a neologism. In other terms, neologisms may more or less involve and reflect the national social beliefs, customs, culture, system and mentality. In order to make new policies, new ideas and new things of o

12、ur country understood by the outside world, how to translate Chinese neologism into English accurately becomes more important.Many language workers are taking efforts in the translation of newspaper neologisms since the appearance of many neologisms has aroused the great interest at all levels. And

13、in the past century most studies on neologisms have been carried out in limited areas covering lexicography, derivations and morphological features in addition to some tentative researches into certain professional neologisms. For the moment, some home scholars and translators are making an enthusia

14、stic attempt to the study on C-E translation of neologisms. Particularly, great achievements have been made in the work of compiling dictionaries of neologisms.However, these works didnt give an overall introduction of the creation of neologism as well as its translation, neither did they make analy

15、sis of some consequences of the use of new words and expressions in daily life, such as the integration of Chinese characters and English words in use. The study on Chinese newspaper neologisms is a comparatively less explored area where there is a serious lack of guiding theory.In this thesis, the

16、author will employ Nidas functional equivalence theory and make a tentative study of its translation with an attempt to formulate some feasible principles and strategies to the translation of this peculiar genre. The science of functional equivalence serves as the theoretical framework of this thesi

17、s due to its obvious applicability in the area of the translation of newspaper neologisms. Based on the theory of functional equivalence, this thesis employs a great number of examples as a supportive ground for the main argument, focusing on making a scientific and systematic study on the translati

18、on of Chinese newspaper neologisms into English.2. Studies on Chinese newspaper neologisms2.1 Definition of Chinese newspaper neologismsThe term “neologism” originates from Greek: neos means new, logos means word. Thus , a neologism is, literally, a new word. According to Oxford Advanced Learners En

19、glish-Chinese Dictionary, “Neologism” can be defined as “newly-invented word” 2830. While in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a “neologism” is “a new word or expression, or a new meaning for an old word” 3981.In Newmarks opinion, “Neologisms can be defined as newly coined lexical unitsor

20、existing lexical units that acquire a new sense” 1140.From Newmarks definition, we are able to make two basic points about a neologism. It could be a newly created linguistic form from a linguistic point of view. Or, from a semantic point of view it could be an old form that has existed for quite a

21、long time but a new meaning is attached to. His statement also makes it clear that a neologism can originate from science and technology, from native slang, dialects, and from foreign languages as well.Therefore, the definition of Chinese neologisms can be made from two basic points mentioned above.

22、 Then, a general criterion for defining Chinese newspaper neologisms can be found: (1) A Chinese neologism should be unused before, newly created or just entering into the general Chinese vocabulary.(2) A Chinese neologism should be still in use now; the duration of its existence cannot go beyond ce

23、rtain period; it has been rooted in Chinese vocabulary and extensively understood by people in a certain field, by one particular language group or by people of different languages levels.(3) Chinese neologisms should include newly created words and word groups, loanwords, old words with new sense o

24、r new usage, derivatives, and so forth. To do a further study about neologism, such a comparatively clear definition is necessary. The following text is based on this definition.2.2 Characters of Chinese newspaper neologisms(1) Freshness in time Chinese newspaper neologisms have many features. The f

25、irst character is the freshness in time. When the neologisms originally appeared, they carried the new meaning, displayed the new information and were permeated with a kind of freshness. However, this kind of freshness will be gradually weakened or even fade away as the time goes by. If a neologism

26、has been used for a long time, the freshness will disappear. It doesnt belong to neologism any longer. For instance, “希望工程” (Hope Project); “素质教育”(quality-oriented education); “下岗”(be laid off) and “下海”(risk ones fortune in business; engage in trade). The neologisms appeared in the newspapers or mag

27、azines in the late 1990s. Within a certain period of time, as long as those words are still used today, and have deeply rooted in peoples minds, they can still hold the identity of neologisms. If people no longer use those words, they will absolutely be turned into old ones. As far as the time is co

28、nsidered, the neologisms are of freshness.(2) Freshness in semantic meaning From the semantics point of view, neologisms imply the use of an established word in a new sense. The spelling of the words has not changed, but their meanings are not the same as they used to be. For example, “下课” originall

29、y means the class is over, but in recent years, it has got a new meaningof a head coach be dismissed. The word “绿灯” (the green-colored light) has another new meaning, that is “to permit something illegal to proceed”. “擦边球”(edge ball, or a ball that hits the edge of the table in table tennis match) m

30、eans to stretch the rules to their limit. As far as the time is considered, these words are old words. However, from the semantics point of view, they have new meanings. These words are also considered as neologisms.(3) ConcisenessConciseness refers to the simplicity and clearness in structure. The

31、great majority of neologisms first emerge in the fields of reforms in economic and political structure as new terminologies. For instance, “竞争意识” (awareness of competition); “个体户” (the self-employed); “小康生活” (well-to-do life); “跳槽” (job-hop). These words are clear in structure and easy to understand

32、.(4) Culture Loaded The neologisms are usually heavily culture-loaded, and they are deeply rooted in the special cultural, social and political background in China. Such as “打白条” is not white slip of paper. In fact, it is a bill signed in acknowledgement of debt. “打白条” can be translated as issue IOU

33、 or give you an IOU; “二进宫” (get inside again) originally means a list of Beijing opera, but now it means “be put into prison again” or “be put into prison a second time”.Language is the symbol of social politics, economy, thoughts and culture. Newspapers and magazines are important media to transmit

34、 knowledge and information, especially the neologisms with so many characters reflect the process of social change and real life most directly and timely.2.3 Main sources of Chinese newspaper neologismsThe characters of the Chinese newspaper neologisms are related to their sources. Generally speakin

35、g, there are four sources as follows:2.3.1 Newly created neologismsSince Chinese reform and open-up to the outside world in 1980s, great changes have taken place in various aspects of social life. Consequently, more and more new things, new notions, new ideas and new phenomena spring up day by day,

36、which requires the creation of neologisms when no suitable or precise words or expressions are available for them. For example, market economy demands series of neologisms for related ideas and concepts, such as “竞争机制” (competition mechanism), “带薪假日” (paid holiday)， “再就业” (re-employment), “经济开发区” (s

37、pecial economic zone) and so on.Besides, there are abundant newly created words of scientific terms in various professions as the following:(1) law: 继承法 (inheritance act), 破产法 (bankruptcy law), 专利法 (patent law)etc.(2) Industry: 拳头产品 (knock-out product), 规模效益 (scale merit; return of scale), 技术密集型 (te

38、chnology intensive) etc.(3) Architecture: 步行街 (pedestrian walkway; pedestrainized street), 旧区改造 (urban renewal), 复式公寓 (duplex apartment) etc.(4) Agriculture: 家庭承包责任制 (family contract responsibility system), 生态农业(eco-farming), 无土栽培 (soilless culture; tank farming) etc.2.3.2 Change of meaningThe chang

39、e of meaning involves the change of word meaning and production of new meaning for the old ones. The resemblance between things is the basis of changing one words reference from a certain object, phenomenon or act to other object, phenomenon or act. Polysemy is usually obtained in the listed ways: e

40、xtension, specialization, transformation, rhetorical device and new meaning on old words.(1) The widening of the meaning of a word or phrase is called extension or generalization, because the meaning is extended to cover a broader and often less definite concept from the specific to the general. For

41、 instance, “滑坡”is a term originally used in geography, referring to landslide. Now it is also used to mean the declining of the economy.(2) Specialization of word meaning is the opposite result of extension. It is a process by which a word or term of wide meaning acquires a narrower or specialized s

42、ense. When a common word or term is turned into a proper noun, the meaning is narrowed. “文化”, is a typical example. It is originally an indefinite concept. But in “酒文化”, “茶文化”, “校园文化”, “厕所文化”, this common term has turned to be more specialized.(3) Some words and phrases were firstly equipped with co

43、ncrete reference and then transformed to abstract reference, or vice verse. The transformation is another form of change of meaning. Take “黑洞” for examples: Its old meaning is the black hole; an imaginary place in which things are lost while it acquires a new sense: the root of all evils.(4) Rhetori

44、cal device is winning popularity in recent years. It is attributed to the advantages of rhetoric device vividness, expressiveness, figurativeness and humor. The rhetoric device used at high rate mainly include analogy (类推), metaphor (比喻),Metonymy (借代), euphemism (委婉), pun (双关), phonogram (谐音) and ot

45、hers.2.3.3 Adoption of dialectDialect is one of the sources in new word formation, especially dialects in economic-developed regions and cultural centers. These regions play the leading role in social progress. For the sake of population flow and frequent communication between different regions, peo

46、ple are willing to learn from them. When imitation becomes a fashion, language often takes the priority. Words from dialects inject vigor into Mandarin by lending some expressions.From Shanghai dialect: 拍板 (give the runaround), 师傅 (master worker).From Beijing dialect：大款 (tycoon), 托儿 (salespersons de

47、coy), 爷 (profiteer).From Guangzhou dialect: 买单 (to pay a restaurant bill), 发烧友 (fan), 包二奶 (have a concubine).2.3.4 Loanwords from foreign languagesThe reform and opening policy of China provides favorable environment for cultural exchange with foreign countries. A number of loanwords are gradually u

48、sed by Chinese people in their daily life. As the world language, English has been playing such an increasingly important role that neologisms from English compose the core of the loanwords. The loan words that Chinese has adopted fall into various categories, for instance:Entertainment: 背景音乐 (backg

49、round music), 脱口秀 (talk show), 音乐电视 (MTV), 保龄球 (bowling), 拉力赛 (rally).Lifestyle：绿色革命 (the green revolution), 比基尼 (bikini), 迷你裙 (miniskirt).Finance: 信用证 (credit card), 增值税 (value-added tax), 跳蚤市场 (flea-market) Computer: 多媒体 (multimedia), 数据库 (database), 因特网 (Internet).2.4 Factors affecting the transl

50、ation of Chinese newspaper neologisms(1) The intention of the translatorGenerally speaking, a good translator should establish a bridge of understanding between the SL author and the TL readers. Different translator has different intentions according to the target readers or the client, or society.

51、And the translation to meet those needs always has influence upon the development of the political, economic and cultural life of the society. We may conclude that the needs are prerequisite of any translation, and the translators intention shapes and varies from needs to needs. For instance, Lu Xun

52、 has a distinctive purpose when he translated any books in his life. Especially from 1920 to 1927, his translation is to express the voices of the sufferings of the ill-treated people and give vent to the peoples hatred and anger against the powerful nations. Qu Qiubais translation of the words of t

53、he Internationale aims at the enabling the oppressed people to stand together with the proletarians of the world against the imperialism. To sum up, we can see that the intention of the translator plays a significant role in a translation action.(2) The influence of cultureTranslation, to a certain

54、degree, is intercultural action. This kind of intercultural action is intentional and purposeful. In terms of culture, it prefers to the entire way of social life. Language is a part of culture and plays a very important role in it. Some scientists even consider language the keystone of culture. On

55、the other hand, language is influenced and shaped by culture. “Translation is a kind of activity which inevitably involves at least two languages and two cultural traditions” 4200. As this statement implies, the role of the translator is to facilitate the transfer of message, meaning and cultural el

56、ements from one language into another. Nida has ever stated that, “A language does reflect in certain aspects of the culture of a society” 5107. Therefore, for the part of translators, they undoubtedly should take into account the cultural elements. Besides, it is very crucial for them to have cross

57、-cultural consciousness in mind during the process of translation in order to attain the ultimate goal of inter cultural communications. 3. Researches on Nidas functional equivalence theory3.1 The production and development of the theoryEugene.A.Nida has made a great contribution to the study of equ

58、ivalence translation. “Functional equivalence” is a key concept in his translation theory which stresses the concept of function. In Toward a Science of Translating Nida proposed the notion of “dynamic equivalence” and in his textbook The Theory and Practice of Translation “dynamic equivalence” was

59、further defined as a principle which could be stated as “in terms of the degree to which the receptors of the message in the receptor language to it in substantially the same manner as the receptors in the source language”624. By the mid-1980s, “dynamic equivalence” was replaced with “functional equ

60、ivalence”. But essentially there is not much difference between the two concepts. The substitution of “functional equivalence” is just to stress the concept of function and to avoid misunderstanding of the term “dynamic”. “Dynamic” allures peoples attention toward only those things that have impact.

61、 At the same time, the word “function” better illustrates the core of the theory since the degree of adequacy of a translation is highlighted.3.2 Basic aspects of functional equivalence theoryNida defines his functional equivalence from two levels: the minimal one and the maximal one. He defines the

62、 minimal, realistic definition of functional equivalence as “The readers of a translated text should be also to comprehend it to the point that they can conceive of how the original readers of the text must have understood and appreciated it” 7118 and the maximal, ideal definition as “The readers of

63、 a translated text should be able to understand and appreciate it in essentially the same manner as the original readers did”. Any translation less than the minimal degree of equivalence are unacceptable and the maximal level of equivalence is always only ideal situation. A good translation always l

64、ies in between the two levels899.According to Nida, functional equivalence is the quality which characterizes a translation in which “the message of the original text has been so transported into the receptor language that the response of the receptor is essentially like that of the original recepto

65、rs” 9200. In a translation of this kind one is not so concerned with “matching the receptor language message with the source language message; the aim is more to relate the receptor to modes of behavior relevant within the context of his own culture” 10159. Functional equivalence claims that a translation should be equivalent to the original message both in content and style. A functional equivalence translation is mainly concerned on the equiv