期末论文：翻译理论与实践论文

研究生课程论文

学年学期：2011-2012学年第一学期

论文题目：隐喻及隐喻的英汉翻译

课程：《翻译理论与实践》

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班级：翻译硕士英语笔译

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Discussion on Metaphor and Related English-Chinese Translation Abstract: According to the translation theory of Newmark, an English translator, metaphor can be divided into five types-“dead”, “cliché”, “stock”, “recent” and “origina1”, which will be subject to the analysis in this text in terms of their features. Meanwhile, on the basis of the translation theories learned, there are many kinds of methods for translation of metaphor. And this text also deals with the following approaches to translation of metaphor-literal translation, free translation, domestication and alienation. In addition, metaphor also serves as a way of thinking of people in western world and there are some traps in the translation of metaphor. So, it is not an easy task to carry out the translation of metaphor properly.

Key words: metaphor; literal translation; free translation; domestication; alienation; trap

1. Preface

Metaphor is a common kind of rhetorical device in English. To bring the metaphor into the translation study can facilitate our interpretation of the original text and achieve the balance of various manners of recognition of the world and ourselves between two different kinds of languages and cultures so as to draw on others’ merits widely.

2. Classification of Metaphor

In his work Approaches to Translation, Newmark divides metaphor into five types, namely “dead”, “cliché”, “stock”, “recent” and “origina1”.

(1) Dead

The “dead” metaphor means the metaphor related with the ordinary words describing time, space, human body, natural environment and human activities with the vehicle almost not realized by people. In English, words like “space, field, top, bottom, arm, circle, drop, fall, rise” usually carry meanings of metaphor in order to ensure the explicit and clear expression of concepts and ideas. For instance, in the field of human knowledge, at the bottom of the mountain, the rise and fall off the Roman Empire, etc.

(2) Cliché

“Cliché” refers to many common metaphor methods that have lost their former influence. For example, one says the first one comparing woman as flower can be called genius and the second on who uses such comparison is called also-ran. This type of metaphor, cliché-some though, has its application value. For instance, “So, let us in the next five years, start a new

Long March together, not in lockstep, but on different roads leading to the same goa1”.

(3) Stock

“Stock” refers to a kind of metaphor that has long been accepted, which has become an inherent part of language and will not lose its influence as a result of overuse. And the cultural metaphor represents an important part of the stock metaphor. For instance, “Judas’kiss (metaphor for insidious deeds –honey words and dastardly heart)” and “cat’s paw (metaphor for person serving as tool for others)”.

(4) Recent

“Recent” means the new terms that emerge recently. For instance, Levinski (metaphor for illicit love), Water gate scandal (metaphor for political scandal) and “9·I1”(metaphor for terrorist incidents)etc.

(5) Original

“Original” means a kind of metaphor used first by the writer. This kind of metaphor is not always available but product of writers’ inspiration.比如有些”坐冷板凳”的词,在作者的笔下却闪烁出灵感的光芒,这就是独创隐喻的魅力所在.Therefore, whenever you come across a sentence with correct grammatical structure but without any meaning, you must check the factors leading to the superficial meaninglessness carefully to explore the probable meaning of metaphor.

3. Discussion on Translation Methods of Metaphor

In discussing the translation of metaphor, Newmark has raised seven methods:(1) Reproducing the same image in the TL); (2) Replace the image in the SL with a standard TL image; (3)The translation of metaphor by simile; (4) Translation of metaphor (or simile) by simile plus sense; (5) Conversion of metaphor to sense; (6) Deletion; (7) Same metaphor combined with sense. With reference to other methods and combining the conclusion of some of the above methods, this text will discuss the following four methods.

(1) Literal Translation

Literal translation is applicable to the metaphor with complete English-Chinese equivalence. It can retain the ethnic and cultural features of the metaphor in the original text and help