红楼梦从文化视角比较汉语委婉语的英译
关键词 《红楼梦》 文化翻译观 委婉语 比较
毕 业 论 文 外 文 摘 要
Title On Translation of Chinese Euphemisms from Cultural Perspective: A Comparison between Two Translated Versions of Hong Lou Meng
Abstract
This paper endeavors to analyze and compare the translation of euphemisms for death,
disease, and sex in the two translation versions of Hong Lou Meng from cultural
perspective. It attempts to discuss and study the translation of euphemisms from the
perspective of culture. Within the framework of Cultural Translation Theory, this paper
puts a great emphasis on the analysis of the handling of euphemistic cultural feature by
different translators. As there is limited research on euphemism translation in Hong Lou
Meng, this study carves out a new way on the study of translation of euphemisms.
Keywords Hong Lou Meng Cultural Translation Theory euphemism
comparison
Table of Contents
1 Introduction.1
1.1 An Overview of Euphemism1
1.2 Research Design2
2 Literature Review.2
3 Theoretical Framework: Cultural Translation Theory.4
3.1 Definition and Classification of Culture4
3.2 Susan Bassnett’s Cultural Translation Theory...5
4 Analysis of Euphemism Translation in Hong Lou Meng...5
4.1 Euphemisms for Death..6
4.2 Euphemisms for Disease8
4.3 Euphemisms for Sex10
5 The Perspective of Cultural Translation Theory.12
5.1 The Selection of Content and Form.13
5.2 The Balance of Faith and Comprehension 13
Conclusion15
Acknowledgements.16
Bibliography.17
1 Introduction
Hong Lou Meng is known as the encyclopedia of Chinese culture in 18th
century. Since
1830, it has been translated into twenty languages, and nearly 60 versions in which there
are two full English translation versions: A Dream of Red Mansions translated by Yang
Xianyi and Gladys Yang and The Story of the Stone by David Hawkes and John Minford.
Large amounts of work have been done on the study of its translation in various aspects by
many scholars, yet it is found that there is a limited literature on the euphemism translation
from the perspective of culture. In view of the above facts, this paper endeavors to analyze
the translation of euphemisms in the two translated versions.
1.1 An Overview of Euphemism
Euphemism is a common and universal linguistic and cultural phenomenon in both western
countries and China. Oxford Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary defines euphemism as
“that figure of speech which consists in the substitution of a word or expression of
comparatively favorable implication or less unpleasant associations, instead of harsher or
more offensive one that would more precisely designate what is intended”(2004: 581). To
sum, euphemism is a pleasant or polite word or expression to substitute something
offensive, unpleasant, and unfavorable, or to cover rude truths. In Chinese, the characters
equivalent for “euphemism” are “委婉”, “婉辞” or “含蓄蕴藉”. It is not a commonly-used