4.1 Approaches to metaphor translation from cultural perspective 6

4.1.1 Foreignization and domestication 6

4.1.2 Newmark’s approach to metaphor translation 7

4.2 Analysis of translation of different types of metaphors in Fortress Besieged 7

4.2.1 Translation of metaphors in name 7

4.2.2 Translation of metaphors in portraying people 8

4.2.3 Translation of metaphors in describing things 9

5. Conclusions 10

5.1 Summaries of the major results of the study 10

5.2 Significance and implications of the study 10

References 11

1. Introduction

With the increasingly frequent cross-cultural communication, translation studies have turned from purely linguistic to cultural-related, and translation is widely regarded as cultural behavior. Metaphor shows the genius of human language and culture. Its translation should be paid more attention to. As metaphor has an intimate relationship with culture, it would be difficult for readers to understand the actual meaning and cultural intention of the source language if the cultural background is not understood and appropriately translated. Therefore the study of metaphor translation from cultural perspective could help the translator convey the original information accurately, especially its cultural information and intention. Fortress Besieged is written by Ch’ien Chunshu in the 1940s, and is widely considered one of the masterpieces of Chinese literature in the twentieth century. The success of Fortress Besieged lies a great deal on its humorous language and numerous metaphors. The basic information of Fortress Besieged and the features of the metaphors have been introduced in the thesis. A classification of the metaphors has been made. Research has been expanded. Through the research and analysis of the metaphors in Fortress Besieged and its English translation Fortress Besieged, the author aims to discuss metaphor translation from cultural perspective. Foreignization and Domestication as well as Newmark’s approach to metaphor translation are introduced to evaluate the metaphor translation in Fortress Besieged. 

2. Literature Review

2.1 On Translation from cultural perspective

With the development of translation studies, it is widely realized that studies of translation from only linguistic perspective is by no means satisfactory. Cultural contexts should not be ignored. Translation studies from cultural perspective provides a new angle in translation studies. More and more translation theory researchers have shifted their research focus to translation studies from cultural perspective.

The study of translation from cultural perspective has long been a focus in translation studies, especially under the circumstances of globalization, where culture exchange plays an increasingly significant role in the world.

Language and culture are inseparable. Peter Newmark once stated in A Textbook of Translation that “note that operationally I do not regard language as a component or feature of culture. If it were so, translation would be impossible. Language does however contain all kinds of cultural deposits, in the grammar, forms of address as well as the lexis which are not taken account of in universals either in consciousness or translation”, “the more specific a language becomes for natural phenomena, the more it becomes embedded in cultural features, and therefore creates translation problems.”(Newmark, 1988:95) Translation and culture are also inseparable. Juri Lotman declares that “No language can exist unless it is steeped in the context of culture; and no culture can exist which does not have at its center, the structure of natural language” (Susan Bassnet, 1980:23).