Metaphors and Similes Used in Fortress Besieged and Translation
Abstract
Metaphors and similes are common figures of speech, which are also the most striking characteristics of the novel Fortress Besiege. How the translators, Jeanne Kelly and Nathan K. Mao, crack this nut of translation? This thesis intends to explore the differences in ways of thinking and culture between China and the West from the perspective of translation of figures of speech (metaphor and simile in particular). Focusing on some of the typical figures of speech in the novel, the thesis makes a comparison between the metaphor and simile in the original and their English version and finds that the translators keep almost all the features of the original novel through literal translation or foreignizaiton. Clearly they try to introduce Chinese culture to English-speaking readers. It is also found that, influenced by western culture, Qian Zhongshu uses lots of metaphors familiar to westerners in the novel. From the above analyses, the paper summarizes the translation criteria applied in the translated text and the ways of intercultural translation.
Key words: Fortress Besieged, metaphor and simile, foreignization
《圍城》的隱喻和明喻及其英譯
摘 要
比喻是一種普遍的現象，人們每時每刻都在使用比喻。我國著名學者錢鐘書的小說《圍城》中運用大量的修辭手法，構成其顯著的藝術特征。珍妮凱利、茅國權在翻譯的過程中是怎樣處理這一難題呢？本文主要從修辭翻譯的視角，探討東西方思維模式與文化的差異在翻譯中的體現。論文選取小說中的部分修辭手法，通過原文與譯文的對照，發現珍妮凱利與茅國權在處理這些修辭手法時，基本保留了原文的特色，采用了直譯手法或稱異化手法(foreignization)，旨在向西方國家介紹中國文化，讓英語國家的人民領略中華文化的博大精深。通過對照也發現由于錢鐘書曾受西方文化的熏陶，小說中摻雜了許多西方人耳聞能詳的比喻。論文最后總結出譯文所遵循的翻譯標準及跨文化翻譯的方法和策略。
關鍵詞：圍城 比喻 異化手法 文化
CONTENTS
Abstract.................................................................................... I
摘要.................................................................................................. II
Chapter1 Introduction............................................................ 1
1.1 The Linguistic Feature of Fortress Besieged…………………. 1
1.2 Metaphor and Simile …………………………………............. 1
1.3 Culture and Metaphor Translation in Fortress Besieged............ 1
1.4Comments on the English Version of Fortress Besieged............ 5
Chapter2 Features of Metaphor in Fortress Besieged.......... 6
2.1 Influenced by French Culture and Philosophy .......................... 6
2.2 Exaggeration in Metaphor.......................................................... 8
2.3 Abnormality in Metaphor........................................................... 9
2.4 Satires......................................................................................... 11
Chapter3 Analyses of the Translation of Fortress Besieged 14
3.1 Communicative Translation and Semantic Translation………. 14
3.2 The Transference of Rhetorical Devices…………………….. 14
3.3 Understanding and Expressing………………………….......... 14
3.4Examples with Misinterpretation in Fortress Besieged……...... 15
Chapter4 Conclusion............................................................... 18
References................................................................................ 19
Acknowledgements.................................................................. 20
