Abstract

Metaphor is a phenomenon of natural languages, and it lies in almost all the language. From the perspective of traditional theory, metaphor is just a kind of linguistic decoration. However, it also has cognitive meanings. In 1986, Sperber and Wilson put forward Relevance Theory, which offers scholars a totally new perspective to study metaphor translation. According to the relevance theory, translation is the same as any other cognitive activities; it aims at achieving optimal relevance. The author of Fortress Besieged, Qian Zhongshu is a great writer and his language has a distinctive style. In this book, numerous humorous metaphors are contained. This thesis tries to make an analysis of metaphor translation in Fortress Besieged from the perspective of relevance theory. When studying the examples, the writer finds that literal translation and free translation are contained. The literal translation can achieve optimal relevance when the metaphors are familiar to target readers, while in many cases, because of the cultural differences, the translation only can be understood by the use of notes or free translation.

Key words: Fortress Besieged; metaphor; translation; Relevance Theory；optimal relevance

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1 Introduction-1

1.1 Research Background-1

1.2 Research Objective-1

2 Literature Review-2

2.1 A Review of Fortress Besieged-2

2.2 Metaphor and Metaphor Translation-2

2.2.1 Definition of Metaphor-2

2.2.2 A Review of Metaphor Translation-3

2.3 Relevance Theory-4

2.3.1 Studies Abroad-4

2.3.3 Studies at Home-5

3 Metaphors in Fortress Besieged-5

3.1 Roles of Metaphor in Fortress Besieged-5

3.2 Types of Metaphor in Fortress Besieged-5

3.3 Characteristics of Metaphors in Fortress Besieged-6

4 Metaphor Translation in Fortress Besieged from the perspective of Relevance Theory-7

4.1 Literal Translation-8

4.2 Free Translation-10

5 Conclusion-11

References.15