【英语论文】《小王子》中文译本语言差异对比研究A Language Comparative Study of the Two Chinese Versions of The Little Prince.doc

小王子中文译本语言差异对比研究A Language Comparative Study of the Two Chinese Versions of The Little PrinceA paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Bachelor of ArtsBeijing Foreign Studies University北京外国语大学网络教育学院学士学位论文诚信声明本人郑重声明： 所呈交的学士学位论文，是本人在导师的指导下，独立进行研究工作所取得的成果。论文所涉及的项目为本人亲自负责或者参与实施的项目。除文中已经注明引用的内容外，本论文不含任何其他个人或集体已经发表或撰写过的作品成果。本人完全了解本声明的法律结果由本人承担。学士学位论文作者签名： 日期： 年 月 日AcknowledgementsWriting a BA paper is laborious and complicated work as I have to balance with my daily job and life. But it is no doubt involves encouragement, help and support of many people, like my parents, friends, online tutors and classmates. I would like to express my gratitude to my parents for their willingness to share household chores and care for me during my study at BFSU. I should also like to thank the teachers and tutors both in Shenzhen and Beijing for their professional instruction over my four-year online study. I am heartily thankful to my supervisor, Professor Bao Xudong and Professor Cai Jing, who offer much support when necessary. Finally, I present my best regards and blessings to all of those who always ready to help me in any respect during the completion of the project.摘要英汉两种语言以及中西文化之间的巨大差异，使得翻译成为沟通的必要途径。而译者在翻译过程中所起的“媒”作用，是沟通得以顺利进行的关键。同时，译者的个人审美观也会对译文产生重大的影响。但是，译者即便字字斟酌，仔细选词造句，译文往往仍不免出现存在歧义或失真的地方。本论文从译者和语言的角度出发，通过比较小王子的两个中译本的语言差异，尝试分析和探讨译者和语言对译本的影响。本论文主要由以下三个部分组成: 第一部分简要介绍小王子的内容、风格，及其译本的大概情况，为后面的对比研究提供了相关的背景知识。第二部分回顾相关的翻译理论，归纳总结不同译本，译者所运用的翻译策略。第三部分对小王子两种中译本进行词汇、句法、和风格三个方面的系统研究。通过对小王子两种中译本的比较分析，可以推断出不同译本间的差异在很大程度上是由于译者的翻译原则和翻译策略的不同，是受译者和所使用的语言影响。在进行文学评论时,除了要关注译者,也要深化对相关语言和文化的研究。 关键词: 译者 语言差异 小王子 AbstractTranslating becomes a necessary approach to communication as there are huge differences between English language and Chinese language, also between their cultures. And as a medium, translators are the key for smoothly communication in the processing of translation. However, even translators think over each word again and again, and select words and phrases carefully; there are still ambiguities and misunderstandings to be found from the translations. This paper is a case study of the language differences of the two Chinese versions of The Little Prince, and tries to explore the issue of how translators and what language are involved in the translation process and thus influences the target translation texts.This thesis consists of the following 3 parts: Part #1 introduce briefly about the context and style of The Little Prince, and the general situation of its translations, then offer relative background information for later comparative study. Relevant translation theories to be reviewed in Part #2, to conclude and sum up the translation strategies the translators used in different translations. Part #3 makes a systematic comparison of the two Chinese versions, from the aspects of semantics, syntax and style.Through comparative analysis of the two Chinese translations of The Little Prince, we can deduce that the discrepancies between different translations are largely due to the different translation principles and strategies the translators used, and are influenced by the translator and language discrepancies. So when making literature criticism, not only should we focus on the translator, but also should deepen study in relevant languages and cultures.Key words: the translator; language discrepancies; The Little PrinceTable of ContentsPages1. Introduction . 11.1 A Summary of the Authors Life and his Works .11.2 A Briefing of The Little Prince .21.3 The Theme of the Novella .22. Rationale .32.1 Basic Translation Theories .32.1.1 Translation theories in the west.32.1.2 Translation theories in China .5 2.2 Language and Cultural .62.2.1 Definition of language 62.2.2 Definition of culture 72.2.3 The relation of language and culture in translation.73. Data Description . .73.1 Brief Introduction to the Two Translators and Their Translation.84. Data Analysis . .84.1 Lexicon . .84.2 Syntax 94.3 Stylistic Features .125. Results and Suggestions . .145.1 Results145.2 Suggestions on the Use of Translating Strategies. 146. Conclusion . .15Bibliography. 16Appendix 17A Language Comparative Study of the Two Chinese Versions of The Little Prince1. Introduction1.1 A Summary of the Authors Life and his WorksAntoine de Saint-Exupéry was born in Lyon, France in 1900. He was an aristocrat French writer, poet and pioneering aviator. He became a laureate of several of France's highest literary awards and also won the U.S. National Book Award. He is best remembered for his novella The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince) and for his lyrical aviation writings, including Wind, Sand and Stars and Night Flight. Much of his work is inspired by his experiences as a pilot.He was a successful commercial pilot before World War II, working airmail routes in Europe, Africa and South America. At the outbreak of war he joined the French Air Force, flying reconnaissance missions until France's armistice with Germany in 1940. After being demobilized from the French Air Force he voyaged to the United States to convince its government to quickly enter the war against Nazi Germany. Following 27 months living in North America, during which he wrote three of his most important works, he joined the Free French Air Force in North Africa, although he was over age for such pilots and in declining health. He disappeared over the Mediterranean on his last assigned mission in July 1944, and is believed to have died at that time.Prior to the war he had achieved fame in France as an aviator. His literary works propelled his stature posthumously allowing him to achieve national hero status in France. He earned further widespread recognition with international translations of his other works. 1.2 A Briefing of The Little Prince The Little Prince has been translated into more than 250 languages and dialects for it is one of the best-selling books around the world. Its first English translation is done by Katherine Woods and was published in the United States in 1943, approximately one week prior to its first French printing by the same publisher, Reynal & Hitchcock. Such a book is no doubt catching many Chinese translators eyes, especially those who love the story, and want to share with much more Chinese. Then comes about 50 different translations in Chinese (produced in both mainland China and in Taiwan) summed up in 2011 according to W. The manuscript of The Little Prince was written and illustrated by Saint-Exupéry while he was exiled in the United States after the Fall of France. And according to the authors earlier memoir, he recounted his aviation experiences in the Sahara desert and The Little Prince is thought to use those same experiences as plot elements. Though ostensibly a children's book, The Little Prince makes several profound and idealistic observations about life and human nature. For example, Saint-Exupéry tells of the little prince encounter a fox during his travels on Earth. The story's essence is contained in the lines uttered by the fox to the little prince: One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye. Other key thematic messages are being said by the fox, such as: "You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed" and "It is the time you have devoted to your rose that makes your rose so important."1.3 The Theme of the Novella The narrator drives a plane and crash in the Sahara desert. There he meets the little prince and know his adventure little by little after several days of communication. The narrator believes the little prince is come from an asteroid to be called B-612. And he is quarrel with his rose and decides to travel in the universe to find out the secret of life. He travels to 7 planets, and meets different adults, but cant get the answer. Finally, in the 7th planet the earth, he meets a fox. It is the fox tell him that life is a kind of responsibility, people must be tamed to get true friendship and happiness, and the most important things are invisible to eyes, but only by heart. After knowing this, he goes back to his planet in the way of being bitted by a snake.2. Rationale 2.1 Basic Translation TheoriesTranslation is a part of the communication process between source language (SL) writer and target language (TL) reader according to Hatim & Mason. (2001) They also pointed out that as a mediator, the translator stands at the centre of the dynamic process of communication, links between source text producers and TL receivers. That is, the translator is no doubt very important in this processing and will more or less influence the quality of a translation, especially in literature translation. And Tytler (1791: 8-9) believed that a good translation is the one that the original work is completely apprehended and transfused into another language, and made the readers of target language have equivalent strong feelings of the original work. What is more, a well-made translation is able to greatly enrich a TL. 2.1.1 Translation theories in the westTranslating has existed ever since the ancient times. The formulation of translation theories, however, involves primarily the west world. So, various laws and principles have been created by translation theorists. For example, Cicero (55 BC) and Quintilian (96) are both agreed that when translate one language to another, the translators should not follow SL in all things, but “coin new expression” when translate some not exist items of the TL. So that translators “enriched their native languages not only with new vocabulary but also, in Plinys words, with an 'abundance of stylistic figures and resources'” (Quoted in André Lefevere, 2004: 46). Such viewpoint is focus on free translation. They thought that the key of translation is to make people well understand the inside meaning of the SL, and word for word translation cant meet the request. Later Hieronymus (405-410) expressed his similar view to support free translation, and opposed to literal translation, with the example like this: “a literal translation from one language into another obscures the sense in the same way as the thriving weeds smother the seeds.” He deemed a language will change in translation as it depends on cases and images which need the translator to waste time and make a detour to express what exactly it said, but often to express it with great imprecision. For the syntax looks ridiculous and the TL may lack in both substance and words (Hieronymus, Quoted in Bacon, 1267).After the Middle Age, Juan Luis Vives (1531), a Spanish humanist, stated the relationship between the translators and their translation as: “Translations tend to become unfaithful because translators do not know the language or the topic they are dealing withignorant translators are deceived and deceive those who trust them, sometimes on the level of style and diction and sometimes on the level of content or that of the characteristic features an author use.”So it is quite evident that translators themselves knowledge to the SL and TL is a great influence to the translation from above statement. Then is the theory of Jacques Pelletier Du Mans (1555) to describe the translators status. He claimed that if a translator rendered the original faithfully with his best ability, he will only gain respect for having redrawn the original portrait, but fame remains with the original. If he rendered it badly, all the blame falls only on the translator himself. After that, A. F. Tytler who devoted to translation studies, propounds three basic principles in his book Essay on the Principles of Translation, first published in 1791, as below:I. That the translation should give a complete transcript of the ideas of the original work.II. That the style and manner of writing should be of the same character with that of the original.III. That the translation should have all the ease of original composition. (Tytler, 1907, 9)Then E. A. Nida (1964: 164), echoed Tytlers requirement with similar opinions and added one more point to Tytlers list, indicated that a response similarity should be produced. Nida is also an advocator to his functional equivalence theory. The core of this thought is to make the original text and target text equal on the level of language function, but not the equality of language style. For a translation should first to reveal the originals information (or meaning) in the most natural way, and then the style. Modern western translation theorists, in the wake of linguistics study, are turning their eyes to focus the relation and influence between linguistics and translation. The author will extract some when necessary in the following parts.2.1.2 Translation theories in ChinaAlthough translation has a very long history in China, relevant theories are seldom, until early of the 19th century. Translation was practiced by many patriots at that time. They believed it can save the country and introduce new thought and literatures from the west. Among them, Yan Fu (严复) is the representative personage. He contribute his ideas about faithfulness or fidelity (信), fluency or comprehensibility (达), and elegance (雅) in the preface of his translation work Tianyanlun (Evolution and Ethics), published in 1901. These ideas are often regards as the most important statement on translation and repeatedly debated by scholars throughout the past century. Later, in the period of the May 4th Movement to new China, translation theories, especial literary translation theories gain greatly development. Translation issues like: the necessity of translation, translatability and untranslatability, the relation between translation and literary creation, the improvement of translation quality and so on, were raised and discussed by translation practitioners.Lin Yutang (林语堂, 1933) in his article On Translation (论翻译, translated by author), pointed out that the art of translation is rely on three aspects: First of all, the translator must fully understand the original text; then he must master his own mother language very well and can write it clearly