Welcome to Francis Academic Press

Frontiers in Educational Research, 2020, 3(12); doi: 10.25236/FER.2020.031210.

A Relevance Translation Theory-Based Analysis of Translation Methods of Metaphorical Words in 2019 China’s Government Work Report

Author(s)

Huihui Gou

Corresponding Author:
Huihui Gou
Affiliation(s)

Foreign Languages College, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China

Abstract

The annual “Report on the Work of the Government” emerges as an image to publicize China’s policies and principles and a path to display China’s new achievements. However, numerous metaphorical buzz words bring a wide array of translation problems and become foreign readers’ stumbling blocks. From the perspective of Relevance Translation Theory, this paper views metaphorical words and phrases in the “2019 Government Work Report” as linguistic data, gives them a classification in the light of the degree of formality, and puts forward three translation methods: addition, division and substitution. The author makes every effort to explain and illustrate the necessity and effectiveness of those remedies with the cognitive reasoning ability and optimal relevance in Relevance Translation Theory. The exploration proves that addition, division and substitution have a powerful explanation for the translation of metaphorical words and phrases in political writings, and it also offers a novel theoretical foundation and fresh reference for translation enthusiasts in the study of metaphorical words translation.

Keywords

Relevance Translation Theory, metaphorical words and phrases, 2019 Government Work Report, cognitive reasoning, optimal relevance

Cite This Paper

Huihui Gou. A Relevance Translation Theory-Based Analysis of Translation Methods of Metaphorical Words in 2019 China’s Government Work Report. Frontiers in Educational Research (2020) Vol. 3 Issue 12: 74-84. https://doi.org/10.25236/FER.2020.031210.

References

[1] E.A. Gutt (1999). Translation and Relevance: Cognition and Context, p.37-118.
[2] D. Sperber and D. Wilson (1995). Relevance: Communication and Cognition. Oxford: Blackwell, p.137-155.
[3] T.C. Sonja (1992). A Theoretical Account of Translation - Without Transl-ation Theory?  Internat-ional Journal of Translation Studies, vol.4, no.2, p.237-245.
[4] Y.C. Zhao (1999). The Explanation Force of Relevance Theory to Translation [J]. Modern Foreign Languages, no.3, p.276-295.
[5] Z.Q. Cheng (2004). Translation of Political Documents [J]. Chinese Translators Journal, no.1, p.52.
[6] J.G. Meng (2001). The Explanation force of Relevance Theory to Translation Standards [J]. China’s Science & Technology Translators Journal, no.1, p.9-47.
[7] J. Liu (2007). Culture-loaded words Translation from the Perspective of Relevance Theory [J]. Journal of Lanzhou Jiaotong University, no.2, p.120-123.
[8] J.H. Zhang, and Y.L. Cui (2006). Explanatory use: The Practical Philosophy of Relevance Translation Theory [J].Foreign Languages and Their Teaching, no.11, p.52-55.
[9] Wu, D.L. Wu and J.H. Wu (2017). Researches on the Suitability Scope of Relevance Translation Theory and Relevance Reconstruction Strategies [J]. Journal of Guangxi University for Nationalities (The version of Philosophy and Social Sciences), vol.39, no.4, p.185-190.
[10] Y. Xu (2018). The Theoretical Concept and Translation of Metaphorical Words in English and American Literature.[J].Home Drama, no.23, p.230.
[11] S.W. Yuan (1995). A Comparative Study of idioms, Colloquialisms and Slang in English and Chinese [J].Foreign Language Education, no.3, p.42-45.