Archives

Volume 5 Number 6 June 2019

A Comparative Study of Two Chinese Versions of The Moon and Sixpence: A Narratological Perspective


Authors: Tongtong Zhang
Pages: 111-116
DOI: doi.org/10.32861/ellr.56.111.116
Abstract
Narrative strategies and discourse features correlate strongly with the characterization, thematic significance as well as rhetorical effect in narrative fictions. This paper will conduct a comparative study of Fu Weici’s and Li Jihong’s Chinese version of The Moon and Sixpence with particular reference to five examples from two narratological aspects, namely unreliable narration and narrative tense. Attention will be focused on to what extent and how relevant stylistic markers of these narrative features have been recreated in the target text. It is suggested that translators should always be sensitive enough to detect any stylistic markers of unique narrative features, identify their association with characterization, thematic and artistic value and reproduce them in the target text so as to ensure an optimal transference of their embedded rhetorical effect.

The Eco-discourse Analysis of The Joy Luck Club


Authors: Zhou Geng
Pages: 103-110
DOI: doi.org/10.32861/ellr.56.103.110
Abstract
This paper spotlights one of the most influential Chinese American novels, ‘The Joy Luck Club’. Broadly adhering to the principles and orientations of Eco-discourse analysis and using Halliday’s systemic-functional grammar as a framework of analysis, this study uncovers ideologies pointing to an asymmetrical power structure between the mother and the daughter and discusses the underlying Chinese philosophy of mother, which helps daughter find her genuine identity. This paper concludes with revealing the true contradiction behind the conflict of mother-daughter, i.e., the two distinct value systems, and expect people to think and act ecologically, promoting the development of eastern eco-ideology.

Interpretation of the Mother-Daughter Relationship in the Joy Luck Club from the Perspective of Transitivity System


Authors: Yuanyuan Liu ; Lingling Liu
Pages: 97-102
DOI: doi.org/10.32861/ellr.56.97.102
Abstract
The Joy Luck Club written by Amy Tan depicts the lifestyle of foreign citizens of Chinese origin. It consists of many stories in which children born in the United States but educated in a Chinese way are destined to have some conflicts with their Chinese born parents due to different environments they were born in. This thesis, based on functional grammar put forward by Halliday, endeavors to focus on the analysis of the mother-daughter interaction in one of the four families—Jing-mei Woo’s family from the perspective of transitivity system so as to shed light on the personalities of these characters. After carrying out the corresponding analysis, a conclusion can be made that the daughter is a person with her own mind and she pursues freedom and independence all her life, while her mother is a person attaching great importance to the obedience from her daughter.

A Study on Feng Tang’s Translation of Stray Birds from Manipulation Theory


Authors: Xiang Yiqing
Pages: 89-96
DOI: doi.org/10.32861/ellr.56.89.96
Abstract
Tagore is a distinguished Indian writer and poet, and his works have never lost popularity around the world. Published in 1916, Stray Birds is one of the earliest translated poetry collections in China, of which the version translated by Zheng Zhenduo is highly regarded. However, Chinese poet Feng Tang translated Stray Birds in 2015 and his version soon became the subject of heated discussions among translation field and academic world due to his unique style and bold diction. Based on Lefevere’s manipulation theory, this essay offers an analysis of Feng Tang’s translation of Stray Birds, analyzing the influence of the manipulative factors, namely ideology, poetics and patronage on Feng’s translation methods and strategies. At present, most criticisms of Feng Tang’s translation focus mainly on translation theories and linguistic factors. From the perspective of manipulation theory, the study on Feng’s translation will not only provide new methods and ideas for the appreciation and translation of poetry, but also add more radiance on Stray Birds.

On C-E Translation of Relic Texts in Museums from a Functional Equivalence Perspective: A Case Study of Hubei Provincial Museum


Authors: Ni Shiwei
Pages: 82-88
DOI: doi.org/10.32861/ellr.56.82.88
Abstract
Museums play an important role in China’s communication with the world and demonstrate to some extent China’s soft power. As China further strengthens its international exchanges, more and more people hope to know China through its history and culture. However, due to the lingual and cultural distinctions, there are many unavoidable problems in translating Chinese relic texts (Source Text or ST) into English texts (Target Text or TT). As Eugene Nida said in his functional equivalence theory, the Target Reader’s (TR) comprehension and appreciation of the translation is significant. Therefore, in translating relic texts, attention should be paid to how the TR can understand and accept the content. This thesis aims at finding proper translation principles and methods by analyzing the translations of the relic texts in Hubei Provincial Museum from the perspective of the core concepts of functional equivalence theory. Through a study on the functional equivalence theory, the thesis finds three principles of translating relic texts: accuracy, readability and acceptability. An analysis of the relic texts of Hubei Provincial Museum has led to several translation methods including addition, omission, paraphrasing and rewriting, which help to achieve the functional equivalence of relic texts translation.

The English Translation of Tang Poetry Based on Cultural Self-confidence and Selective Adaptation-Taking “Changgan Xing” as an Example


Authors: Wang Xu ; Wang Feng ; Zeng Yan
Pages: 75-81
DOI: doi.org/10.32861/ellr.56.75.81
Abstract
Tang poetry has great poetic and aesthetic value. Based on the theories of cultural self-confidence and selective adaptation, the necessity and rationality of the English translation of Tang poetry will be discussed under the guidance of "Harmony-guided Three-level Criteria of Poetry Translation", and comparative analyses of five English versions of Li Bai’s “Changgan Xing” will be made. The study holds that "Harmony-guided Three-level Criteria of Poetry Translation" not only embodies cultural self-confidence, but also conforms to the spiritual essence of the theory of selective adaptation. It can effectively disseminate Chinese poetry and improve the soft power of Chinese culture.

On Construction of Chengdu Economic Zone Oriented Practical Teaching System in Business English Major---Taking Leshan Normal University as an Example


Authors: Li Zou
Pages: 71-74
DOI: doi.org/10.32861/ellr.56.71.74
Abstract
With the development of Chengdu Economic Zone, practical business English talents are badly needed. Thus, the training objective for business English majors in Leshan Normal University should be Chengdu Economic Zone oriented to cultivate professionals with both business skills and English competence who can fluently use English to cope with business affairs. However, through the surveys of companies and enterprises in the Zone as well as the graduates in the university, it is found that the business English professional graduates still fail to fully meet the demand of the companies. There are still some problems in the practical training system in the university, such as sufficient practical training bases, lack of teaching staff with bi-expertise, and imperfect management and evaluation system for the practical teaching. The paper aims to study the construction of practical teaching system in business English major which can not only ensure the cultivation of satisfactory practical business English talents but also improve the graduates’ competitiveness.