《红楼梦》章回标题翻译研究_英语论文

A Tentative Study on the Translation of the Chapter Titles in The Dreams of the Red Mansion 

摘要

汉英文化有很大差异，纵观《红楼梦》，章回题目体现了整本书的各个章节的中心脉络，简洁凝练的回目标题却处处点明小说主题。因此，将这样一部伟大的作品译成英文以便于西方人更好地了解中国文化的灿烂，其独特的章回标题的翻译至关重要。本文详尽讨论章回标题之间的逻辑连贯性，阐释蕴含其中的中心思想。

本文通过对《红楼梦》章回标题的翻译研究，以杨宪益、戴乃迭译本和霍克斯译本为例，对相应的两个译本在翻译策略方法和技巧方面的异同进行讨论，通过讨论两个英译版本在研究和翻译《红楼梦》章回标题过程中对语言层面、文化层面及艺术层面的处理，揭示章回标题中所体现的汉英语言文化的特色与魅力，以期对中国古典章回小说回目翻译的借鉴作用。

本文通过对《红楼梦》章回标题中文版本和英译本的文本细读，从汉英语言文化对比的角度出发，挖掘了章回标题中所体现的汉英语言文化的特色与魅力以及对中国古典章回小说回目翻译的启示意义。

除引言和结论部分外，全文共分为五章，每部分的主要内容概述如下：

第一章主要介绍了《红楼梦》作者曹雪芹的生平及写作背景，陈述了章回小说的历史渊源及其演变，分析章回标题所具有的四个特点:回目分奇偶句、对仗工稳、语言精练和谓语动词。

第二章主要阐述了《红楼梦》章回标题对小说及主题的重要作用和意义，主要体现在：回目与正文的关系、回目叙事、饱含感情色彩语言以及悲喜同构下传达哲学意蕴。

第三章的重点是实例分析，通过对比杨、霍译本，比较两个译本在翻译策略方法和技巧方面的异同。

第四章主要论述了中国章回小说章回标题英译的翻译原则，主要表现在：时态处理、忠于原作内容及形式、词类要求以及用词方面。

第五章主要借鉴尤金.奈达从翻译原则的角度对语言功能的研究，陈述章回标题的信息功能，祈使功能和审美功能，总结出对中国古典章回小说回目翻译的启示和意义。

关键词：《红楼梦》； 章回标题； 对比； 翻译策略； 技巧； 启示

Abstract

Throughout The Dreams of the Red Mansion, chapter titles tell readers the main ideas in each chapter. Brief but refined titles indicate the themes of the whole novel. Therefore, the translation of chapter titles is vital when translating such a great literal work into English so that foreigners can have more knowledge of the splendid Chinese culture. 

This thesis studied the translation of chapter titles by comparing the two English versions by Yang Xianyi’s and Hawkes’s, focusing on their different translation strategies and skills. Using Lawrence Venuti’s theory of domestication and foreignization, Newmark’s theory of semantic and communicative translation and Eugene Nida’s theory of equivalent translation, different translation strategies and skills shown in two English versions are discussed. Moreover, Nida’s theory, which is from the perspective of translation principles, information function, and imperative function and aesthetic function were also taken for reference. By discussing their similarities and differences in language level, culture level and art level, this thesis showed the features and charm of Chinese and English language cultures inside chapter titles. The thesis discussed the enlightenment and significance to chapter titles translation of Chinese chapter novels. 

This thesis is composed of five chapters. The first chapter gave a brief introduction of the author of The Dreams of the Red Mansion and Chinese chapter novels. In this chapter, the features of chapter titles were also included. In the second chapter, studying from four aspects, the functions and significances of chapter titles in The Dreams of the Red Mansion were covered. The third chapter mainly analyzed examples in Yang Xianyi’s and Hawkes’s translations, by which translation strategies and skill applied in chapter titles were discussed. The translation principles of chapter titles in Chinese chapter novels were covered in the forth chapter. And in the fifth chapter, from the aspect of Eugene Nida’s study of language function, this thesis gave the enlightenment and significance to chapter titles translation of Chinese chapter novels. 

Key Words: The Dreams of the Red Mansion; chapter titles; comparison; translation strategies and skills；enlightenment