Application Of Context In Translation

Translation theorists are concerned from start to finish with meaning. Thus, meaning should be given priority in translation. What is more, we cannot talk about meaning away from context because specific linguistic form only carries meaning in its actual linguistic context and transference of meaning in translation must be carried out with the help of context. Context, mostly used in the fields of pragmatics and social linguistics, refers to the linguistic environment and extra-linguistic environment in which a discourse or a text is produced. Firth (1968) points to contextual meaning as the basis of a translation theory and sees translation theory as the basis of a new theory of language and firmer foundations in philosophy.This thesis is designed to elaborate on how context should be defined and classified in translation, and how context analysis could be applied to E-C and C-E translation to obtain more idiomatic and dynamically equivalent translated version. The thesis begins with definitions of translation from different perspectives, interpretation of meaning, and the priority of meaning in translation. Then it touches upon the definition of the priority of meaning in translation. Then it touches upon the definition and classification of context in translation. Next, the thesis comes to the discussion of how translation is context-dependent in both comprehension and transference, and how diverse contextual factors work. And finally the thesis comes to a conclusion that context analysis is one of the effective and practical means to guide C-E and E-C translation by taking into account all the contextual factors concerned.