Thematic Theory In Translation Between English And Chinese

This paper has made a tentative study of how to apply the theory of Theme-Rheme in the translation between English and Chinese. It takes Halliday's notions of Theme/Rheme and Hallidayan approach to thematic progressions as its theoretical bases, analyzes its application in the two languages and aims at making an illustration on the possibility of keeping the thematic patterns of the source language text in the target language text. This paper is composed of three chapters. In the first chapter the author makes a brief review of the theory investigated by Prague School Linguists and Hallidayan Linguists respectively and other scholars' investigation of the theory in translation study. While Prague School linguists employ combining approach to thematic structure and information structure, the Hallidayan linguists use separating approach to them and Halliday has always insisted that, at least in English, the Theme-Rheme distinction is realized by the sequential ordering of clause elements (Baker, 2000: 140). Theme is the element placed by the speaker in first position in the clause; Rheme is whatever comes after the Theme. A Rheme-Theme sequence therefore has no place in Halliday's system. Therefore unlike the rather complex explanations of the Prague School, the Hallidayan approach is very simple to follow and apply. While both approaches are of importance in translation study and have been investigated by different linguists, this paper employs Halliday's approach to Theme/Rheme and thematic progression to the investigation of translation. In the second chapter the author analyzes thematic structure on clause level and thematic progressions on text level in English and Chinese and has found that both English and Chinese can be analyzed from the perspective of Theme/Rheme and the two languages share both similarities and differences concerning thematic structure. In some cases, their thematic structures correspond to each other, while in other cases they differ in many aspects both on clause level and text level. However, a translator should not be intimidated by the differences of thematic structures and thematic progressions between the two languages, as we know that the differences are often the exact points where the typical feature lies and they can serve for indicators of the author's implied intentions. On text level, eight patterns of thematic progression are involved: constant Theme progression, linear thematic progression, progression with constant Rheme, intersecting pattern, alternating progression, development of a split Rheme, derived thematic progression, free pattern. This chapter illustrates that form is part of content and therefore deserve equal attention in the process of translation.The third chapter focuses on the application of Theme/Rheme theory in the process of translation. First the author reviews the concept of equivalence in translation and then analyzes the significance of Theme/Rheme division in representing the writer's intention and the rhetorical activity of the text, thus pointing out the importance of preserving thematic equivalence during translation. Then the author analyzes some examples of authentic translation. Halliday's notion of Theme/Rheme division is mainly employed on clause level, therefore the author first analyzes some sentences and their possible versions and shows that the version which maintains the thematic equivalence helps to keep the writer's intention and achieve equivalent effect. However, thematic equivalence cannot always be maintained for the syntactical differences between English and Chinese and hence necessary adjustments are welcomed. And on text level since the overall choice of Themes/Rhemes can reflect the methods of organization and development of the text and the rhetorical activity of the text, then in the process of translating, a translator should make an effort to preserve the thematic pattering of original without distorting the target text, that is, to present the target text from a perspective similar to that...