Perspectives On Translation Studies From Discourse To Culture

Translation deals with the discourse of the source language, and the end product of the target language. Since the various constituents of a discourse connect significance in a semantic and syntactic sense, the reproduction of the best essence of SL, the textual coherence and laconic logic of the TL call for the translators to analyze and think over the parameters of discourse in an in-depth way. Ever since the 1990s when it started to assume importance in translation studies, discourse analysis has always been attaching great importance to the modes of linguistic communications and operations, which undoubtedly broadens new horizons for today's translators or translation theorists. Parataxis, as opposed to hypotaxis is the single most important feature distinguishing the Chinese language from the English, with Chinese showing paratactic prominence and English hypotactic prominence; nevertheless, applying this theory to the translation practices is none too practical. Another perspective of culture shall be considered so as to combine micro factors with macro ones. In this essay, the author attempts to exemplify the directive instructions of translation theories and practices from the bilateral perspectives of discourse and culture.Initiating from a brief retrospection of contemporary translation theories and discourse analysis research, the author makes a trial effort to look into the future of discourse translation by taking into account the fruits of culture-equivalent translation. After that, the author comes to grips with the several cruxes confronting translators, and applies the discourse theories to translation studies from the three angles of context, topic, and coherence respectively. Additionally, considering that culture also serves as an indispensable element of translation studies, the author made an illustration and summarization by fusion of examples and theories so as to be of benefits to spin out a translated text.