The Analysis On The Reasons For The Reduced Translatability Of The Metaphors In Hong Lou Meng

Hong Lou Meng,topping the four famous Chinese novels,is the greatest novel in the history of Chinese literature.After it was finished,its abundance has attracted numerous people to note,research and analyze it.It has been translated into English,French, German,Japanese and other languages and there are more than 20 kinds of versions in the world.The most famous versions are the ones translated by Yang Xianyi & Glads Yang and David Hawks.Metaphor is a very common linguistic phenomenon.There are so many metaphors in Hong Lou Meng,which enhance the artistic appeal of the novel.However,it is an extremely difficult task to translate them.In this paper,the author compares the version translated by Yang Xianyi & Glads Yang with the original novel to find out the reasons which result in the reduced translatability of the metaphors.In chapter one,the author puts forward the question and specifies the necessity of study on the metaphors in Hong Lou Meng.This great novel is not very popular in other countries and it is difficult for common people to read it.It matters a lot to translate this important means of artistic expression.Chapter two is the literature review.First of all,the author presents the three stages of Hong Lou Meng study,then the eight different versions,and the seven research approaches that the well-known research Red-ologist,Liu Shicong,proposed.The author adopts the fifth approach to compare the version translated by Yang Xianyi & Glads Yang with the original novel.Chapter three deals with the theoretical foundation.The author discusses the definition,the classification and the functions of metaphor.Chapter four is the main focus of the thesis.First of all,the author presents the functions of the metaphors in Hong Lou Meng,that is,the rhetoric and the poetic funcitons. And then the author discusses the reasons for the reduced translatability of the metaphors in Hong Lou Meng in the aspects of language,culture and society respectively.For the linguistic reason,the author first analyzes the differences between English and Chinese languages,and then discusses the Chinese logogriph and the hidden words which involve metaphor.Finally the author summarizes how the linguistic reason affects on the translation of the metaphors in Hong Lou Meng.For the second reason,the author explains the cultural phenomena which embody metaphors,that is,allusions,idioms and proverbs,generalizes the translating methods that the translators employ and summarizes this part.For the third reason,the author first gives an account of the background of the original novel,then identifies the metaphors,and summarizes this part.Chapter five gives the conclusion.Linguistic,cultural and social reasons results in the reduced translatability of the metaphors in Hong Lou Meng and the loss of its artistic value in the process of translation.Although the thesis analyzes the metaphors in Hong Lou Meng,the three reasons have universal significance,which will be helpful for all the people doing research in this field.