Semantics. "mao Zedong" Fuzzy Figures And Their Translation

The present thesis is a tentative approach to the translation of semantically fuzzy numerals in Poems of Mao Tsetung in the light of Fuzzy Linguistics. The research object is the numerals with semantic fuzziness and their translation in four different versions of Poems of Mao Tsetung (translated by Gu Zhengkun, Xu Yuanchong, Commercial Publishing House and Andrew Boyd & Gladys Yang respectively), which aims at exploring the causes of semantic fuzziness of numerals, their pragmatic functions as well as the specific translation of them in the English versions.I have become interested in and begun to pay attention to the frequent use and the varied translation methods of numerals in poems in the course of translation teaching and research, and finally, poems written by Mao Tsetung have been chosen as my research object. Mathematical statistics and documents are used in the present research to study numerals in Poems of Mao Tsetung from two aspects, mainly from the perspectives of semantic fuzziness and translation.The thesis contains five chapters. The origin, aims and significance of the research are stated in Chapter One. Linguistic fuzziness is explored in the second chapter from the following angles: its definitions, the Zaded and fuzzy set theory, fuzzy linguistics developed by Wu Tieping, characteristics of linguistic fuzziness, and differences between fuzziness and vagueness, ambiguity and generality; meanwhile, semantic fuzziness is also analyzed. Numerals with semantic fuzziness in Poems of Mao Tsetung are analyzed in Chapter three, which concentrates on the study of the five causes of semantic fuzziness of numerals and the study of the five different groups and three pragmatic functions of numerals with semantic fuzziness. Translation of numerals with semantic fuzziness in Poems of Mao Tsetung is the focus of chapter four, involving three translation principles (namely, the principle of maintaining the characteristics of the original, the principle of seeking readability in the version and the principle of maintaining the figurative features of the original) and five translation methods (namely, literal translation, omission, amplification, reduction and revision). Conclusions of the thesis are given in Chapter five, in which part, significances of the research in fuzzy linguistics and translation study are stated, some limitations are pointed out, and advice is given for further research.This thesis intends to study the translation of numerals with semantic fuzziness from the perspective of semantic fuzziness in fuzzy linguistics, which hopefully will enrich the research of theories of semantic fuzziness and provide empirical data for the study of numerals with semantic fuzziness; a descriptive study of the specific translation of numerals with semantic fuzziness will give guidance to future translation of numerals in Chinese poems.Main conclusions of the thesis are listed as follows:1. Most of the numerals in Poems of Mao Tsetung denote semantic fuzziness; the unusual frequency of numerals with semantic fuzziness employed is one of the most outstanding features of Poems of Mao Tsetung; Mao Tsetung seems to have a preference and be good at the use of numerals with semantic fuzziness in poem-writing;2."百,千,万,百万,亿"are typical numerals with semantic fuzziness in poems written by Mao Tsetung; five translation methods used to translate these numerals in Poems of Mao Tsetung are literal translation, omission, amplification, reduction and revision; these numerals are more often translated literally, with some revision in certain cases;3. Numerals with semantic fuzziness in Poems of Mao Tsetung can be classified into five groups, namely, single whole numerals, fixed numeral expressions, numerals in juxtaposition, numerals with approximators and numerals in idioms;4. Semantic fuzziness of numerals in Poems of Mao Tsetung comes from numerals themselves presenting semantic fuzziness, or fixed numeral structure, or as a result of the influence of approximators, or context, or cultural implications of numerals;5. Pragmatic functions of numerals with semantic fuzziness in Poems of Mao Tsetung are reflected in three aspects: providing rough numeral information when specific information is not available; seeking for the effect of emphasis and contrast; being used as the media of rhetoric;6. With reference of meanings, context, pragmatic functions and other factors, different methods can be used to translate the same numeral with semantic fuzziness; the choice of translation method reveals the translator's aim to achieve expressive equivalence and correctness of meaning, fitness of style and harmony of meter in verse.