A Study Of English Translation Of Nicknames In Shuihuzhuan From The Perspective Of Relevance Theory

This thesis explores the translation of nicknames in Shuihuzhuan from the perspective of Relevance Theory. Through a detailed analysis of the translation of nicknames in Shuihuzhuan with examples taken from Buck’s and Shapiro’s versions, the author attempts to prove that Relevance Theory applies to the translation of nicknames in Shuihuzhuan and has strong explanatory power over nickname translation.Relevance Theory, which was first put forward by Sperber and Wilson, provides a new perspective for translation studies and claims that translation is a kind of interlingual interpretive communication as well as a dual ostensive inferential process. In the first round of ostensive inferential process, the translator, acting as the audience, infers and understands the original intention manifested to him by the source writer based on his knowledge and understanding of the source language and culture. In the second ostensive inferential process, the translator, acting as the communicator, conveys his interpretation of the original intention to the target reader in line with the principle of optimal relevance, and finally the target reader infers and obtains the original intention without unnecessary processing effort. Under the guidance of Relevance Theory, the translator is supposed to make the intention of the source writer meet the expectation of the target reader so as to achieve successful communications.As one of the four great classics in Chinese literature, Shuihuzhuan has enjoyed great popularity both at home and abroad, and it is regarded as an encyclopedia of Chinese cultures as it contains a lot of Chinese traditional ideas and thoughts. The108nicknames of the108heroes have become one of the most distinctive characteristics of Shuihuzhuan and have attracted the interest and attention of many scholars. Nicknames are widely used in our daily life as well as in literary works. They are usually descriptive names given to people, places or things in addition to the real names. Nicknames, as a sociolinguistic and cultural phenomenon, abound in linguistic and cultural features, especially the nicknames of the108heroes in Shuihuzhuan. Researches on nicknames in Shuihuzhuan are easily found, but those on nickname translation are few and far from satisfactory. Nickname translation is a hard job since most of the nicknames in Shuihuzhuan are culturally-loaded. As an important part of the novel and a vivid reflection of traditional Chinese cultures, a successful nickname translation is of particular significance and it deserves much more attention. It is no exaggeration to say that it is the success of nickname translation that ensures the success of the translation of the whole novel. In this thesis, the author gives a detailed relevance-theoretic account of the translation of nicknames in Shuihuzhuan, and tries to verify the importance of Relevance Theory in the process of nickname translation.The thesis is made up of six chapters. Chapter One is a general introduction, including the research background, research significance and research objectives of the study and the structure of the thesis. In Chapter Two, the author casts a reviewing glance at the classical novel Shuihuzhuan, and makes a general study of nicknames. Based on the understanding of nicknames in Shuihuzhuan, the author of the thesis classifies the108nicknames into six groups. And in the last part of this chapter, previous studies on nickname translation both at home and abroad are presented. Chapter Three introduces Relevance Theory, the theoretical framework of the thesis, in detail. First, some basic concepts of Relevance Theory are elaborated, and then how Relevance Theory is applied to translation is expounded. At last, the translatability of nicknames from the perspective of Relevance Theory is explored. Chapter Four is designed for the research methodology, which includes the research questions, data collection and research methods. The thesis mainly adopts a qualitative method with the data collected from the classical novel Shuihuzhuan and its two English versions. Chapter Five is the main body of the thesis, in which the translation of nicknames in Shuihuzhuan is analyzed in detail under the framework of Relevance Theory. In the first part, three guidelines for translating nicknames are summarized within the framework of Relevance Theory. In accordance with the three guidelines, translation strategies adopted for the translation of nicknames in Shuihuzhuan are explored in the second part. Two translation strategies, domestication and foreignization, are mainly introduced and illustrated with examples taken from Buck’s and Shapiro’s versions. Relevance Theory indicates that no single translation method alone can be universally applicable. The last part is concerned with a relevance-theoretic study on the translation of nicknames in Shuihuzhuan which is conducted based on the classification of nicknames. By analyzing the translation of nicknames in terms of Relevance Theory, the author attempts to figure out how Relevance Theory guides the translator in the course of nickname translation and how to produce translation with the optimal relevance under the guidance of Relevance Theory. It is found that Relevance Theory is applicable to the translation of nicknames in Shuihuzhuan and translation methods should be used flexibly as long as they are in line with the principle of relevance. The last chapter is the conclusion, which consists of three parts. First, the major findings of the study are summarized, and then the implications of the study are stated both theoretically and practically. And finally, limitations of the study are pointed out and suggestions for future research are proposed.