On English Translation Of Teahouse Discourse Markers From Functional Identity Perspective

Discourse markers have rich pragmatic functions which can promote discourse coherence and organize discourse. The study selects drama novel--Lao She’s Teahouse and its two English versions as discourse markers analysis object. The author selects all sentences that include discourse markers to construct parallel corpus by using the method of sentence align. Based on discourse markers feature which can weaken semantic meaning and lighten pragmatic meaning, the thesis proposes a new perspective--functional identity which combines discourse markers pragmatic function with identity. The purpose of this study is to discuss discourse markers translation methods, translation strategies and deepen the discourse markers theory. The thesis may provide some reference value to the study of discourse markers.In this thesis, the study of discourse markers consists of the following parts: the introduction describes the research’s significance, background, object, methods and innovation; the first chapter has a detailed description of discourse markers researches at home and abroad and theoretical basis of functional identity in translation; the second chapter puts forward a new perspective-- functional identity by analyzing two translation versions. The author expresses the relationship between functional identity and contextual meaning, and functional identity with characters’ identity; the third chapter makes a detailed description of the definition, features and functions of discourse markers. Based on the study’s object, the author summarizes the definition and classification of discourse markers according to the previous studies; the fourth chapter makes a comparison analysis of discourse markers about Teahouse’s two English versions: Ying Ruocheng’s version and Howard’s version and makes a functional identity analysis from the aspects of discourse organization markers, interpersonal markers and emotional expressive markers. The author finds that the functional identity rate is the highest in literal translation and omission and lower in free translation than above two translation methods. The reasons why this phenomenon appears are two translators’ different nationality, education background, culture background and readers. At last, the author sums up the research findings, problems and shortcomings.