On English-chinese Translation From The Perspective Of Theme/Rheme Theory

Theme/rheme or thematic structure,first proposed by Vilem Mathesius in the 1980s,was later incorporated by the System Function School represented by M.A.K Halliday into the three metafunctions of language-ideational metafunction,interpersonal metafunction and textual metafunction.The theme/rheme theory is thus raised to the textual level.This thesis presents and analyses the process of how the author applies the theme/rheme into translating the excerpts of Shakespeare's Money by Dr.Robert Bearman published by Oxford University Press in 2016,with a focus on the translation of modal adjuncts and long sentences.Part One of this thesis introduces the theme/rheme theory,explaining definitions of related concepts,discussing the differences between thematic structures of the English and Chinese languages.Then the English-Chinese translation studies from the standpoint of theme/rheme theory are illustrated,based on which the author points out that the theory is an effective theoretical framework that can be used to convey the most accurate message in the translation.Finally,the author notes that compared with the previous academic translation research,the current study from this relatively new perspective can be considered an innovative approach.Such studies play an important role in guiding academic English-Chinese translation.In the second part of the thesis,the author uses case studies to describe how to apply the theme/rheme theory in solving problems encountered in translation.Through the analyses,the author finds that the translations of certain modal adjuncts could be placed in a more prominent position in the target text in order to convey to target language audiences the particular sense they carry.Nevertheless,modal adjuncts in certain context still call for specific treatment.Concerning the translation of long sentences,following the thematic structure of source texts is preferred,but when the original thematic structure cannot be followed,methods like interchanging theme and rheme of the source text and adding new themes to the target text can be adopted.In the Conclusion part of the thesis,the author points out that the theme/rheme theory can help translators clarify how the source text progresses,so as to understand the source text more accurately;and during translation,with the help of the theory,the translator can also ensure translations convey the same thematic effect as that of the source text,and make sure translations are coherent and cohesive.