A Contrastive Study Of Drama Dialogue Translation From The Perspective Of Adaptation Theory

Chang Sheng Dian is written by Hong Sheng(1645-1704),a very outstanding dramatist in Qing dynasty in China.It is known as one of the four greatest Chinese classical dramas together with Xi Xiang Ji,Mu Dan Ting as well as Tao Hua Shan.It is also generated enormous effect in Chinese society and become a popular trend of copying and performing among the theaters.The exquisite writing styles and the eternal love story have had the greatest effects on following dramas.Therefore,many scholars at home and abroad have done a lot of studies on the images,the culture-specific items,the narration techniques and other aspects about Chang Sheng Dian.However,the critical point to promote plot,shape characters’ images and highlight characters’personalities lies in the dialogues which penetrate through the whole drama.Thus,for the translation research on Chang Sheng Dian,a comprehensive study of its dialogue translation is particularly profound.Adaptation Theory was proposed in 1999 by Jef.Verschueren,the Secretariat of the International Pragmatics Association and Belgium scholar.The theory refers to the process of communication is a continuous choice-making that the speakers do to gain the communication purpose at different degree of awareness.This theory provides a brand-new perspective to study dialogue.According to Adaptation Theory,this thesis makes a contrastive study of dialogue translation of the two English versions of Chang Sheng Dian so as to discuss the translation of Chinese classical drama dialogue.Dialogues in Chang Sheng Dian by Hong Sheng and the two English versions by Yang Xianyi and Gladys(1955)and He Yubin(2004)are chosen as its research data,and then comprehensively makes a contrastive analysis of the differences in the two English versions from the following three aspects:temporal dimension,communicative context and linguistic structure with a combination of qualitative and contrastive research methods.The Following are the major findings of this research:(1)Both Yang Xianyi&Gladys’ Yang and He Yubin’s apply the domesticating translation and foreignizing translation together.The former characterizes by pursuing the culture of English target readers,is target-receiver oriented with the main adoption of domestication as its general translation strategy,while the latter keeps a balance between the two classifications of translation strategies,having an average usage of domesticating translation and foreignizing translation in particular.Moreover,according to the contrastive analysis of the two English versions from Adaptation Theory,the Yangs’ translation can adapt to the temporal dimension,communicative context and linguistic structure of the source text in most cases,but sacrifices the original images.He’s version mainly adopt literal translation,which cannot so well adapt to the communicative context and linguistic structure except temporal dimension in most cases,but can maintain the original image and language to great extent.(2)Yang Xianyi&Gladys Yang adapt various translation methods as literal translation,literal translation with explanation,literal translation with omission,transliteration and free translation,as well as translation techniques like substitution,combination and inversion,which successfully adopted the need of English target readers’ culture.While,in order to translate the complete transmission of Chinese culture,Mr.He adopts mainly to literal translation and free translation,literal translation with footnote and literal translation with explanation subordinately and without few techniques.Comparatively,He’s version cannot better adapt English target readers and ignores the brevity and implied meaning of drama dialogues.(3)This study can guide the Chinese classical drama translation.In order to make the English target readers understand Chinese culture,literal translation with footnote and free translation with footnote are necessary,and substitution is a better way to adapt the English target readers while translating Chinese classical drama.The thesis consists of six chapters.Chapter One introduces the research background,the significance,research questions and the layout of this thesis.Chapter Two presents as the literature review.It is divided into three aspects:the first part is a general introduction of Adaptation Theory;the second part is the application of Adaptation Theory both to domestic and foreign translation research as well as the review of drama translation;the third part is the review of English versions of Chang Sheng Dian.Chapter Three is the introduction of research data and methodology.Chapter Four is the main body of the thesis which mainly does a contrastive study on the differences of dialogue translation in the two English versions in adapting to temporal dimension,communicative context and linguistic structure.Chapter Five summarizes the translation methods and techniques according to the micro level used by the two translators while dealing with drama dialogues,and analyzes the translation strategies according to macro level employed in two English versions.Chapter Six is the conclusion and the major findings as well as the limitations of this study.To sum up,the thesis makes a discussion on how the Yangs and He translate the dialogues in Chinese traditional drama Chang Sheng Dian from the perspective of Adaptation Theory,in order to provide some helpful suggestions for the Chinese classic drama translation in the future.