A Report On The Translation Of Memorial Drive:a Daughter’s Memoir(Chapter 3 ～ 10) Under The Guidance Of Context Theory

Context,the environment of language,consists of all the factors that affect the use of language.Language use cannot leave context,which determines the meaning of language.As translation is translating meaning,context is pivotal to translation.This report is based on the translator’s rendering of Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir from chapter three to ten under the guidance of context theory.It summarizes the researches on the theory both at home and abroad,and expounds the significance of context in comprehending words,grammatical relations,sentences,and translating rhetorical devices,culture-loaded expressions,and adaptation with analysis of specific examples.From this project,the translator finds that context analysis is very practical for translation.When faced with difficulties,translators should first analyze the contexts of the source texts,for only correct comprehension will bring about desirable translation.Therefore,the linguistic contexts of the source texts should be looked into in the first place.Through the process,translators can further their understanding with resorting to reference books and materials.In the cases that the problems encountered involve information beyond the linguistic contexts,such as situation or culture,it is necessary for them to analyze the relevant situational or cultural contexts,and then verify their inferences in the linguistic contexts.Of course,translation not only consists of comprehension,but also expression.On the basis of accurate comprehension,translators should combine the cultural contexts of the target languages to generate the target texts appropriately,especially in translating rhetoric devices and culture-loaded expressions,so as to achieve the best expressive effect.Besides,in translating some general expressions,adaptation can be adopted to improve the literariness and readability of the target text.