Cognitive Construal In The Translation Of Classics

Translation is in nature a cognitive activity which encompasses translator’s understanding of the way of construal in the authentic text and the reconstruction of construal in translation.Cognitive linguistics contends that embodied philosophy is characteristic of cognition,that is to say,translators’ apprehension of the original scene is forged by their experiences of and interaction to the world.Translation process essentially reflects the cognitive construal of translators.Based on cognitive construal redefined by Langacker(2019),the present study undertakes a case study of Chinese Confucian classic Xiaojing and its two English translated versions(by Legge and Rosemont & Ames)to unfold cognitive construal in the translation of Xiaojing and the factors influencing translators’ cognition.To begin with,the thesis explores the dimensions and subdimensions of cognitive construal involved in the translation of Xiaojing;then it elaborates the operations of cognitive construal in the translation of Xiaojing;last,it analyzes the factors affecting translators’ cognitive construal.The research findings are listed as follows:(1)five dimensions,namely perspective,selection,prominence,dynamicity and imagination,are identified in two English translated versions of Xiaojing.(2)In these five dimensions,(1)perspective dimension concentrates on subject-object relation,vantage point,and cognitive reference point.In subjectobject relation,there exist differences in personal pronouns.With respect to vantage point,viewing position is changed.Besides,different cognitive reference points are invoked in the translations.(2)In selection dimension,specificity,metonymy and metaphor are concerned.Construal operations on specificity are indicated by the shift of the lexicon of superordinate and subordinate category and by semantic replenishment;as for metonymy,construal operations reflect on the tackling of the metonymic vehicle and target;and in metaphor,construal operations are manifested by maintaining or reconstructing the original metaphor.(3)Prominence dimension focuses on profile and trajector/landmark alignment.Profile gives rise to varied lexical choices;trajector/landmark alignment serves as one of the causes of different syntactic structures.(4)Dynamicity dimension refers to temporally and spatially mental scanning.As for temporally mental scanning,construal operations are dissimilar in the employment of sequential mental scanning and summation.In spatially mental scanning,spatial terms are interpreted differently.(5)Imagination dimension centers on the capacity of extensionality and integration.In extensionality,semantic meanings are extended from the concrete ones to the abstract ones.In integration,differentiated elements enter the information spaces of different translators,which further brings about varied translations in translated text spaces.(3)Varied factors exert influence on translators’ operations on cognitive construal in Xiaojing’s translation,including the identity of translators,thinking patterns and cultural differences.The different identities of translators are ascribed to translators’ differentiated cognition of Confucian terms.In thinking patterns,Chinese and English peoples differ in the manner of apprehending a situation,that is,statically or dynamically;they also manifest differences in the choices of an active or passive voice in terms of syntactic structures.Owing to cultural differences between Chinese and the West,differentiated construal operations are necessary for translators to better interpret cultural terms.This study examines the construal operations in Xiaojing and its two English translated versions and probes into the influential factors in cognitive construal.On the one hand,it boosts interdisciplinary exploration on classic translation and cognitive linguistics,deepening the application of cognitive linguistic theory in the realm of translation and providing the translation of Chinese classics with cognitive motivations.On the other hand,it discloses the factors that affect translators’ cognitive construal and provides a theoretical reference from the cognitive linguistics angle for the practice of classic translation in hope of a better interpretation of Chinese traditional culture.The study on the translation of classics from cognitive perspective makes contributions to the “going out” of Chinese traditional culture,and enhances the efficacy of Chinese culture in international communication.