Research On English Translation Of COVID-19 Related Words From The Perspective Of Frame Theory

Frame theory involves a series of factors such as culture,background,and individual experience.The frame is a representation of the knowledge system in the human mind and a background reference for understanding the meaning of words.The year 2020 witnessed a new corona-virus,COVID-19 sweeping the whole world and triggering upheavals in all human societies.Nevertheless,it took only one month for China to prevent the pandemic from spreading.Thus,the international community urgently needs China to share her experience to fight against the pandemic.The accurate translation of COVID-19 related words will affect the spread and sharing of China’s experience in resisting this epidemic.Based on frame theory,the properties of COVID-19 related words are explored in this thesis,and translators’ frame operations and cognitive process of translation are studied with inductive,qualitative analysis and case study,so as to make a reasonable explanation for this process or some other phenomena and reduce English readers’ misunderstandings.The main research findings are as follows:Firstly,the properties of COVID-19 related words follow frame theory with hierarchy,prototype effect,dynamics,and cultural differences.Secondly,two modes of frame operation are adopted in the translation of COVID-19 related words.In translating COVID-19 related words of the idealized mode with identical Chinese and English frames,both the two frames are matched directly;but for the non-idealized mode with non-corresponding frames,it is necessary to replace,add or omit some elements in the translation frame,adjust frame hierarchy,change frame relationship or transplant frame.Finally,from the perspective of frame theory,the translation process of COVID-19 related words consists of three procedures:(a)COVID-19 related words in Chinese evoke translators’ cognitive frames in their minds and help them know the meaning of those words meanwhile.(b)Translators transform their translating frames in translating the words according to the cultural background of English readers.(c)After comprehensively understanding the connotations of COVID-19 related words in Chinese,the transformed frame in the second procedure is expressed in the translated text with proper expressions.The exploration of the translation of COVID-19 related words based on frame theory reveals translators’ inner mechanism of translation,which is helpful to understand their unconscious translation,and provides reference for the translation of other formal words.