| As one of the early representative works of Shakespeare,Romeo and Juliet(1597)occupies a very important position in the treasure-house of literature.The vulgar language frequently used in the drama plays a decisive role,which can add dramatic tension,and reflect the characteristics of characters and their cultural background.There have been numerous studies of Romeo and Juliet,but the majority of them have concentrated on the distinctions between Chinese and English drama,with little emphasis made to the study of vulgar language.However,due to the influence of traditional Chinese Confucian culture,many translators adopted a negative avoidance attitude towards vulgar language in the early Chinese translations.There were many omissions and mistranslations in some translations,and most of them failed to reflect the delicacy of the source text.However,with the change of the times and the improvement of cultural tolerance,the translation of vulgar language in the new translations has gradually taken a positive attitude.There are rather mature study results outside from studies on the phenomenon of vulgar language in Shakespearean drama at home and abroad.However,due to social and moral restraints in China,there are currently few studies in this topic,therefore there is still a lot of potential for research into vulgar language and its translation.With the help of the theoretical framework of eco-translatology,this thesis selects the three most representative Chinese translations of Romeo and Juliet,namely by Liang Shiqiu(1903-1987),Fang Ping(1921-2008),and Fu Guangming(1965-),and investigates the translation of vulgar language using the textual analysis method.In this thesis,we will look at the three questions that follow:(1)What is the definition and classification of vulgar language in Romeo and Juliet?(2)What are the tendencies of the three translators in their selections of translation strategies for vulgar languages under the three-dimensional transformation?(3)What factors of translational eco-environment have influenced the three translators?This study discovered the following after analyzing the vulgar language in the three translations:(1)According to the Oxford and Longman dictionaries’ definitions of vulgar,and referencing some authoritative experts,vulgar language has two elements: first,the recipients of vulgar language produce a feeling of being offended and assaulted;second,vulgar language has varying degrees of relationship with sexual organs.According to the definition,there are three types of vulgar language in the source text: sexual jokes,explicit sexual language,and curse words.(2)The translations from three-dimensional transformation all have a more positive attitude toward vulgar language.For explicit sexual vocabulary and curse words,Liang Shiqiu uses a literal translation,but he ignores the great majority of sexual puns.Fang Ping adds a lot of vulgar language that Liang Shiqiu didn’t translate,and he employs Chinese imagery puns instead of the ones in the original,which leads to a lot of mistranslations.Fu Guangming’s flexible adjustments and supplementary paratextual compensations,on the other hand,fill in the gaps left by the other two translations,bringing the majority of the vulgar language to the target language readers.(3)By analyzing the three Chinese translations of Romeo and Juliet,we found that the translations in three different periods were mainly influenced by three aspects: textual ecology,translational ecology and translation community,and different factors could also produce positive or negative results on the vulgar language translation.This thesis contributes to the study of Shakespearean play by enriching the study of vulgar language and broadening the range of vulgar language research.It also serves to provide new ideas for the linguistic research of Shakespearean studies from both practical and theoretical perspectives,and calls for a correct view of the use of vulgar language. |
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