Abstract

In a source-language text, the author may omit some cultural information that s/he thinks is common and shared with readers, but in a target-language text, if the omitted information is not made clear, cultural default occurs. As researches on translation advance, translators are increasingly aware that more importance should be attached to “cultural default”. This essay, on the basis of analyses of default in translated texts, explores and analyzes levels of translation compensation and methods to compensate through methods of literature review and exemplification in the hope of helping translators who endeavor to make translated texts better transfer source-language information. According to functional equivalence theory, the aim of translation is not to achieve absolute correspondence, but functional equivalence between the source language and target language. Under the guidance of this theory, translators may compensate for various defaults on three levels, namely, linguistic, cultural and aesthetic levels. In terms of compensation on the linguistic level, there are compensation for word and compensation for grammar. Ways of compensation on the linguistic level include literal translation with annotation, substitution and domestication. In terms of compensation on the cultural level, there are compensation for information in cultural context, compensation for differences in syntax and compensation for differences in styles. In terms of default on the aesthetic level, there are default of image, default of musicality and default of figures of speech, the ways of compensation for which include annotation, amplification and substitution. 

Key words: translation compensation; cultural default; functional equivalence; linguistic; cultural; aesthetic

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1 Introduction-1

2 The Possibility of Translation Compensation from the Perspective of Functional Equivalence Theory-3

2.1 A brief introduction of functional equivalence theory-3

2.2 Functional equivalence theory as a guiding principle for translation compensation-4

3 Translation compensation on the linguistic level-5

3.1 Subcategories of translation compensation on the linguistic level-5

3.1.1 Compensation for words-5

3.1.2 Compensation for grammar-5

3.2 Ways of translation compensation on the linguistic level-6

3.2.1 Literal translation with annotation-6

3.2.2 Substitution-6

3.2.3 Domestication-7

4 Translation compensation on the cultural level-7

4.1 A definition of compensation on the cultural level-7

4.2 Subcategories of compensation on the cultural level-9

4.2.1 Compensation for information in cultural context-9

4.2.2 Compensation for differences in syntax-10

4.2.3 Compensation for difference in style-10

5 Translation compensation on the aesthetic level-11

5.1 Transaltion Default on the aesthetic level-11

5.1.1 Default of musicality-11

5.1.2 Default of image-12

5.1.3 Default of figures of speech-12

5.2 Ways of translation compensation on the aesthetic level-13

5.2.1 Annotation-13

5.2.2 Amplification-13

5.2.3 Substitution-14

6 Conclusion-15

6.1 Summary of the Main Points-15

6.2 Limitations of the Study-15

6.3 Recommendations for Future Research-15

References-18