Abstract

Acting as a central role in linguistic study, metaphor is an important tool in describing people’s characteristics vividly and simply. In the long history of our language, animal words play an increasingly significant role in it for it makes the phrases easily understood. Thus, the conceptual metaphor of animal words is of great importance in language study. Then, with the help of comparison and analysis, this thesis will discuss the connotative meanings of animal metaphors in Chinese and English respectively from the perspective of conceptual metaphor as follows. In particular, this thesis will take those animal words from Animal Farm written by George Orwell as an example to explain those similarities and differences of animal words. Then it comes to the causes of these animal words in several aspects. Under the instruction of skopos theory, literal translation and free translation are two key translation strategies when translating animal words. The translation of animal words takes a significant place in language study of Chinese and English, so this thesis aims to help people from two countries to have better exchanges in the future.   

Key words: animal words; animal metaphor; conceptual metaphor; connotative meaning; translation strategies

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

1 Introduction-1

2 Literature review-3

  2.1 The development of metaphor-3

  2.2 The study of animal words in domestic and foreign countries

2.2.1 Metaphor study in the west-3

2.2.2 Metaphor study in China -4

3 Comparisons of animal words in Chinese And English From George Orwell 's Animal Farm -5

3.1 Equivalent connotations in Chinese and English-5

3.2 Different connotations in Chinese and English-7

3.2.1 different animal words but with equivalent connotation-7

3.2.2 same animal words but with different connotations-8

3.2.3 Animal image blanks in English and Chinese-8

4 Translation strategies of English and Chinese animal words-10

4.1 Literal translation-10

4.2 Free translation-11

5 Conclusion-11

References-14