ABSTRACT

The monumental novel Hong Lou Meng has attracted the attention and interest of research of many experts and professionals from home and abroad for its literary value since the modern times. And Jinling Prophecies, a crucial part of Hong Lou Meng has also gained due focus from these experts and professionals.

Since the publishing of the two translated versions of Hong Lou Meng in the 1980s respectively by David Hawkes and the Yangs (Yang Hsien-Yi and his wife Gladys Yang), a lot of research has been carried out on Hong Lou Meng and its translation in the circles of Redology and translation. 

Currently, there has been much research done on the translation of Hong Lou Meng and the Jinling Prophecies in it from many different perspectives. But there is little research on the translation of Jinling Prophecies from the perspective of Functional Equivalence Theory. This study will focus on comparing the employment of Functional Equivalence Theory in the two translated versions of Jinling Prophecies respectively by David Hawkes and the Yangs.

Key words: Hong Lou Meng; Jinling Prophecies; Functional Equivalence.

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABSTRACT

摘要

Chapter One  INTRODUCTION-1

Chapter Two  LITERATURE REVIEW-3

Chapter Three  FUNCTIONAL EQUIVALENCE THEORY-8

3.1 A Brief Introduction to Nida and His Translation Theory-8

3.2 An Overview of Functional Equivalevce Theory-8

3.2.1 Definition-9

3.2.2 Some concepts of the theory important to the study-9

  3.2.3 Principles for functional equivalence..9

Chapter Four  A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE TWO TRANSLATED VERSIONS OF JINLING PROPHECIES-12

4.1 A Brief Introduction to Jinling Prophecies-12

 4.1.1 An overview of Jinling Prophecies10 

 4.1.2 Challenging features of Jinling Prophecies...11

4.2 A Comparative Study on the Two Versions of Translation-16

  4.2.1 Lines about Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai..12

 4.2.2 Lines about Jia Yuanchun..14

 4.2.3 Lines about Shi Xiangyun.15

 4.2.4 Lines about Wang Xifeng..16

 4.2.5 Lines about Qin Keqing17

Chapter Five  CONCLUSION-17

REFRENCES-20