Chapter 2 A Brief Introduction of Stylistics and Translation

1. Chapter 2 A Brief Introduction of Stylistics and Translation ????????

2. 2.1 What is Stylistics about? Language is a medium of conveying information and communicating feelings. To fulfill the communicative purpose, people should make the use of language. Considering different communicative environment, methods, objectives and purposes, communicators would opt different language varieties (????) that has different functions so as to perform their communication effectively. The language varieties are what people called �style� (?????). There are some diverse meanings of �style�. The origin of the world is stylus, Latin for �pen�. From this the word extended is meaning to mean �a way of writing�, and then became further refined to mean �a good way of writing�. �Style� often refers to �panache� or elegance, concepts that are regularly viewed in the English --- speaking world as being �Continental�, or more specifically, French. Another sense of �style� is that used in style books. The use of �Style� can extend to all situationally distinctive uses of language, literary and non-literary. As for English, for example, there are many styles of varieties, such as EST (English for Science and Technology), Advertising English, Press English, Law English, Tourism English, etc. In the middle 1970s, many scholars made the application of modern linguistics and literary criticism to the exploring research on various types of styles, thus bringing us a new discipline--- Stylistics. Stylistics, simply defined, is a discipline that studies the ways in which language is used; it is a discipline that studies the style of language is used.

3. 2.2 Nature of Stylistic Analysis Stylistics analysis is generally concerned with the uniqueness of a text; that is, what it is that is peculiar to the uses of language in a text for delivering the message. This naturally involves comparisons of the language of the text with that used in conventional types of discourse. Stylisticians may also wish to characterize the style of a type by systematically comparing the language uses in that type with those in another. For example, we may compare the type of English for Press with EST to ascertain the uniqueness of these two types of writings. Halliday points out,� The text may be seen as �this� in contrast with �that�, with another poem or another novel; stylistic studies are essentially comparative in nature�� (1971: 341) As we have discussed in chapter 2, Stylistics comes into being on the basis of modern linguistics and literary criticism. Accordingly, we can conclude: stylistics analysis have seen four stages of development, namely, 1) register analysis (????); 2) rhetorical and discourse analysis (???????); 3) functional and stylistic analysis (??????); 4) genre analysis (????). For the convenience of teaching, I would just discuss functional and genre analysis in the rest of this semester.

4. 2.3 Stylistics and Translation Studies Generally speaking, stylistics covers such fields: 1) analyzing various habits of language use to ensure the typical characteristics of a certain style; 2) explaining the reason that a certain style has its own characteristics; 3) classifying these characters according to their language functions. As a matter of fact, different writings have different linguistic characteristics in the aspect of vocabulary, syntax, rhetoric, structure, etc. According to linguists Buler and Jackbson, there are three functions of language: expressive function, informative function, and vocative function. Any original work has the three functions. Just as Newmark says, �The main functions of language are expressive (the subjective or �I� form), the descriptive or informative (the �it� form), and the vocative or directive or persuasive (the �you� form). All texts have aspects of the expressive, the informative and the vocative function. Generally speaking, literary work mainly

5. focuses on the expressive function, while non-literary works mainly center on informative function. Compare the differences of English for Advertising and Literary work, for example. Now the examples: 1.He laughs best who runs longest. ?????,??????(????) 2.In Miami, it�s no newelty. (a tour ads) ?????,?????? 3.Some fishing boats were becalmed just in front of us. Their shadows slept, or almost slept, upon the water, a gentle quivering alone showing that was not complete sleep or if sleep, that is was sleep with dream. ????,????,????,??????,????,??????,??????,?????

6. 4. Portia: And you must cut this flesh from off his breast: The law allows it, and the court awards it. Shylock: Most learned judge! A sentence! Come, prepare! (Excerpted from: Act IV, The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare) ???:??????????????;?????,?????? ???:???????!???!?,??! It is very important for us to introduce stylistics into translation study. Why can Stylistics be applied to translation study? It lies in that both of them have the same aim, that is, how to fulfill social communication with effective linguistic methods. They both put emphasis on the social standard of communicative function; they don�t ignore the timeliness and individuality of writing style as well. In the process of translation, it is necessary for translator to deal with his translation carefully in order to make the translation accord with the source text in the aspect of style. Now for some examples: 5.Grasp all, lose all. Version 1:????????, ?????????? Version 2:???,????(????) Analysis:The original sentence is a brief and simple saying?When rendered into Chinese, the four-word sentence becomes sixteen-character Chinese sentence. The problem, of course, not lies in the length of the sentence but in the style.

7. 2.4 Standards of Various Types of Translation There are many types of writings in both English and Chinese. As we mentioned above section, English writings can be classified into such types: 1.Practical English Writings, which mainly include: Letters, telex, notice, contract, instruction, etc. 2.English for Press 3.English for Tourism 4. EST (English for Science and Technology) 5.English for Advertising 6.English for Law 7.English for Literary Works

8. Of course, there are many other types of writings, such as Movie English, Recipe English, English for Resume, etc. Each type of writing have its special feature. To judge whether it is formal or informal, we can make the use of degree of �extremely formal-formal-comparatively informal-extremely informal�. For example. 6. It has been noted with concern that the stock of books in the library has been declining alarmingly. Students are requested to remind themselves of the rules of the borrowing and returning of books, and to bear in mind the needs of other students. Penalties for overdue book will in the future be strictly enforced. 7. The number of books in the library has been going down. Please make sure you know the rules for borrowing, and don�t forget that the library is for everyone�s convenience. So from now on, we�re going to enforce the rules strictly. You have been warned!

9. Version for 6: ???????,??????????????????????????????? Version for 7:????????????,???????? ??,??????????????????,????,??????????????????! Analysis: the stylistic characteristics of the example 6 and 7 can be ensured in the aspects of diction, syntax, and grammar, etc. Example 6 can be labeled a formal notice, while Example 7 can be labeled a comparatively informal notice. The versions are rendered into Chinese differently on the basis of their different stylistic characteristics. As for translation of different types of writing, the key word is �equivalence�. Concretely speaking, there are four aspects of �equivalence�, they are: 1. Equivalence of semantic message of source language and target language. (?????????????????) 2. Equivalence of stylistic message of source language and target language. (?????????????????) 3. Equivalence of cultural message of source language and target language. (?????????????????) 4. Equivalence of response of source language readers and target readers. (?????????????????)

10. Exercise: Translate these terms or sentences of different writings. 1.irrevocable letter of credit He insisted on an irrevocable letter of credit. 2.loss leader Shops use loss leader to attract customers. 3.fine food, most attractive surroundings and a friendly disposition. 4.If people keep telling you to quit smoking cigarettes, don�t listen� They�re probably trying to trick you into living. 5.More often, the heart disease process progresses silently until symptoms occur because the pump is not supplying blood insufficient quantity to other organs. 6. In Rome, Onorius put an end to Gladiatorial combats in 404 (possible after a monk had thrown himself into the arena in protest and was killed by the angry crowd.

11. 7.Clearly, when it comes to marriage, practicing beforehand doesn�t make perfect. 8. Peasants now sell vegetables at moving prices determined by their supply and their customers� demand. Key to Exercises. 1. ??????? (????????, ???????) ?????????????? 2. (??????)??????? ???????????????????? 3. ????,????,????? 4. ???????,????---???????????? 5. ?????, ???????????????,?????????????????????????? 6. ??404?,??????????????(???????????????????,?????????)? 7.??,??????,????????????????? 8.????????,???????