Abstract:Different countries have different address systems. As a special linguistic sign, the appellation has played an important role in daily communication. China and western countries have different address systems because of different social structures, cultural atmospheres and economic backgrounds. The differences between Chinese and English appellations will surely lead to lexical and cultural gap in translation and cross-cultural communication. Many scholars both at home and abroad have made in-depth researches into the translation of appellations on the basis of different translation theories and strategies. Lin Yutang successfully expressed the special Chinese appellations in English in his novel Moment in Peking, which satisfies readers in western cultures. The author of this thesis makes a contrastive study of kinship terms and social terms in the novel Moment in Peking. The novel is set in China, but it is written in English. Chinese appellations are complicated and reflect the unique Chinese culture. In this way, this novel is similar to a translated work from Chinese to English, for Dr. Lin expresses Chinese appellations in English and meanwhile introduces the Chinese culture to western readers. The Chinese translation version of Zhang Zhenyu clearly illustrates the character relations as well as the corresponding appellations, so it is well accepted by all the readers. The thesis quotes several typical examples of appellations from the original novel and uses their Chinese translation version of Zhang Zhenyu, which shows Dr. Lin’s translation wisdom. The author hopes all these will help to better translate appellations. 

Keywords: appellations; cultural difference; contrastive study; translation strategy; domestication and foreignization

Contents

摘要

Abstract

Chapter 1-Introduction-1

1.1-Research Background-1

1.2-Purposes and Significance-1

Chapter 2-Comparison between Chinese and English Address System-3

2.1-Kinship Term System-3

2.2-Social Term System-4

Chapter 3-Corresponding Translation Theories and Strategies-7

3.1-Western Translation Theories-7

3.1.1-Functional Translation Theory and Skopostheorie-7

3.1.2-Dynamic Equivalence Theory by Eugene A. Nida-7

3.2-Translation Theory of Lin Yutang-8

3.2.1-An Introduction of Lin Yutang and Moment in Peking-8

3.2.2-An Introduction of Lin Yutang’s Translation Theory-8

3.3-Translation Strategies-9

3.3.1-Domestication and Foreignization-9

3.3.2-The Relationship between the Two Strategies in the Framework of Skopotheorie-9

Chapter 4  A Case Study of Appellations in Moment in Peking--11

4.1-Kinship Terms in Moment in Peking-11

4.1.1-Lao Taitai-11

4.1.2-Koko and Meimei-12

4.1.3-Cousin-13

4.2-Social Terms in Moment in Peking-14

4.2.1-Kuniang and Hsiaochieh-14

4.2.2-Old Father Heaven and The Old Person-14

4.3-Combination of Domestication and Foreignization-15

Chapter 5-Conclusion-17

References-19

Acknowledgements-20