试论英汉翻译中语篇重构的连贯与美感

王晓丽

摘 要：语篇的定义十分广泛，小到一个句子，大到一本书都可以看成一个语篇。本文探讨语篇的重构问题，即语篇在英汉翻译中的建构问题。但是有时由于英汉思维方式的不同，也存在着某些差异。此时在语篇重构时需要调整。但如何语篇重构，体现语言的美感，是本文探讨的问题。

关键词：语篇 衔接 连贯 美感

I. Introduction

In this thesis, some details about text and some general simple methods about reconstructing a text which are explored so as to make the target language text smooth and coherent in English-Chinese text translation.

II. Cohesion and coherence

Cohesion is the surface structure. It connects together the actual words and expressions that we can see or hear. It is a very important factor for a writer to organize a text and for reader to distinguish a text. Translation can certainly not be without cohesion.

Coherence is the whole effect of a text in situational context. Every part in a text must connect with each other in meaning, they must be cohesive.

III. The Effects of Coherence in English-Chinese Text Translation

A text is coherent and there is no essential relationship between cohesion and coherence, and human beings do not need formal textual markers to interpret the coherence of a text. For example:

A: I am out of petrol

B: There is a garage around the corner.

(Brown Yule, 1983:32)

Obviously, this is a coherent text. However, there are no formal textual markers in it. The interpretation of the coherence of this text lays in the assumption that speaker A is adhering to the cooperative principle. That is, there is a garage nearby and it is open and sells petrol to customers.

IV. The Effects of Sense of Beauty in English-Chinese Text Translation

When we read two versions of text translation of a text, we feel that one is more acceptable than the other. What is the reason for that? For example:

In remote mountains of central China, moisture, born on the monsoons, nurtures a forest world of isolation and mystery. Across ages, bamboo has flourished in the persistent mists, erecting nearly impenetrable thicker—barriers against time and the outside world.

（贾文波，2000:167）原译：在中国中部的深山老林中，雨季带来的潮气滋润了一片与世隔绝的，神秘莫测的丛林世界。长久以来，竹子在这片弥久不散的薄雾中繁衍生息，支起一道道几乎难逾越的屏障，阻隔了时空。

(贾文波，2000:167)改译：在中国中部偏远的群山中，雨季带来的湿润空气，滋润了一片与世隔绝的神秘森林。多少年以来，竹子在这片弥久不散的薄雾中繁茂生长，一派生机，筑起了一道道几乎无法穿越的“竹屏”，阻隔了时空，阻隔了外界。

(毛荣贵，2005:231)The reason is that its sense of beauty that was in its mentality rather than words; was in the essence of beauty rather than appearance of beauty. That is how to understand the beauty of Chinese, direct affects the quality of translation.

V. Thinking Pattern

Since different cultural background makes different active forms and life atmosphere, which makes every given people of the same culture form various thinking pattern. Here is an example:

“It is a truth universally acknowledges that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want a wife”.

凡是有錢的单身汉， 总想娶一位太太， 这已经成了一条举世公认的真理.

(Wang, 2004:1)

Westerners are likely to put the things which they emphasized before their text, which is topic-first. Instead, Chinese often use generalization organ onto represent the topic, which is topic-delayed. It also means that we translate English text, we need to re-construct the text, then we get a kind of sense of beauty.

VI. Text re-construction in English-Chinese translation

Nord said: “the text can only be understood and analyzed within and in relation to the framework of communication act-in-situation.” (Nord, 1991:12) Different situation of a text may elicit different meaning of a text. And text emphasizes the wholeness and unity in the process of text-reconstruction in English-Chinese of the research in translation and practice.

Since different language has different text-construction. It is necessarily for translator to know text-construction of original language first. And when there is difference between Chinese and westerners in thought pattern; a translator has to make some alternations in the target text. Cohesion and coherence should be employed to reconstruct in target text.

VII. Conclusion

A text does not exist by itself. It is always in relation to other texts. It is very difficult for a translator to deal with a text-translation.

A text hangs together primarily because it has coherence. Coherence is the whole effect of a text in situational context. Every part in a text must connect with each other in meaning, that is, they must be cohesive. They are basic techniques to make a whole text. In order to make a good translation, a translator must grasp the true meaning of them and apply then in the translation. Different situation of a text may elicit different meaning of the text. There is difference between Chinese and westerners in thinking patterns, so a translator should pay much attention to it when re-construct the text.

參考文献：

[1] Brown,G..and Yule,G. Discourse Analysis [M]. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983.

[2] 贾文波：应用翻译功能论[M]， 北京：中国对外翻译出版公司，2004

[3]毛荣贵：翻译美学[M]，上海：上海交通大学出版社，2005