The Realization of Humor in E-C TranslationFrom the Perspective of the Grammatical Metaphor——A Case Study of TwoBrokeGirls

○ Zhang Min

(Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510275)



The Realization of Humor in E-C TranslationFrom the Perspective of the Grammatical Metaphor
——A Case Study of TwoBrokeGirls

○ Zhang Min

(SunYat-SenUniversity,Guangzhou,Guangdong, 510275)

Grammatical metaphor is an important concept of the Systemic Functional Grammar proposed by M.A.K Halliday (1985).[1]Different grammatical metaphors serve different functions in language which can offer different meanings. The propose is that different wording, congruent wording or metaphorical wording, effects differently in the

humor of the language, aiming to analyze the realization of humor through the application of the grammatical metaphor in translation from English to Chinese.

grammatical metaphor, humor, ideational metaphor, interpersonal metaphor

I. Introduction

The English comedy is very popular nowadays, well-liked by the Chinese fans. But to understand the original English humorous language needs the cultural background knowledge, the basic skills of the other language and the contexts of the humor. So what should the people who know little about English do when they want to see the foreign language comedy shows? The translated version is the best choice. The techniques of translation of English into Chinese have been studied a lot. In China, the translation from grammatical metaphor perspective is quite interesting one. Grammatical metaphor has been studied in some topics in the field of English topics, such as the “reconstruction of grammatical metaphors and experiences”.[2]Hu (2000) also made analysis about the mode and the revised mode of grammatical metaphor proposed by Halliday.[3]So this paper wants to analyze the translation of humorous language from the perspective of the grammatical metaphor, proposed by M.A.K Halliday (1985). He argues that we can expand the meaning potential of language through different wordings, the congruent wording and the metaphorical wording.

So, how does the metaphorical wording influence the translation of the humorous language? This paper takes the famous Comedy series:TwoBrokeGirlsas the data analysis.

Ⅱ. Literary Review

2.1 The language of humor

“Humor has high profile in our society”.[4]ⅡHumor is everywhere in our daily life. One of the examples is the comedy on Television is on every evening show golden time. What’s more, the foreign language comedies are also enjoying a lot of Chinese fans. But it is hard for the humor to cross boundaries of time and social groups, because it largely depends on the cultural background and social language context. Humor also has a lot of effects. Just as Ross (1998) describes that humor can be a leisure activity in which having good time with friends, laughing.

Aarons (2012) makes a analysis of jokes from a linguistic perspective, including the interplay of humorous language with pragmatics, semantics, morphology and phonology, and syntax.[5]He also argues that a translation can not replicate the joke because of the fundamental arbitrariness of language. Different languages have different forms of expression which is arbitrary, according to Saussure, on the relationship between the form and meaning.

But here, this paper want to analysis the translation from a new perspective — the grammatical metaphor. Good translation can create unexpected linguistic effects, and evoke the tacit understanding of people with target translated language.

2.2 Grammatical metaphor in translation studies

Grammatical metaphor is an important concept in Systemic Functional Linguistics. There are some innovative studies on the analysis of the grammatical metaphor in translation studies. Huang (2009) gives us a theoretical analysis in this area, explaining that in the process of transferring one code into another, the translator faces a lot of options of different wording or forms of language.[6]The congruent expression and the metaphorical expression are two different choices in reconstructing one consistent meaning. Let take an example given by Huang (2009, p. 6).

(1) His brother is a writer.

(1a) 他的兄弟是个作家。

(1b) 他的兄弟是耍笔杆的。

The original English sentence is a congruent one. As to these two translations, the one which is more closer to the original sentence is congruent. So (1a) is congruent and (1b) is metaphorical. However, Huang (2009, p. 6) argues that if the original sentence is

(2)Hisbrotherisamanwhowieldsapen.

On this occasion, the translation (1b) for (2) is the congruent one. While (1a) is the metaphorical one. Huang (2009) points out the congruent translation is similar to foreignization, while the metaphorical translation is similar to domestication. Congruent translation to metaphorical translation is what foreignization to domestication.

Let’s see more example for the translation of interpersonal metaphors. Take (3a) and (3b) above as examples:

(3a)Isitrighttotakefoodinthetheater?

(3b)Iwonderwhetheritisrighttotakefoodinthetheater.

(3c) 可以带吃的进剧院么？

(3d) 我在想能不能带吃的进剧院。

If (3c) and (3d) are translations for (3a), so (3d) is the metaphorical wording of translation. Otherwise, for the translation of (3b), (3c) is the metaphorical one.

Ⅲ. Theoretical Framework — Halliday’s Grammatical

Metaphor

Halliday’s “grammatical metaphor” (1985) is applied into expanding the meaning potential of language, by recombination and resetting the wording of language. This viewpoint of metaphor is different from that Lakoff cognitive perspective of metaphor discussed in the book called Metaphors We Live by.[7]As for Systemic Functional Grammar, the wording or grammar of language can be divided into two forms: the congruent form which is “closer to the state of affairs in the external world”[8]222, and the metaphorical form which is defined as “the expression of a meaning through a lexico-grammatical form that originally evolved to express a different kind of meaning”.[8]223What Halliday means is the grammatical metaphor through the level of lexico-grammatical expressions.

This paper is based on the ideational metaphor and the interpersonal metaphor, not including the textual metaphor.

Ideational metaphors can also be called as the experiential and logical metaphors. Before defining what is the ideational metaphor, we should make analysis of the ideational function of language, as the representation of processes, at the first step. Thompson (2004) points out that one of the most important way to identify the grammatical metaphor is nominalization — “the use of a nominal form to express meaning”[8]225, which functions is encapsulation, or called as “downgrading”.[9]646

The grammar can also be made in an interpersonal perspective, in the expression of mood and modality. In the interpersonal metaphor, the choices of moods can not match the corresponding speech roles.

Based on the theory supports of the grammatical metaphors, this paper makes analysis of the translation of the humorous English into Chinese. Is the metaphorical language more humorous than the congruent ones? Following section will be the main features of the humor languages.

Ⅳ. Case study of the translation of Two Broke Girls

TwoBrokeGirlsis a famous situation comedy series in

American.[10]The language in the comedy is humorous. How does this comedy achieve humor by different wordings? The way the original language constructed is worth studying. And this comedy shares a large ratio of fans. So the translation is needy. How to keep the translated one as humorous as the original one needs to be solved. This section wants to analyze the existing translation ofTwoBrokeGirls, to find out the application of the grammatical metaphors in the translation of the humorous language.

The following are some examples of the translation of metaphorical ones.

Han:Iwantsobadtobehip.

Max: (4) Start by never saying that again.

(4a) 从不再提“潮”开始。

(4b) 土包子才会把“潮”字挂嘴边。

(S01,E05,TwoBrokeGirls)

From the two translations above, (4a) is closer to the original syntax and grammar structure. And (4b) is the metaphorical rewording of that. So, (4a) is the congruent mode while (4b) is the metaphorical mode. By saying these two clauses, (4b) can realize the stronger humorous effects.

(5)Nailedyou.

(5a) 闪瞎你。

(S01,E15,TwoBrokeGirls)

Here, the translation is quiet different from the English literal meaning. Its consistent meaning is the color on the nail is too shining that you get blinded. The translation of the metaphorical reconstruction, (5a), is quite well into the essence of (5). And the humor is also understood by the people who speaks the translated-target language.

That is not to say the metaphorical wording is better than the congruent wording in the translation. It is not a right or wrong choice. In different context, there are different wording choices. For instance, the translation of the following clause is congruent wording.

Sophie:AmIlookinggoodinred?

Max: (6)Ineverjudgeapersonbyherappearance. (S01,E10,TwoBrokeGirls)

(6a) 我从不以貌取人。

In Chinese, we have the corresponding idiom to replicate the humor the original language have. So we use the congruent translation, which is close to the original grammatical expression. The literal translation can also achieve the humor. But in the interpersonal metaphors, more metaphorical modes are chosen for translation.

Let’s compare the two different translations of the following sentence.

(7)Idon’tthinkromanceisincardsforme.

(S01,E08,TwoBrokeGirls)

(7a) 我认为浪漫是不能发生在我身上的。

(7b) 浪漫不是我的菜。

In the original English, (6) is classified as the interpersonal metaphor. It is a metaphorical variant of the proposition “romance is not in cards for me”. But the translation by the congruent wording, (7a) is literal translation without any humorous effect. If we choose (7b), this translation is deviated from the original syntax in which the modal clause “I think” is not translated into the target language. In fact, translation (7b) is more appropriate to realize the humorous effects.

Take one more example of interpersonal metaphorical translation.

(8)What?I’msupposedtobelieveyouaboutthis?

(S01,E05,TwoBrokeGirls)

(8a) 是吗？ 我该相信你说的这些吗？

(8b) 是吗？鬼才相信你说的。

The original English clause is expressed metaphorically. Because it uses the modal verb to show the speaker’s attitude which is not one main part of the propositional content of the message. As we all know, modality is the expression of speaker’s attitude towards “the likelihood or necessity of the proposition”[8]232, and is congruently realized by modal verbs. “I’m supposed” is a kind of modality as grammatical metaphor, which serves the modal function in a separate clause. As the two translations of (8), (8a) is word-for-word translated congruently. (8b) deletes the modality in the original clause. It is the translation in more metaphorical sense. And the humorous effect is attributed to the translation of (8b).

Ⅴ. Conclusion

Some of the humorous languages or amusing jokes are not translatable if not in the translation technique of functional equivalence. This paper wants to shed a light on a new perspective, the application of grammatical metaphors into translation. The particular contexts influence the choice of the congruent wording or metaphorical wording. That is to say, the congruent mode and metaphorical reconstruction of words are doing the same function, to express the consistent meaning of language. Humorous language is one genre of language system, which can be classified into the congruent language constructions and the metaphorical ones. So we can apply the theory of grammatical metaphors into the translation of the humorous language, in order to realized better humor effects. This proposal is still having some drawbacks without the mature analysis of the data and the profound understanding of the theory background. To some certain extent, it gives us a fresh thought, an innovation in the translation of the humorous language.

[1]Halliday, M. A. K.1985. An Introduction to Functional Grammar[M].London: Arnold.

[2] 常晨光.语法隐喻与经验的重新建构[J].外语教学与研究(外国语文双月刊)，2004(1).

[3] 胡壮麟.评语法隐喻的韩礼德模式[J].外语教学与研究(外国语文双月刊)，2000(2).

[4] Ross, A. 1988. The Language of Humor[M].London: Routledge.

[5] Aarons, D. 2012. Jokes and the Linguistic Mind[M].New York: Routledge.

[6] 黄国文.语法隐喻在翻译研究中的应用[J].中国翻译，2009(1).

[7] Lakoff, G., Johnson, M. 1980. Metaphors We Live by[M].Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

[8] Thompson, G. 2004. Introducing Functional Grammar (2nd edition)[M].London: Arnold.

[9] Halliday, M. A. K, Matthiessen, C. 2004. An Introduction to Functional Grammar (3rd edition)[M].London: Arnold.

[10] King, M. P. 2011. Two Broke Girls [Television Series Episode]. In 22 minutes[M].California: Warner Bros. Television.

张敏，女，中山大学外国语学院外国语言学及应用语言学专业硕士研究生，研究方向：双语创意写作、外国语言学。

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从语法隐喻的角度来看幽默话语的翻译——以美剧《破产姐妹》英译汉为例

张敏

(中山大学 外国语学院，广东 广州 510275)

语法隐喻是韩礼德系统功能语法的一个重要概念。不同的语法隐喻可以实现不同的语言功能，表达不同的语言意义。不同的语言表达方式，一致式或隐喻式，会对幽默性产生不一样的效果。通过对《破产姐妹》英译汉的个案来分析，看其体现的语法隐喻机制对幽默语言翻译的影响。在翻译过程中，一致式和隐喻式的不同表达方式将会实现幽默语言的不同意义效果。

语法隐喻； 幽默性； 概念隐喻； 人际隐喻