从语篇衔接和连贯看英语商务文本的汉译硕士学位论文.doc

AcknowledgementsI am greatly honored to have this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to all those who have offered me their considerate help and continuous encouragement throughout these two years. I will inevitably miss all of the wonderful tutors and friends.First and foremost, I want to express my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Prof. Zuo Biao, my supervisor. It has been a great privilege and joy to work under his guidance and with his encouragement. I thank him for opening my eyes to the wonders of two of the most precious gifts we have: the human mind and the ability to share what is in it with others. My research has brought home to me in a new way the truth that we are wonderfully made.I thank Prof. Han Zhonghua for his encouragement and for his comments on the dissertation which underlies this dissertation. I thank Prof. Zheng Lixin, Prof. Wang Dawei Associate Prof. Yuan Yongfang, Associate Prof. Shi Dongqin the staff and fellow-students in the College of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Maritime University as well as other colleagues for their feedback on my research. In the meantime, I wish to express my gratitude to the persons that relieved me of other chores, so that I could devote my time entirely to the completion of this dissertation. I also want to express my gratitude for the financial help I received from my relatives and my former classmates. Last but not least, a very special thank goes to my wife Yin Naimin and my son Liu Xianyu for supporting a husband and father whose mind was not always free to give them the attention they needed. It is my pleasure to dedicate this dissertation to them.毕业设计（论文）原创性声明和使用授权说明原创性声明本人郑重承诺：所呈交的毕业设计（论文），是我个人在指导教师的指导下进行的研究工作及取得的成果。尽我所知，除文中特别加以标注和致谢的地方外，不包含其他人或组织已经发表或公布过的研究成果，也不包含我为获得 及其它教育机构的学位或学历而使用过的材料。对本研究提供过帮助和做出过贡献的个人或集体，均已在文中作了明确的说明并表示了谢意。作 者 签 名： 日 期： 指导教师签名： 日期： 使用授权说明本人完全了解 大学关于收集、保存、使用毕业设计（论文）的规定，即：按照学校要求提交毕业设计（论文）的印刷本和电子版本；学校有权保存毕业设计（论文）的印刷本和电子版，并提供目录检索与阅览服务；学校可以采用影印、缩印、数字化或其它复制手段保存论文；在不以赢利为目的前提下，学校可以公布论文的部分或全部内容。作者签名： 日 期： 学位论文原创性声明本人郑重声明：所呈交的论文是本人在导师的指导下独立进行研究所取得的研究成果。除了文中特别加以标注引用的内容外，本论文不包含任何其他个人或集体已经发表或撰写的成果作品。对本文的研究做出重要贡献的个人和集体，均已在文中以明确方式标明。本人完全意识到本声明的法律后果由本人承担。作者签名： 日期： 年 月 日学位论文版权使用授权书本学位论文作者完全了解学校有关保留、使用学位论文的规定，同意学校保留并向国家有关部门或机构送交论文的复印件和电子版，允许论文被查阅和借阅。本人授权 大学可以将本学位论文的全部或部分内容编入有关数据库进行检索，可以采用影印、缩印或扫描等复制手段保存和汇编本学位论文。涉密论文按学校规定处理。作者签名：日期： 年 月 日导师签名： 日期： 年 月 日指导教师评阅书指导教师评价：一、撰写（设计）过程1、学生在论文（设计）过程中的治学态度、工作精神 优 良 中 及格 不及格2、学生掌握专业知识、技能的扎实程度 优 良 中 及格 不及格3、学生综合运用所学知识和专业技能分析和解决问题的能力 优 良 中 及格 不及格4、研究方法的科学性；技术线路的可行性；设计方案的合理性 优 良 中 及格 不及格5、完成毕业论文（设计）期间的出勤情况 优 良 中 及格 不及格二、论文（设计）质量1、论文（设计）的整体结构是否符合撰写规范？ 优 良 中 及格 不及格2、是否完成指定的论文（设计）任务（包括装订及附件）？ 优 良 中 及格 不及格三、论文（设计）水平1、论文（设计）的理论意义或对解决实际问题的指导意义 优 良 中 及格 不及格2、论文的观念是否有新意？设计是否有创意？ 优 良 中 及格 不及格3、论文（设计说明书）所体现的整体水平 优 良 中 及格 不及格建议成绩： 优 良 中 及格 不及格（在所选等级前的内画“”）指导教师： （签名） 单位： （盖章）年 月 日评阅教师评阅书评阅教师评价：一、论文（设计）质量1、论文（设计）的整体结构是否符合撰写规范？ 优 良 中 及格 不及格2、是否完成指定的论文（设计）任务（包括装订及附件）？ 优 良 中 及格 不及格二、论文（设计）水平1、论文（设计）的理论意义或对解决实际问题的指导意义 优 良 中 及格 不及格2、论文的观念是否有新意？设计是否有创意？ 优 良 中 及格 不及格3、论文（设计说明书）所体现的整体水平 优 良 中 及格 不及格建议成绩： 优 良 中 及格 不及格（在所选等级前的内画“”）评阅教师： （签名） 单位： （盖章）年 月 日教研室（或答辩小组）及教学系意见教研室（或答辩小组）评价：一、答辩过程1、毕业论文（设计）的基本要点和见解的叙述情况 优 良 中 及格 不及格2、对答辩问题的反应、理解、表达情况 优 良 中 及格 不及格3、学生答辩过程中的精神状态 优 良 中 及格 不及格二、论文（设计）质量1、论文（设计）的整体结构是否符合撰写规范？ 优 良 中 及格 不及格2、是否完成指定的论文（设计）任务（包括装订及附件）？ 优 良 中 及格 不及格三、论文（设计）水平1、论文（设计）的理论意义或对解决实际问题的指导意义 优 良 中 及格 不及格2、论文的观念是否有新意？设计是否有创意？ 优 良 中 及格 不及格3、论文（设计说明书）所体现的整体水平 优 良 中 及格 不及格评定成绩： 优 良 中 及格 不及格（在所选等级前的内画“”）教研室主任（或答辩小组组长）： （签名）年 月 日教学系意见：系主任： （签名）年 月 日摘 要本文从语篇衔接和连贯看英语商务文本的汉译在前人研究的基础上，利用语篇衔接理论的部分研究成果，并结合大量商务文本实例，从语篇衔接和连贯两个角度对英语商务文本汉译进行了广泛、深入的探讨。全文共分为五章。第一章主要介绍了翻译以及商务文本翻译理论。包括翻译的定义、发展、历史和标准；商务文本翻译的类别、功能和现状等。第二章从词汇、句子和风格三个方面对英汉商务文本的特点进行了对比分析。第三、第四、第五章是本文的主体。第三章主要介绍了语篇分析理论，是本文作者进行研究的理论基础。本章详细阐述了语篇、文本、语篇衔接和语篇连贯等概念，以及它们与商务文本翻译的联系。与此同时，本章也强调了语篇分析理论对提高商务文本翻译水平的重要意义。第四章作者从语篇衔接角度出发，利用语法衔接和词汇衔接两个方面探讨商务文本翻译。本文作者对比分析了指代关系、省略关系、替代关系、连接关系、复现关系（重复、概括词、同（近）义词、上下义词）和同现关系（反义词、对比词、部分整体）与商务文本翻译的联系，从而帮助翻译工作者找到其中联系，提高翻译水平。第五章从语篇连贯角度出发，利用局部连贯和整体连贯两个方面研究商务文本翻译。作者对比分析了原因、连接、评价、扩张、整体结构和思维模式与商务文本翻译的关系。韩礼德和哈桑夫妇对语篇衔接理论进行了深入的探讨，但对语篇连贯研究较少，并且其有些语篇连贯见解尚有商榷之处。魏在江博士对语篇连贯也进行了探讨，但还不够深入。本文的成果在于作者运用大量的实例对语篇分析理论进行了研究。最后作者得出结论，语篇分析理论虽有待完善，但能够指导商务文本翻译活动顺利进行，提高翻译工作者的翻译水平。另外，本文作者虽在商务文本翻译的基础上对语篇衔接和连贯进行了有益的探讨，但还有待进一步深入和完善。关键词：商务文本翻译， 语篇分析， 衔接， 连贯ABSTRACTThis dissertation explores E-C business document translation from the perspectives of discourse cohesion and coherence. It consists of five chapters besides the preface, the conclusion, and the bibliography.Chapter One briefly introduces translation and business document translation, including general theory of translation, such as definition, history, criteria of translation, and business document translation, such as categories, functions and present situation of business document translation. Chapter Two presents a general contrastive analysis of English and Chinese business documents at the lexical, syntactic and textual levels. The next three chapters, that is, Chapter Three, Four and Five, are the principal part of this dissertation. Discourse analysis theory is introduced in the third chapter, where discourse, text, business document translation, discourse cohesion and coherence are discussed in detail. And the author emphasizes the importance of textual components (cohesion and coherence) in business document translation. The author also points out a theory should be treated and developed based on translating practice, no matter how authoritative it is. Or no theory is perfect.In Chapter Four, the author uses Halliday and Hasans (1976, 1985) framework, the description of cohesion in English, which as Brown and Yule (1983) say is “by far the most comprehensive treatment of the subject”, to contrast E-C business documents translation. This chapter clarifies the view that cohesion in English and Chinese should be regarded as a key link of discourse structure in spite of their differences in specific forms.In Chapter Five, the author discusses coherence phenomenon in business English documents. Coherence is one of the most important and the most complicated topics in discourse analysis. It has become one of the focal issues in discourse analysis in the recent two decades. Combined with examples, this chapter discusses the coherence in business document translation. By emphasizing the importance of clear coherence awareness in translation process, the author points out that Hallidays systemic functional linguistics can provide a theoretical support and basis for translation to improve the business document translation.On balance, the author has come to a conclusion through all the above analyses, argument and illustrations. All theories of translation have their respective strengths and weaknesses and they complement each other in guiding translating practice. As no specific theory so far is directly aimed at offering guidelines for the translation of business documents under discussion, it is necessary to view the task from some new perspectives based on existing theories concerning language, culture and translation. This dissertation is intended as an attempt to fill the gap between translation theories in general and business translating practice in particular.Although the ideas presented in the dissertation may appear to be tentative and immature, yet it approaches the topic of business document translating from a new angle, i.e. the angle of discourse analysis, and may hopefully contribute to the improvement of business document translation.KEYWORDS: business document translation, discourse analysis, cohesion, coherence ContentsAcknowledgementsI摘 要IIABSTRACTContentsVPreface10.1. The object of this research10.2. Literature review10.3. An overview of the dissertation2Chapter One Business Document Translation31.1. Translation in general31.1.1. What is translation?41.1.2. A general review of translation. Bible and other translation until c.1530. From the Luther Reformation to the French Revolution: c.1530-1790. From the French Revolution to the Second World War: 1789-1940. Decolonization and the Cold War: 1945-c.1970. The expansion of the European Union to the end of the Cold War: c.1970-c: 1990. 1990 to the present day71.1.3. Translation criteria. Some western views on translation criteria. Some Chinese views on translation criteria101.2. Business document translation111.2.1. Business document and its categories121.2.2. Functions of business document translation131.2.3. Present situation of business document translation131.2.4. Criteria of business document translation141.2.5. Importance of business document translation from the perspective of discourse cohesion and coherence16Summary16Chapter Two The Features of Business English Documents172.1. Lexical features of business English documents172.1.1. Archaisms182.1.2. Loan words. Words of Latin origin. Words of French origin202.1.3. Other formal words212.1.4. Words used in coordination222.1.5. Frequent use of modal verbs. “Shall”. “May”. “Must” “Would”262.2. Syntactic features of business English documents262.2.1. Declarative-prominent sentences272.2.2. Long & complex sentences272.2.3 Full sentences272.2.4. Direct and explicit expression dominance282.2.5. Nominalization292.3. Stylistic features of business English documents292.3.1. Clearness & conciseness302.3.2. Preciseness & rigorousness312.3.3. Courtesy & consideration31Summary32Chapter Three Discourse Analysis and Business Document Translation333.1. General view of discourse analysis333.2. Discourse, text and business document translation343.2.1. Discourse and text353.2.2. The definitions of discourse and text353.2.3. Text and business document translation363.3. Discourse cohesion and coherence373.3.1. Concepts about cohesion and coherence373.3.2. Relationship between cohesion and coherence383.4Discourse cohesion and coherence and business document translation393.5. The importance of discourse cohesion and coherence in business document translation41Summary41Chapter Four Discourse Cohesion in Business Document Translation424.1. Categories of cohesion424.2. Grammatical cohesion in business document translation424.2.1. Reference in business document translation4. Personal reference4. Demonstrative reference4. Comparative reference474.2.2. Substitution in business document translation4. Nominal substitute4. Verbal substitute4. Clausal substitute494.2.3. Ellipsis in business document translation504.2.4. Conjunction in business document translation5. English conjunction5. Chinese conjunction524.3. Lexical cohesion in business document translation534.3.1. Reiteration in business document translation5. Repetition5. Synonym & near-synonym5. Hyponym564.3.2. Collocation in business document translation5. Antonyms5. Oxymoron5. Part-whole relation59Summary60Chapter Five Discourse Coherence in Business Document Translation615.1. The importance of coherence615.2. Functions of coherence625.3. Categories of coherence635.4. Local coherence and business document translation635.4.1. Cause and business document translation645.4.2. Evaluation and business document translation645.4.3. Linkage and business document translation655.4.4. Expansion and business document translation6. Expansion in English6. Expansion in Chinese6. Examples of E-C business document translation6. Summary705.5. Global coherence and business document translation715.5.1. Macrostructure and business document translation7. Linear organization & circular organization7. An example in E-C business document translation735.5.2. Mental model and business document translation7 Abstract thinking and concrete thinking7. Examples in business document translation76Summary78Conclusion79Bibliography80Appendixes83- 91 -Preface0.1. The object of this researchThis dissertation has been one year in the writing. Sections of it have twice been written, hopefully better than the first one, which was published in Foreign Language Research Waiyu Xuekan 2008(7)：30-31.The author feels that much contemporary academic theory has little to do with the practicalities of business document translation work. Therefore, in this thesis, the author makes preliminary study of business document translation from the perspectives of cohesion and coherence at textual level, expecting to provoke interest in the subject with his own superficial observations and bring out further discussions and more valuable ideas on business document translation.0.2. Literature reviewAlthough translation is an old topic, the study of business document translation is a new field. So it is a new challenge to study business document translation from the perspectives of cohesion and coherence. As discourse analysis is in the early age, it also has some fuzziness. Especially, the study of coherence is not further and complete. Here，the author points out there are no absolutes in business document translation. Everything is conditional, and any principle may be in opposition to another or at least there may be tension between them.The balance in this dissertation is not necessarily superior to that of others, but I have done my best to avoid making it excessively theoretical by using exemplification that covers the facts from the angle presented in this dissertation. It will also be noted that I do not provide precise information about where exactly I found specific examples (e.g. page numbers).0.3. An overview of the dissertation Writing a dissertation about business document translation, I am aware that this is a new profession and that the body of knowledge and of assumptions that exists about business document translation is tentative, often controversial and fluctuating. This dissertation will not cover everything in business document translation studies, not even all aspects that are worth further study. It will only focus on which I consider pertinent in the context of this dissertation.Comments and criticism are welcome.Chapter One Business Document Translation1.1. Translation in general100 years ago, the majority of translated texts were religious, literary, scientific and philosophical. They were mainly read by educated elite in each country. In this century, translation has become a force and an instrument of democracy. The subject matter translated has extended to the whole range of human knowledge. “It is impossible to obtain any figures about the quantity and the areas of the total mass of translation. UNESCO publishes figures for the production of original and translated books, from which it transpires that in 1973 out of a world production of 47,000 translated books, literature occupied 49%, followed by social sciences 12%, applied sciences 8.5%, geography 8%, history 7.5%, pure science 6%, religion 5.5% and arts philosophy with a slightly lower percentage. The Federal Republic produced the highest percentage of these translations at 14% followed by Spain at 9.5%, USSR at 9.4 and then a series of countries, Japan, Italy, USA, France and Brazil, each at under 5%.” (Peter Newmark, 2006:16-17)These figures have to be looked at with some caution, as they are all based only on numbers of books translated. If reports, papers, articles, journals, etc. were included, one could perhaps assume an increase of at least fivefold in the proportion of applied science translation and a corresponding decrease in creative literature as well as an enormous additional quantity of non-literary material: publicity, patents, notices, instructions, etc. so we can say translation will increase exponentially with the speed of literacy and education, wider means and channels of communication, and even the spread of foreign language learning. 1.1.1. What is translation?In translation study, what is translation is a fundamental question. Translation can be claimed to be a skill, an art, a recreation and a science. As an interdisciplinary study, translation involves linguistics, logic, philosophy, etc. Translation facilitates mutual understanding among different and even conflicting racial, ethnic, religious and cultural groups, so the increase in international communication makes translation, especially business translation, more and more important. In the past centuries, many translators and scholars both at home and abroad