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Article published In: Target
Vol. 21:2 (2009) ► pp.209–234

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Pragmatic shifts in two translations of Fusheng Liuji

A descriptive study of request behaviour

 | The University of Macau
Published online: 16 December 2009
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https://doi.org/10.1075/target.21.2.01wan
This study focuses on translation shifts in speech act realisation patterns in two English translations of the Chinese work Fusheng Liuji. It employs analytical tools from cross-cultural pragmatics to describe speech act behaviour in the original and its translations. Lin uses more translation shifts—including significant shifts in strategy use, and moderate shifts in information sequencing—than Pratt … Chiang, who mainly retain the original pragmatic features. Both the translators and the original author make frequent use of request formulae. The two translations also show marked shifts from lexical to syntactic modification of requests. The article further examines the translators’ approaches to translation in terms of their concept of translation and the historical and social contexts of their translations.
Résumé
La présente étude porte sur les glissements traductifs dans deux traductions anglaises de l’oeuvre chinoise Fusheng Liuji. Elle emprunte des techniques analytiques à la pragmatique des relations interculturelles en vue d’une description systématique de l’acte de langage dans l’original et dans les traductions. En comparaison avec Pratt … Chiang, qui suivent de près les options pragmatiques de l’original, Lin recourt à des glissements traductifs plus manifestes :—ils sont significatifs sur le plan stratégique, et modérés dans les informations séquentielles . Les traducteurs ainsi que l’auteur de l’original recourent souvent à des formules de demande. Les deux traductions permettent d’observer en outre des glissements marqués—dans les demandes—du niveau lexical au niveau syntaxique. L’article analyse en outre l’approche traductive en termes de conception de la traduction ainsi que dans son contexte historique et social.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Cross-cultural pragmatics and translation studies
  • 3.Method
    • 3.1Sample: The original and the translated texts
    • 3.2Methods of data analysis: the coding scheme
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1Shifts in strategy use
    • 4.2Internal modifications
    • 4.3Formulaic expressions
    • 4.4External modifications: information sequencing
  • 5.Discussion
    • 5.1Translation shifts caused by linguistic constraints
    • 5.2Translation shifts at the translator’s discretion
    • 5.3Methodology: Tools of cross-cultural pragmatics in translation studies
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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