从图式理论论文化图式的英译问题及对策.docx

1、从图式理论论文化图式的英译问题及对策On the Problems and Strategies in C-E Translation of Cultural Schema from the Schema Theory Approach从图式理论论文化图式的英译问题及对策0AbstractChinese tourism has sprung up along with the rapid development of comprehensive national strength since the reform and opening policy. China, which is a ti

2、me-honored mysterious country with a long history of five thousand years, has attracted more and more foreign tourist for its splendid view and rich culture. Therefore, many Chinesetourist publicity materials are translated into English to promote an exchange of rich Chinese culture with other cultu

3、res and the development of this industry. However, many scenic spots which have a long historical standing and are the rich cultural deposits are totally unfamiliar to foreign tourists. Cultural Schema, i.e. the background knowledge in the tourist publicity materials, often puts forward great diffic

4、ulty and problem in the translation of Chinese tourist publicity materials. From the perspective of Schema Theory, this essay tries to analyze the problems translators always encounter in translating schema and to discuss the relative strategies commonly used in coping with such situation.Key words:

5、 Chinese tourist publicity material; schema theory; cultural schema摘要改革开放以来，随着中国综合国力的提升，中国的旅游业迅猛发展。中国这一具有五千年悠久历史的神秘的东方古国，以其如画的风景，浓厚的文化积淀吸引力越来越多的外国游客。为了更好地促进中外的文化交流，推动中国旅游业的发展，很多中文的旅游资料被翻译成英文。但是，许多旅游景点历史悠久，文化底蕴浓厚，它们所承载的许多历史文化，对外国游客来说是完全陌生的。宣传资料中的文化图式，即文章中内容部分的背景知识，经常给译者带来很大的困扰和很多的问题。本文将从图式理论的角度出发，分析翻

6、译文化图式时常见的问题并制定相应应对策略。关键词：中国旅游宣传资料；图式理论；文化图式 ContentsAbstract 2摘要 3Introduction 4Chapter One Public Signs 51.1 Definition of Public Signs 51.2 Functional Features of Public Signs 61.3 Classifications of Public Signs 61.4Cultural Schema 6Chapter TwoError Analysis of Cultural Schema 72.1 Errors of Cult

7、ural Schema 82.2 Causes of Errors 9Chapter Three Strategies for Translating Cultural Schema 113.1Translation Principles of Schema Theory 113.2 Strategies 12Conclusion 16References 17Acknowledgements 18IntroductionEconomic globalization provides more opportunities for China toconduct international cu

8、ltural exchange and co-operation with other countries. The fact that more and more foreigners come to China for travel makes translation of Chinese tourist publicity materials important and necessary. However,the quality of Chinese-English(C-E)translations of tourist materials is far from being sati

9、sfactory. Many cultural elements are not adequately rendered into English and many of them are word-for-word translation, filled withlinguistic mistakesand Chinese-style English expressions.This thesis starts from the definition of schema and its categories and cultural schema. The second chapter fo

10、cuses on error analysis of C-E translation of cultural schema in which categories of errors and causes of errors are included. Examples are shown for analysis. The last chapter introducesschematheories and strategies to improve C-E translation of cultural schema in Chinesetourist publicity materials

11、 from this point of view. The thesis ends with a conclusion China should strive for improving C-E translation of cultural schema in Chinesetourist publicity materials.Chapter One Schema Theory1.1 Definition of Schema TheoryPlato elaborates the Greek doctrine of ideal types such as the perfect circle

12、 that exists in the mind but which no one has ever seen. Kant further developed the notion and introduced the word schema. He described schema as “the inner structure to help us understand the world” 1252. For example, he describes the dog schema a mental pattern which can delineate the figure of a

13、four-footed animal in a general manner, without limitation to any single determinate figure as experience, or any possible image that I can represent in concreto.”(Kant 1781). Since that time, many other terms have been used as well, including frame,scene,scenario,script and even model, theory. Psyc

14、hologist Frederic Charles Bartlett used the word “schemata” in his book Remembering. It meant “active organization of past action and experience” 2201. The basic principle of schema theory is that any text, oral or written, carries no meaning itself. It is listeners or readers who gain indication fr

15、om the text and then search and construct the meaning from the knowledge they have attained in the past. The knowledge readers attained in the past is called background knowledge, the structure readers attained in the past is called schemata. Key theoretical development of schema theory was made in

16、several fields, including linguistics, anthropology, psychology and artificial intelligence. The heyday of schema theory was probably in the 1970s. Since that time, manylinguists and psychologist, such as Minsky（1975）, Rumelhart（1980）, Carrel 和 Eisterhold（1988）, Eysenck and Keane（1990）used schema th

17、eory to analyze and explain the psychical process of language learning and reading. Then modern schema theory comes into being364. It composes of slot or variable. 1.2Classifications of SchemaDifferent scholar classify schema in different ways. Carrel (1983) assort schema into two categories: conten

18、t schemata and formal schemata. Kramsch (1993) sort schema into three categories: text schemata, genre schemata and content schemata. Then Cook (1994) also classify schema into three categories: world schemata, text schemata and 1anguage schemata. To meet the need of study, domestic scholars also cl

19、assify the schema. Mingdong Liu (2003) thinks that during the translation of schema, translators should correctly decode and then encode language schemata, context schemata, style schemata and cultural schemata in the source language. In this way, we will have the best translation. In this thesis, I

20、 will emphasize the significant functionof the translation of cultural schema in Chinese tourist publicity materials.1.3 Basic Functions of Schema Since schema arranges in hierarchical order, a prime schema comprises inferior schema and until the last basics. Therefore, we can derive the features in

21、ferior schema has from the superior schema; in the same way, if the inferior schema is activated, the superior schema will absolutely be activated. The activation of schema is that readers or learners could estimate the possible content by receiving some certain information which could help us pick

22、up the relative background knowledge from the schema structure. Only activating the right schema could help readers understand the background knowledge faster and better; otherwise, that would bring about misunderstanding.In a word, the basic functions of schema are listed as follows: (1) Structure.

23、 Learning is the process of structuring the inner mental representation. Learning is not only to move knowledge into our brain, but to structure new understanding based on the interaction with the outside world and the existing knowledge and experience. (2) Deduction. People can deduce the connotati

24、ve or unknown information, which are important to attain and understand knowledge, through the inner logic of the slots in a schema. (3) Searching. We can actively search out more important information by using schema to generate a clear goal and prediction. (4) Conformity. People can embody and int

25、egrate slots by putting new information in the frame of schema.1.4Cultural SchemaThe content schema, also the cultural schema, I will discuss in this chapter refers to background knowledge or information in Chinese tourism materials479. It is very important to the understanding of these materials. I

26、t comprises the notional information and knowledge of a certain topic. For example, when readers read about “Chinese New Year”, they will spontaneously have a picture in their mind: family reunion, family reunion dinner, New Year pictures, Chinesecouplet, jiaozi, firecracker, etc. Content schema can

27、 help readers understand the materials better and faster via prediction and information selection. Content schema has close connection with culture, so it is also called cultural schema. In the process of translation, the translators aim is to convey the information in the original text to the reade

28、rs and then to activate the relative schema in readers mind and finally to help readers understand the text as well as the writer.It is cultural schema that is the most intractable problem for translators in the process of translation. Large concentrations ofcultural schema are centralized in these

29、materials. If translators do not handle them carefully, they will erect barriers for readers to activate the relative schema and even cause some difficulties to understand.Chapter TwoError Analysis of Cultural Schema2.1 Cultural Schema DefaultFor the reasons of geography, history and culture, it is

30、possible to find that some well-known definition in one culture can not be found counterpart in another culture. Moreover, readers do not have appropriate schemas and they can not immediately create a schema to supply a gap541. This causes cultural schema default. The relative cultural schema in ori

31、ginal writers mind does not exist or is not integrated in translation readers mind. We call this situation cultural schema default. While foreign tourists are enjoying the cultural objects and historic relics in China, they will inevitably meet with numerous historical names. These names are so fami

32、liar to our Chinese people, but totally unknown to foreign tourists. For example, this sentence hereinafter is excerpted from the introduction of Jigong memorial in Zhejiang province:Example1: 济公劫富济贫，深受穷苦人民爱戴。6。The English version in tourist material is “Jigong robbed the rich and helped the poor and was deeply loved and esteemed by the impoverished.” Jigong is almost well-known to all Chinese people. The schema of Jigong roots in Chinese deeply. When Chinese people see the word “济公”, the schema of jigong will be activated-ragged clothes, “insane” word, distin