ABSTRACT

 This thesis explores via statistics and comparison how four-character Chinese expressions affect the construction of a translation style in target texts with reference to two different Chinese versions of Tess of the d’Urbervilles. 

It is concluded that the use of four-character Chinese expressions in Zhang Guruo’s translation is obviously more than that in Wang Zhongxiang and Nie Zhenzhao’s translation of Tess of the d’Urbervilles. Four-character Chinese expressions with “zhi”(“之”)in them are particularly chosen to analyze in details and this sampling analysis shows the same result. 

A comparison is then made between the two Chinese versions to reveal the construction of a translation style from perspectives of prosody of the translated text, highlighting of a translator’s subjectivity and use of foreignizing method and domesticating method. 

Keywords: four-character Chinese expressions；statistics; translation style

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABSTRACT

摘要

Chapter One  INTRODUCTION-1

Chapter Two  LITERATURE REVIEW-2

2.1 Previous Studies on Four-Character Chinese Expressions-2

2.2 Previous Studies on the Construction of the Translated Text Style-4

2.3 Previous Studies on the Two Chinese Translated Versions of Tess of the d’Urbervilles-5

Chapter Three  QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS-6

3.1 Statistics of the Use of Four-Character Expressions-6

3.2 Quantitative Analysis of Four-character Expressions Including “zhi”-7

Chapter Four  USE OF FOUR-CHARACTER EXPRESSIONS AND THE FORMATION OF A TRANSLATED TEXT STYLE-10

4.1 Use of Four-Character Expressions and the Prosody of the Translated Text-10

4.2 Use of Four-Character Expressions and the Highlighting of a Translator’s Subjectivity-11

4.3 Use of Four-Character Expressions and the Use of Foreignizing Method and Domesticating Method-14

Chapter Five  CONCLUSION-17

REFRENCES-19