Date of Award

2010

Thesis Type

PhD

Document Type

Thesis

Divisions

Faculty of Languages and Linguistics

Institution

Universiti Malaya

Abstract

this study focuses on the shifts of cohesion and coherence in argumentative texts translated from English into Chinese.  This  research aims to substantiate theoretical assumptions by testing them against authentic data. Firstly, the study discusses the shift of cohesion by comparing the use of third person pronoun and conjunction based on the bottom-up approach proposed by Baker (1992). Secondly, it shows how micro-level coherence affects macro-level coherence of argumentative texts in terms of text-type. Adopting Hatim and Mason’s text-type model (1990), this study highlights the ways in which overall discoursal relations evolve in the 29 unit ‘texts’ used as data. This is followed by an analysis on the mistranslation of words, idioms, phrases, fixed expressions and clauses. The overall effect of these micro-level analyses is viewed within the macro structure of each argumentative text.   The research results reveal that the translation contain various degrees of deviation of the translation from the original writing in all the texts reviewed, a significant issue surfaces: target text readers may not be able to follow the drift of the original argument in essentially the same manner as source text readers.  To ensure readers of translated texts do not miss or misunderstand the argument, it is important to re-establish coherence, at all levels in the translation. This study which is a contrastive textual analysis from a reader’s point of view supports Blum-Kulka’s findings that most serious shifts of text coherence occur not due to differences between the source and the target language systems, but particular choices made by translators. These choices at the micro level have significant impact on the macro-level coherence. As shown in this study, the translators have time and again, focused on individual words rather than understanding the entire argument put forth by the writer; this could be the result of insufficient knowledge of the English language system and grammatical rules.  Units such as words, collocations, phrases, clauses and sentences interplay at various levels to enable the text to hang together internally as a piece of meaningful discourse. This is true of  both the source text and the target text, as made evident by this study. It is of utmost importance to ensure that the end product, that is, the translated text is edited, proof-read, revised and checked so that it is clear of any misinterpretation of the original text, while at the same time it is rendered in a natural manner in the target language.

Initial

khm

Additional Information

Thesis (PhD) – Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, Universiti Malaya, 2010.

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