1、 （ 20_ _届） 本科毕业 设计 关联性在交际与翻译中的两大要素分析 Analysis on the Two Factors of Relevance in Communication and Translation 英语 I 摘 要 随着异国之间的交流越来越频繁，翻译也变得越来越普遍，各行各业对翻译人员的需求也越来越多。在本文所研究的关联理论视觉下，翻译是一个跨语言、跨文化的明示-推理的交际过程。异国之间的语言特点以及文化的差异 又是不可忽视的，其在一定程度上阻碍着翻译和交际的进行。本文着重分析影响关联性的两大要素 语境效果和推理努力，并进一步探究如何达到最佳关联性，从而达成译者更好的翻
2、译，交际者更好的交流 ,各国更好的交往。 关键词 ： 关联性；翻译；交际；语境效果；推理努力 II Abstract With frequent exchanges among different countries, translation has become more and more popular so that there is a huge demand on translators and interpreters in all walks of life. In the perspective of relevance, translation is an ostensive
3、-inferential communication across language and culture. Meanwhile, the difference of culture and language feature could not be neglected, for they have a block on translation and communication to some extent. This thesis puts an emphasis on analyzing two factors of relevance, the core concept in rel
4、evance theory contextual effects and processing efforts; making further research on how to reach optimal relevance, so as to obtain better translation and communication to deepen the exchanges among different countries. Key words: relevance; translation; communication; contextual effects; processing
5、 efforts III Contents Abstract.II 1. Introduction . .1 1.1 About relevance theory .1 1.2 Relation to communication .2 1.3 Relation to translation .2 2. Analysis on two factors of relevance: Contextual effects the other one has to make himself/herself understand what the speaker means. The hearer has
6、 to do some processing efforts. This is regarded as inference. During the inference, the communicators have to combine their communication and cognitive environment together to search for relevance. In relevance theory, a cognitive environment of an individual is a set of facts that are manifested t
7、o the hearer (Gutt, 1989). Each communicator has to take advantage of cognitive environment to facilitate the communication. 1.3 Relation to translation There is certain similarity between translation and communication under relevance theory. It could be said that translation is another way of commu
8、nication and information exchange, which is also an ostensive-inferential process. Translation refers to more literal information than oral communication. During the translation, there exists a pair of subject and object. The writer would take literature as an example. In a piece of work, if the aut
9、hor is the subject, the translator who wants to read the foreign book should be the object. When an English work is going to be published in China, the original language should be translated into Chinese. Then the translator is the subject whereas the reader is the object. Therefore, there are two 3
10、 ostensive-inference processes in translation. 2. Analysis on the two factors of relevance From the above information, it is known that in relevance theory, both communication and translation are ostensive-inference processes in which each communicator and translator has to find relevance in utteran
11、ce. What is relevance? The definition of relevance in Chinese version is as follows: 话语的内容、语境和各种暗含，使听话人对话语产生不同的理解；但听话人不一定任何场合下对话语所表达的全部意义都得到理解；他只用一个单一的、普通的标准去理解话语；这个标准足以使听话人认定一种唯一可行的 理解；这个标准就是关联性。（何自然、冉永平， 1998） Knowing the basic definition, this chapter is intended as an introduction to relevance a
12、nd its two factors. Relevance is a comparative notion utterances can vary according to the degree of relevance they achieve in some context (Gutt, 1989).The degree of relevance determines the success of communication and translation. Relevance is mainly influenced by contextual effects and processin
13、g efforts. Whereas what is called relevance is that: firstly under the same condition, the greater contextual effects are, the stronger relevance is; secondly, also under the same condition, the smaller processing efforts are, the stronger relevance is. Here is a formula: Relevance=Contextual effect
14、s (C) / Processing efforts (E). 2.1 Contextual effects In order to understand contextual effects correctly, at the beginning, the knowledge of context is necessary for the audience. 2.1.1 Context under relevance theory Context in relevance theory is just defined as cognitive environment the thesis h
15、as referred above, that is any communication including translation must have definite position, participants and topics. These are the indispensible factors leading to a successful information exchange. From the traditional study on context, it is known that the context is static. It just means the
16、definite factors above. Nowadays, scholars have new research on it and achieve new 4 fruition that the context in relevance theory is dynamic, as is told that communication and translation are the processes of ostensive-inference (Sperber and Wilson, 1986). Context in relevance theory does not refer
17、 to some part of the external environment of the communication partners, be it the text preceding of following an utterance, situational circumstances, cultural factors, etc., it rather refers to part of their “assumptions about the world” (Gutt, 1989) or cognitive environment. It shows that during
18、the communication or translation, the communicator or the reader has to do the inference according to the dynamic context which depends on the relevance between language and cognitive environment. In fact, translation is a process of context reasoning and selecting. And the main task of information
19、exchange is to find out the relevance. Actually cognitive environment is quite different in communication, for it is dynamic. That is because the hearer or readers knowledge and culture or any other backgrounds are not all the same. They would have different understanding or have to take different t
20、ime to understand the utterance. Next, the writer would give a simple example to tell the dynamic context more clearly. Peter: Im tired. Mary: Ill make the meal. (Du Fuxing， 2005) In this example, Marys answer coincides with relevance theory. Actually she has understood Peters implication well that
21、Peter wants Mary to make the meal because he is tired. Whats more, two simple assumptions are as follows: (1) This dialog could happen after work; (2) Peter and Mary could be a couple. This information is the dynamic context which is not expressed directly in their words, but inferred by the reader.
22、 It could be said that if this dialog happens before work, Mary should say: “Youd better ask for leave and have a good rest.” If they are not a couple, Mary should say:” Youd better take a good rest.” Such answers prove context in relevance theory is dynamic, because under different conditions, Mary
23、 could have different responses to achieve stronger relevance. But the latter two are both denied, and the first assumption is more tenable. Sometimes, communicators think that those possible contexts are so many that they could not recognize which the exact one is and have to make more processing e
24、fforts. Context is selected, but not given. Consider the following example: A1：所有的鸟都会飞吗？ B： 当然，鸟都是有翅膀的。 A2：企鹅不 是也有翅膀吗？ (Ma Guangjie， 2010) Bs cognitive environment is as follows: 所有有翅膀的都是会飞的 5 鸟都是有翅膀的 鸟都是会飞的 A2s cognitive environment is as follows: 企鹅是有翅膀的 企鹅不会飞 有些有翅膀的是不会飞的 A2 denies B that not all
25、with wings can fly. It can be showed as follows. and 非 , but not The example explains that dynamic context does not mean to add all of cognitive environment together, but to select useful information to make the utterance understood effectively. Relevance theory puts forward that context is dynamic,
26、 changing with communication and the communicators only choose the relative context. Therefore, only with dynamic context can communicators try their best to gain original intention exactly. From the examples given above, it concludes that context in relevance theory is dynamic. People have to be aw
27、are of context so as to conform to the original expectation and promote the communication. 2.1.2 Three kinds of contextual effects Context and contextual effects have close and direct connection with each other and they are two different concepts. The audience should have the ability to tell them ap
28、art. As the literal meaning shows, contextual effects are the effects that the context, especially the new information has on communication. It is embodied more in verbal communication. At the beginning, the writer would like to introduce a new concept, namely contextual assumption. That is, before
29、the listener gets the new information, he or she could have already had some old information. When the hearer gets the new information, these two kinds of information will joint together, we could say that the new information has effects on the old information. There are three kinds of contextual ef
30、fects in relevance theory. They can consist of: (1) the derivation of contextual implications, (2) in the strengthening, or confirmation, of assumptions already held, or (3) in the elimination of assumptions due to a contradiction (Gutt, 1989). The instance given as follows which also runs through t
31、he three kinds of contextual effects and other examples can explain each in details: Suppose that you plan to go to New York tomorrow and one of your friends tells you that it will rain in New York tomorrow. (Du Fuxing， 2005) First, new information, that is it will rain in New York tomorrow your fri
32、end gives could 6 produce the derivation of contextual implications, that is, new information will produce other new information. If you want to go to New York tomorrow and you just guess that it will rain there, the new information would make you bring an umbrella with you. Clearly, here contextual
33、 effect is that new information brings your new decision. It has an impact on you. To understand better, wed better look at another example: A: Can you explain the reason for this accident? B: I have got five minute till the end of this meeting. (He Hongyu， 2009) We infer that A could have different
34、 understandings about Bs answer. (1)There are five minutes till the end of this meeting. (2)The explanation to the reason for this accident is difficult and may need more than five minutes. (3)It is not able to explain the reason for this accident now. We could know that the three assumptions are al
35、l the derivation of contextual implication inferred from Bs answer. Second, new information will eliminate the old context due to a contradiction. If you want to go to New York tomorrow and you guess that it will be sunny, while the new information is inconsistent with the old one. If the new inform
36、ation is credible, then you may get rid of the new information so that new information weakens old context. Here we take another dialog as the instance: A: Could you take care of my sister tonight? B: Id like to, but tomorrow I have an exam. (He Hongyu， 2009) B refuses As request politely, but not d
37、irectly. In this dialog the new information is that B has an exam tomorrow, so B could not take care of As sister tomorrow. We can see that the new information reduces the old context. The last one is that new information will strengthen old context. From the inference above, we could easily underst
38、and this. If you want to go to New York tomorrow and you guess that it will be rain, it would be no longer just guess, make you sure of the weather in New York. Wed better see another example: A: When did you get there? B: Ten p.m. (He Hongyu， 2009) Suppose that A and B attended a party yesterday. T
39、oday they meet again and have a dialog about the part. Of course A knows that B went to the party yesterday. When B gives a definite time, A gets more exact information, for As original information is just yesterday. So we see that new information strengthens old context. In practice, there is another contextual effect, that is, new information does not have any
