Application of Register Theory in Practical Writing Translation

来源:中小学教育 作者:张伟丽

 

山东省滨州行知中学   张伟丽
 
摘  要
语域是一种因语言使用的情景不同而引起的变体，由语场，语旨和语式三个变量构成。它将具体的语言变体放在具体的语境中进行研究，将语言的概念意义，人际意义及语篇意义有机地结合起来，进行理解和解释。根据其语域理论，韩礼德认为，翻译过程中译者应使译文再现原文的语域特征，恰当表现原文赖以产生的语场、语旨、语式，使译文与原文的语域特征达成一致。而应用文是一种交际意图与目的，话题比较明显的文体，语域的三个变量特点在应用文体中易于概括与归纳。因此，本文试图将语域理论应用于应用文本的翻译中，通过分析如何在译文中再现原文的语域特征来实现并解释翻译是否对等。
关键字：语域，应用文体，翻译，语域标记
ChapterⅠ Introduction
     This chapter illustrates some background information about this research, which mainly includes the research background, the research objective and significance, research questions and the structure of the whole thesis.
 
 Objective and Significance
Halliday ever pointed that it makes sense to apply the linguistic model to describe the process of translation (Bell, 1991: XVI). Many scholars home and abroad have made some contribution to the translation equivalence from the perspective of functional linguistic theories. However, most of the achievements abroad pay no attention to Chinese, which to some extent, makes the Chinese readers feel far away from them. And there is still not a linguistic mode as a powerful theory to analyze the translation. Therefore, in this thesis, the author aims to make a comprehensive study on the realization of register equivalence in the practical writing by applying register theory, find the register features in each kind of practical writing, what’s more, to prove whether the register theory can be used to analyze the practical translation. 
It is of significance to study the practical translation in that it is widely used in our life. The thesis will elaborate it from two aspects.
Theoretically, this research used register theory to analyze the practical writing translation. As Huang Guowen (2001) says, every discourse has its special register, which is determined by the social context. It is rather easy for people who are familiar with the relative context to find out the aim of the discourse. For example, when you go to buy something in the shop, in China, the salesman will say “你想要点什么”, while in English, he will say “what can I do for you?”. We can see that the two sentences are common in both the question form and the aim. Although they are different in discourse, they have the same structure. So when we translate such discourse, can we find the correspondent expression in each culture? Since practical writing is generally featured by its clear intentions both in Chinese and English, it provides us a chance to realize the translation equivalence. This paper tries to analyze the register features in different practical writings from the perspective of register theory. By doing this, we will realize the register theory’s analysis on the practical translation and find out the feasibility to produce a new path and powerful theory support for the practical translation between Chinese and English.
As for the practical significance, it is believed that the research results of this study will enlighten translator to pay more attention to the register features in translation. Besides, it will provide a standard to judge whether the translation is good or not, which can benefit both us and the foreigners.
Chapter Ⅱ Literature Review
 Historical Review on the Theoretic Exploration of Register
Register theory is one of the main theories in the systematic and functional grammar, also the frequently issue with argument among the scholars. It was closely related to the context and originated from the “British contextualism” (Eggins, S. & Martin, J.R. 1997:237). The early studies on the register theory paid more attentions to the corresponding relationships between the language form and the real situation and mainly explored the language variables in different situations, various with the context.
The concept of “register” was first put forward by Reid in 1956 in his study on the bilingual phenomenon. Then it was further studied by Halliday and some other scholars in 1964 and improved it into the register theory.
Chapter Ⅲ Identification of Register and Register Markers
Before we apply register theory in the practical translation, we have to solve such problems as how can we realize the register equivalence in the source language and target language, what is the register feature in different practical writings and how can we distinguish them so as to realize the equivalence in translation. So before we try to obtain and analyze the register equivalence in practical translation, register markers will be talked about in the first place as they play a dominant role in identifying the register feature between texts.
 Manifestation of Register in Language
From chapter two, we know that register refers to different language varieties used in different situations, varying with the changes of the communicative events. In other words, register is to observe language use in different contexts. Scholars have different suggestions on the definition of register. According to the Language and Semantic Dictionary, register is defined as a language variety with a specific purpose, contrasting with the social or regional dialect. In Halliday’s point of view, register refers to the language variation according to use (Thompson. G, 2008: 37). For example, the language used in teaching is bound to be different from the language used in news comment. Guo Zhuzhang (1989) defined that a certain kind of language, different from the slang, which can be linked with a group, and not the same as a dialect which is related with a fixed place or even an individual’s language type, can only be linked with its occasion. But all roads lead to Rome, and the basic principle in these definitions is the same. And it will be easy for us to understand the definition of register as long as we observe the language in the real context. For instance, the language style of a professor in university and an illiterate grandpa is sharply different, though they may talk about the same topic.  
Now let’s look at a scholar’s introduction on register. The British London School observed the communicative activity from the point of the language user’s communication objective, way and relationship of both sides in the process of language use and put forward the concepts of fields of discourse, modes of discourse, and tenors of discourse.
The fields of discourse can reflect the purpose of the speaker. It is professional or unprofessional, which determines the choice of the language style. The modes of discourse include either oral or written forms with various situations in it such as the stylistic difference between the speech with preparation and the impromptu, and dialogue and monologue. As for the written form, some are written to read and some are to speech which to some extent influences the style as well. The tenor of discourse refers to the relationship between the communicative sides, or the role speakers play in the communication, which is closely related with the language style. In other words, different roles lead to different language style, so the style in speech is distinctively featured by intimateness, squeamishness, reprimand, negotiation and so on.
The fields of discourse, the modes of discourse and the tenors of discourse is the continuum with unlimited index, which in some degree can meet and constitute a register. It is the collection of the specific language background, the specific communicative ways, and the specific purpose to choose appropriate words (Qin Xiubai, 1986: 120).
Previously, we have known that register is the language variety determined by its using occasion: formal or informal, written or colloquial, polite or rude, and so on. But here comes the problems: what is the standardized language, what is a nonstandard language, what is the elegant English, what is the dialect or slang, what is the feature of these languages and some sort of these questions. This is the issue to be discussed in the following section, namely the register marker. Guo Zhangzhu (1989) pointed that register markers exist both in English and Chinese. Although occasions are tremendously different, language suitable for these occasions in terms of their specifications can be divided into, casual languages which include slang, the spoken, informal, familiar languages or regional dialects, etc., common core language, and the language with specification, consisting of the written, formal, polite or elevated language, etc. And register markers is the markers of these three categories. In the following section, the thesis will analyze the register markers both in English and Chinese and compare them.
Chapter Ⅳ Register Equivalence in the Translation of Content-Focused Texts 
Reiss assumed that the kind of text concerns the linguistic elements to be considered when translating (Rhodes, 2004: 27). The practical writing belonging to the content-focused texts covers many areas, such as documents, the product specifications, commercial texts, media texts and the like. These texts are featured by emphasis on the content which is meant a dominant interest in conveying certain matters, data or information. In the next section, the thesis will talk about the register equivalence in the concrete practical writing translation focused on content.
Chapter Ⅵ Conclusions
Through the analysis on different texts in practical writing, we can reach the conclusion that the register theory plays a very important role in guiding the practical translation. In the beginning of the thesis, the author reviewed the origins and development of the register theory, introduced main contribution the three great linguists made to the register theory, and concluded its introduction and influence on scholars in China. Then the writer probed into the previous studies on practical writing translation. Through introducing the contents of register theory and the main features of the practical writing, the author gets the conclusion that register theory is a favorable weapon to analyze the practical writing translation.
Different texts have the different register features, especially in the practical writing, in which the register features can be easily identified in that every type of practical writings has its unique and easily organized register markers. Before the author makes a comprehensive study on the realization of register equivalence in practical translation, a comparison concerning the register sameness and differences was made between English and Chinese language from the perspective of phonetics, semantics, syntactic and discourse. Zhang Meifang (1999) pointed out that in the process of translation, the translator is both the receptor and producer. The translator needs to analyze the discourse before he accepts the original text and while he is going to produce the translation. Then a good translation will be completed through making a comparative analysis. Through the comparison, the thesis concludes that register plays a leading role in understanding and reproducing the original text.
However, in most cases, the fields of the source and target language are the same, if the tenor changes, the mode will change as well because different texts put stress on different language functions. For example, the main function of advertisement text is to convince the audience to accept its product and ideas so it will emphasize the interpersonal function, namely the tenor will be stressed in the translation. Therefore, the author makes a comprehensive study of register equivalence in the specific practical writings, including the sci-tech text, advertising text, commercial text, and the media text and illustrates the different emphasis of language functions in different practical
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