英語雙關語及其翻譯

1、英語雙關語及其翻譯 08-05-20 10:01:00 作者：潘燕瓊編輯：studa0714Abstract English pun is one of the important figures of speech, and it is widely used in various literary works, such as poems, novels, stories, advertisements and riddles, etc. Based on the definitions of English pun, this paper points out that homonyms

2、, homophones, and homographs are available to construct puns. According to the characteristics and functions of their formation, Lv Xu divided English pun into three types, they are homophonic puns, homographic puns, puns on both pronunciation and meaning. English pun takes advantage of its distinct

3、ive features in nature and tries to produce ambiguity on purpose in order to get the effect of aiming at a pigeon and shooting at a crow. English puns can achieve many effects: humor, satire, vivid expression of the characters feelings, which can increase the beauty of language and improve readabili

4、ty in order to attract the readers interest. However, the translation of English pun is always considered to be extremely difficult. Many people even consider puns as “untranslatable”. Since there is much difference between Chinese and English in phonology and morphology, it is difficult to find equ

5、ivalence both in sound and in meaning in the target language for a translator. But there is no source text that is absolutely untranslatable; the translation of puns is possible to a certain extent. This paper introduces 3 main types to translate English puns. They are literal translation, free tran

6、slation, and annotated translation. Key Words English pun; classification; characteristics; function; translation【摘 要】 英語雙關語是重要的修辭格之一，這種修辭格廣泛運用于各種文學作品，如詩歌、小說、故事、廣告及謎語中。本文在英語雙關的定義基礎上提出了同形同音異義詞、同音異義詞、同形異義詞，這3種詞可構成雙關。并根據其結構成分所起的作用，再仔細地探討了呂煦把英語雙關主要分為三類：同音雙關、同詞雙關、音義雙關。英語雙關利用其特有的本質特點，故意造成歧義，來達到言在此而意在彼的特殊效

7、果。英語雙關語的應用能起到一種詼諧幽默，冷嘲熱諷，形象生動的作用并能充分體現人物的性格特征，加強語言的美感，提高該作品的可讀性來引起讀者的興趣。然而，英語雙關語的翻譯又是極其困難的，很多人甚至認為是不可譯的，因為英漢兩種語言的語音不同，兩種語言的多義詞并不能一一對應，但英語雙關語還是存在一定的可譯性。本文主要介紹3種主要翻譯方法：直譯法，意譯法，注釋法。 【關鍵詞】 英語雙關語；分類；本質特點；作用；翻譯1. IntroductionIn a certain context, a word or phrase that is relevant to two or more conception

8、s, ideas or feelings is often employed to make an expression more effective or humorous. This is achieved when there exists identity or similarity between certain words in such aspects as pronunciation, formation or meaning. This identity or similarity produces double meanings, which enables people

9、to connect naturally the literal meaning with the implied meaning. Of these two meanings, the implied meaning is the principal part.This is what we call the use of pun. “The use of pun dates back to ancient days. Shakespeare favored pun particularly. It is estimated that there are about 3000 puns em

10、ployed in Shakespeares works 1.” The employment of pun in English novels, poems, speeches, advertisements and riddles makes them highly readable and prompts people to appreciate the beauty of language. And the translation of English puns into Chinese enhances the charm of the original works and the

11、understanding of the version.2. Definition and classification of puns2.1 Definition of punsLooking at the same issue from different perspectives, we may often come up with different definitions of the thing under discussion. And, not surprisingly, pun can be thus defined in many ways. There is such

12、a humorous explanation about pun: “punning to torture one poor word ten thousand ways (John Dryden)”2.In Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, pun is defined as “An amusing use of a word or phrase that has two meanings, or words with the same sound but different meanings”3 . According to The O

13、xford English Dictionary, pun is defined as “the use of word in such a way as to suggest two or more meanings or different associations, or the use of two or more words of the same or nearly the same sound with different meanings, so as to produce a humorous effect”4. In Princeton Encyclopedia of Po

14、etry and Poetics, pun is defined as “A figure of speech depending upon a similarity of sound and a disparity of meaning”5.From the above definitions, we can see that homonyms, homophones, and homographs all are available to construct puns with.2.1.1 HomonymsA homonym is a word that is identical to a

15、nother word in pronunciation and spelling but not in meaning 6. For example:(1) Can: n. & v. Put something in a container Can: modal verb Be able to (2) Change: v. To become different Change: n. Money in the form of coins(3) Bear: v. Sustain responsibility; endure difficulty, etc Bear: n. A kind of

16、animal, having thick fur and walking on its soles(4) Book: n. A written or printed work Book: v. Engage (a seat etc.) in advance; make a reservation of 2.1.2 HomophonesA homophone is a word that is identical to another word in pronunciation but not in spelling and meaning.For example:(5) Bale: n. A

17、large bundle Bail: v. To remove water from a boat(6) Knew: v. Past of know New: adj. Of recent origin or arrival(7) Soul: n. Spiritual or immaterial part of man, held to survive death Sole: n. Lower surface of human or other foot(8) Pair: n. A set of two persons or things used together or regarded a

18、s a unit Pear: n. A yellowish or brownish-green fleshy fruit, tapering towards the stalk2.1.3 HomographsA homograph is a word that is identical to another word in spelling but not in pronunciation and meaning.For example:(9) Minute: n. Sixtieth part of an hour Minute: adj. Very small; trifling(10) D

19、igest: v. To change food in the stomach into a form your body can use Digest: n. A short piece of writing that gives the most important facts from a book, report etc(11) Lead: v. Guide by the hand, direct movements of Lead: n. A kind of metal(12) Wind: n. Air in more or less rapid natural motion Win

20、d: v. Go in circular, spiral course2.2 Classification of English punsConcerning the classification of puns, different linguists have different standpoints. As He Shanfen states in “Contrastive Studies of English and Chinese-Languages”, puns can be roughly divided into three kinds. They are named ant

21、alaclasis, paronomasia and syllepsis 7. Here the author uses two examples to explain the first two parts. Antalaclasis refers to a word used twice or more, but each time with a different meaning. For example:(13) To England will I steal and there Ill steal.The first “steal” means “to go to England s

22、ecretly without being noticed”, while the second “steal” is used in its most commonly used meaning.Paronomasia is the use of two words, which are similar in pronunciation but different in meaning. For example:(14) Catch the Raincheetahs and cheat the rain. Here “raincheetahs” is the brand name of th

23、e product. It is pronounced similarly to “raincheater” which echoes to “cheat the rain”. In “English Writing and Rhetoric” written by Prof. WenJun, a more specific means of classification brings about five categories of puns 8 : homophonic pun, paronomasia, antalaclasis, Sylletic pun and asteimus.Ho

24、wever, according to Li Xinhua, in his work, “A Detailed Study of Figures of Speech in English”, he points that those five categories classified by Prof. Wenjun are clear but over-elaborate. In summary, it is clearer to divide into these two types: one is homophonic pun, the other is homographic pun.

25、 He also points out that, in those five categories, No1 and No2 belong to the homophonic pun; the others belong to the homographic pun, which is the way to bring complication into simplicity. And it is easier to master the characteristics of figure of speech. However, as Lv Xu states in “Practical E

26、nglish Rhetoric”, according to the characteristics and functions of their formation, puns can be divided into three types9: homophonic puns, homographic puns, puns on both pronunciation and meaning.2.2.1 Homophonic punsIt is the use of words with the same or similar pronunciation but different spell

27、ings and meanings. It also called phonetic puns, and phonetic pun is the basic form of English pun. In our daily communication, phonetic is the carrier of transferring information. According to psycholinguistics, speech communication is a process of psychological activities from encoding to decoding

28、. When speakers employ the order of thinking-meaning-voice to transmit outside, it is called encoding; when listeners employ the order of voice-meaning-thinking to process and try to understand, it is called decoding. The inter-processing only relies on hearing, lacking visual sense, and it will cau

29、se ambiguity in understanding. For example:(15) “How is bread made?”“I know that!” Alice cried eagerly. “You take some flour”“Where do you pick the flower?” The white Queen asked. “In a garden or in the hedges?”“Well, it isnt picked at all.” Alice explained. “Its ground”“How many acres of ground?” s

30、aid the white Queen.10(Lewis Carrol: Alices Adventures in Wonderland)In this example, “flower” and “flour” have the same pronunciation but quite different in meaning. The adoption of the homophonic pun makes the dialogue more vivid, humorous. Moreover, “ground” can be understood as “solid surface of

31、 the earth”, and also can be understood as “the past of grind”. (16) Drunk drivers often put the quart before the hearse.Here, “quart” is similar to “cart” in sound, while “hearse” is similar to “horse”. This sentence can construct homophonic pun by borrowing from the idiom “put the cart before the

32、horse”, which means “put or say things in the wrong order”. This pun is driving at warning the addicting drivers that driving after drink is a kind of suicide.(17) “Waiter, theres a hair in my soup.”“So sorry, sir. Did you order it without?”“Hair” here means “one of the fine thread-like strands that

33、 grow from the skin of people and animals”, while the waiter understand it on purpose as “hare”. “Hare” means “an animal cooked as ordered food”. The customer is complaining about the bad condition of the restaurant, but by using the homophonic pun, the waiter is being humorous to ease away the comp

34、laint.2.2.2 Homographic punsIt is the crafty use of the features of homonyms or polysemy to express the double meanings. Take the following as an example,(18) Some boys think Im pretty and some boys think Im ugly. What do you think, Tom?- A bit of both.- What do you mean?- Pretty uglyAs an adjective

35、, “pretty” means “pleasing and attractive”, therefore, the last sentence can be understood as “she is both attractive and ugly”, while as an adverb, “pretty” means “rather, fairly”, so the sentence also means “she is very ugly”. Tom employs the “pretty” beautifully, it is a polysemy. And we can lear

36、n about the humor in the dialogue.(19) The clerk: Are you engaged? Augustus: What business is that of yours? However, if you will take the trouble to read the society papers for this week, you will see that I am engaged to Honorable Lucy Popham, youngest daughter of The clerk: That isnt what I mean.

37、 Can you see a female? Augustus: Of course. I can see a female as easily as a male. Do you suppose I am blind? The clerk: You dont seem to follow me; somehow, there is a female downstairs, what you might call a lady. She wants to know, can you see her if I let her up.11- G. B. Shaw Augustus Does His

38、 BitIn the play, two puns are employed. First, the phrase “be engaged in sth” means “be occupied or busy”; “be engaged to sb” means “agreed to marry sb”. Second, the verb “see” is understood as “have an interview with sb; meet sb” in the clerk, while Augustus interpret it as “whether he has the powe

39、r of sight”. “Are you engaged?” here according to the clerk, he wants to ask Augustus whether he is busy or not? But Augustus understands it as “agreed to marry sb”. We can learn from this dialogue sparkling with humorous and wit that Augustus is thinking about women all day long.(20) The number of

40、attorneys who die without a will is amazing. Even where there is no will, there is a way. 12 The first “will” means “statement, document”; the second means “a persons power can direct his thoughts or influence others”.Michael Demarest uses this homographic pun to tell us the difference between chron

41、ic procrastination and purposeful postponement and make a great satire.2.2.3 Puns on both pronunciation and meaning This kind of pun often embodies the special names of figures in the literary work. When the authors want to portray a person, they often employ this kind of pun to give the person a sp

42、ecial name in order to reveal the figures character, behavior and fate. Lv Xu expounds this kind of pun with originality; he thinks that the use of this kind of pun can be vivid in stressing the figure and portraying the character of the figure. Take the following as an example,(21) In Shakespeares

43、“King Henry IV”, Sir John Falstatff is not a character who thinks and acts in one or the same way. “In appearance, he is kind, noble, wit and brave, however, in fact, he is a selfish, coward, licentious and wicked man a truly false stuff 13. And the word “Falstatff” is similar to “false stuff” in pr

44、onunciation. Another example goes like this: In Gilbert Highets “The Philosopher and the Conqueror”, this sentence “A titter broke out from the elegant Greeks, who were already beginning to make jokes about the cur that looked at the king.”14 Here “the cur” refers to Diogenes the philosopher on one

45、hand, Diogenes acted very rudely toward the great conqueror that everyone else respected and admired, and on the other hand, Diogenes is a cynic philosopher. And the origin of the word “cur” is the Greek word kunikos, meaning “a dog”. So “cur” is a typical feature of Diogene, and the image of Diogen

46、e is vivid to us. In R.B.Sheridans “The School for Scandal”, Lady Sneerwell, Sir Benjamin Backbite and Captain Boastall are famous for their respective features: Sneerwell does well in sneering, Benjamin Backbite usually spreads calumnious rumors behind ones back; and Captain Boastall likes to talk

47、big. From the above examples, we can see the feature of this kind of pun is to use an objects traits to express the object itself. And this feature also can be found in another figure of speech metonymy. For example,(22) The boiled lobster walked into the office.Here “boiled lobster” refers to Brita

48、in soldier, because Britain soldiers often wear red uniform.(23) Soapy stood still with his hands in his pockets and smiled at the sight of brass buttons.“Brass buttons” is one of the features of American cop uniform, so here it refers to police.The above analysis indicates that pun is in a certain

49、extent connected with metonymy, about this point; Li Xinhuas point is good for understanding the interrelation. He thinks, “English pun belongs to the category of metonymy 15”. Metonymy is a figure of speech that has to do with the substitution of the name of one thing for that of another, in essenc

50、e, so does pun. Pun is the use of a word with same or similar pronunciation to express the different meanings, or the use of the same word to suggest different meanings. In a word, no matter it is pronunciation or spelling, it always does with the substitution of the name of one thing for that of an

51、other. Therefore, “the substitution of the name of A for B” is the common feature of pun and metonymy. However, we cant mix them up, because the formation of puns possesses the following two characteristics.3. Characteristics of English punThe formation of English pun needs two fundamental condition

52、s: ambiguity anddouble context.3.1 AmbiguityThe first characteristic of a pun is that the focus of its meaning lies in its ambiguity. No matter whether they are homophones or homographs, the speaker aims to achieve an ambiguity. Ambiguity can be divided into positive and passive ambiguity. Putting t

53、he word in the wrong place to cause ambiguity and impairing the effectiveness is called passive ambiguity, while using the polyseme on purpose to enhance the effectiveness is called positive ambiguity. In our daily communication, we try to avoid the presence of ambiguity, but as for puns we delibera

54、tely create ambiguity. That is because the essence of a pun lies in its ambiguity. For example,(24) - What kind of money do girls like the most? - Matrimonywe must admit that it is very difficult to translate the pun in this example into Chinese without losing its original flavor. However, it is a p

55、erfect example of puns in English. The ending element “mony” of the word “Matrimony” has the similar sound with that of the word “money”, which is considered as a homophonic pun. It is implied to us that girls expect to change their social and economic statuses through marriage. This pun is very hum

56、orous and ironic. Lets look at another example,(25) King: my cousin Hamlet, and my son How is it that the clouds still hang on you? Hamlet: Not so, my lord, I am too much in the sun.16 - Shakespeare, HamletHere “sun” and “son” have the same sound but ambiguity, Hamlet used this ambiguity skillfully

57、to hint his complaining emotion in the indirect way. The king pretended to be intimate with Hamlet and call him “son”, however, Hamlet responded that “I am too much in the sun”. The surface meaning is that he dries in the sun for a long time, but actually, it suggests that Hamlet couldnt bear to be

58、his uncles son any longer. Keep in mind that the central and basic phenomenon on which puns operates is ambiguity. A pun intentionally employs phonemic or semantic conditions to suggest one meaning on the surface while hiding another. We can find theoretical support for the ambiguity of puns. Li Xinhua maint