본문 바로가기
  • Home

Translation Choices of Embedded Clauses: A Systemic Functional Linguistics Perspective

Mira Kim 1 Jason Heffernan 1 Bosheng Jing 1

1The University of New South Wales

Accredited

ABSTRACT

Translation is the product of a decision-making process during which the translator constantly decides whether s/he wants to choose the same linguistic choice made in the Source Text or to make a translation shift by making a different linguistic choice. In this process, the translator considers a number of contextual variables and typological differences between the two languages concerned. Some of the shifts are made nearly automatically; others made with much consideration and hesitation. One of those shifts which may make translators stop and consider a few options is that associated with nominal groups modified by embedded clauses, which are referred to as defining relative clauses in traditional grammar. It is particularly so when translation takes place between languages in which the position of these embedded clauses is different, as in the case of English and Chinese (Fang and Wu 2009). This study sets out to explore how this challenging issue has been addressed in translated texts of different languages using the French novel Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry as the ST and its translations in English, Chinese and Korean, drawing on Systemic Functional Linguistics as its theoretical framework.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.