ABSTRACT

With the rapid development of the Internet, an increasing number of people prefer to communicate online. As a result, network catchwords are springing up in a great number everyday to express things of widespread concern and new phenomena.  Due to the increasingly frequent foreign exchanges and cultural influence, these network catchwords begin to receive much attention and a lot of researches about them have been conducted by many scholars both at home and abroad. Their studies are done from different perspectives, such as the cross-cultural perspective or the ecological angle, etc. 

Based on those studies, this thesis analyzes the main features of Chinese network catchwords, which are concise, high-efficient, novel, creative as well as entertaining. Because most Chinese network catchwords are heavily loaded with Chinese culture, many difficulties arise in the process of translation. Guided by Nida’s Functional Equivalence Theory, this thesis points out the difficulties and problems which occur in the translation of current Chinese Internet catchwords into English. To cope with those problems, this paper puts forward some translation methods such as literal translation, free translation and transliteration. This paper is intended to be of help to translators and facilitate cross-cultural communication. 

Keywords：Chinese network catchwords; Functional Equivalence Theory; translation

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABSTRACT

摘要

Chapter One INTRODUCTION-1

Chapter Two LITERATURE REVIEW-3

Chapter Three CHINESE NETWORK CATCHWORDS-5

 3.1 Definition of Chinese Network Catchwords-5

 3.2 Formation of Chinese Network Catchwords-6

 3.2.1 New meaning of existent Words-6

 3.2.2 Newly created catchwords-6

 3.2.3 Homophones -7

 3.3 Features of Chinese Network Catchwords-7

 3.3.1 Concise and high-efficient-7

 3.3.2 Novel and creative-8

 3.3.3 Entertaining and implict-9

Chapter Four FUNCTIONAL EQUIVALENCE THEORY-10

 4.1 Content of Functional Equivalence Theory-10

 4.1.1 Formal equivalence-10

 4.1.2 Dynamic equivalence-11

 4.1.3 Functional equivalence-11

 4.2 Significance of Functional Equivalence Theory-11

Chapter Five TRANSLATION OF CHINESE NETWORK CATCHWORDS-13

 5.1 Difficulties and Problems in the Translating Process-13

 5.2 Translation Principles of Chinese Network Catchwords-14

 5.3 Methods of Chinese Network Catchwords Translation-14

5.3.1 Literal translation-14

5.3.2 Free translation-16

 5.3.3 Transliteration-16

5.3.4 Affixation-17

Chapter Six CONCLUSION -19

WORKS CITED -21