ABSTRACT
The Chinese couplet has a long history. Through more than a thousand years' history, the Chinese couplet does not lose it's charm, and instead gains strong popularity among the folks. The Chinese couplets are also available in many chinese literary works like A Dream of Red Mansion. Furthermore, the titles of the chapters in the novel are Chinese couplets. Couplets are so important in this great novel, thus the study of the couplet translation in this novel is of great importance for the translators.
The well known Engligh translator Peter·Newmark brings forth text type theory on the basis of other translation theories, which is the core of his study.
This paper intends to study the couplet translation in the novel A Dream of Red Mansion, giving readers a better idea to appreciate this great novel and the couplets in it. The author puts forth the principles and techniques which must be mastered in couplet translation. Translators should bear two points in mind: the reappearance of aesthetic beauties and conveying of cultural connotation of couplets.
Keywords：Text Type Theory; Couplet translation in A Dream of Red Mansion; Couplets
Contents
1. Introduction 1
2. Review of couplets Couplets 2
2.1 Introduction to couplets 2
2.1.1 History of couplets 2
2.1.1 Linguistic features of couplet 3
2.2 Functions of couplets in A Dream of Red Mansions 4
3. Literature review of couplets translation 5
3.1 Studies on couplet and its translation abroad 5
3.2 Studies on couplet and its translation in China 6
3.3 Comments on previous studies 8
4. Text Type Theory and couplet translation 9
4.1 A review on Peter•Newmark's Text Type Theory 9
4.1.1 Text types and its function 9
4.1.2 Text type and translation methods 10
4.2 The criteria of couplet translation from the perspective of Text Type Theory 11
4.2.1 Representation of three beauties 12
4.2.2 Representation of the cultural images 13
5. Study on couplet translation methods on the basis of Text Type Theory 14
5.1 Methods of translating linguistic elements in couplets 14
5.1.1 Semantic translation 14
5.1.2 Communicative translation 18
5.2 Methods of translating cultural elements in couplets 20
5.2.1 Omission 20
5.2.2 Paraphrase 21
5.2.3 Annotation 21
6. Conclusion 23
Acknowledgements 24
Reference 25
