Types of Explicitation within the Texts in Chinese-English Translation—A Case Study on the Translation of Chapter Titles of Hong Lou

Abstract

Explicitation or explicitness means to make something implied explicit and clear. It is regarded as one of the translation universals and has been studied by many researchers all over the world. Because of the great difference between English and Chinese and their cultures, some different and special types of explicitation should be adopted in Chinese-English translation in order to meet the needs of the readers, the language and the function of the text. On the basis of detailed analysis of the translation of the chapter titles of Hong Lou Meng and the comparison of three translations, three types of explicitation commonly used within the text in Chinese-English translation come to the foreground. The three types of explicitation within the text are those of subjects, of cohesion and coherence and of grammatical meanings. This research may help translators in their Chinese-English translation practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]