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To begin with, I want to state what motivates me to choose puns and their translation as the subject of my thesis. Firstly, puns seem omnipresent, they are very common in both English and Chinese language. In fact, we may encounter puns frequently when we are reading, watching TV programs, doing shopping, etc. Even some proper names may also be punned on. Secondly, people hold quite different opinions about puns. Punning was thought to be the lowest form of wit, but it was also considered to be the foundation of all wit. Actually, puns require more sophisticated and subtle language skill although they simply depend on finding two words which sound similar or spell the same. These are the main reasons why I have made efforts to discuss such a topic as the translation of puns. I hope my study will throw some light to the puns and their translation.
Translation is one of the oldest human activities and it has played an invaluable role of maintaining the stability of the world. Translation aims to understand each other and get rid of differences. In the process of China entering twenty—first century, we should be fully aware of the importance of translation, make the world have a better understanding of China. In the new historical period, we should put forward our Chinese culture.源Y自Z优尔W.论~文'网·www.youerw.com
2. Literature Review
Advertising is as old as civilization and has been used as means of communicating the need to buy and sell goods, even for the sales of slaves in ancient times (Jefkins,1985).In language translation school in Moscow, study of pragmatic translation becomes one of the focus of the research. Research on pragmatic translation contains two aspects: first, reproduce the potential of the original language, second, to ensure the proper response of recipients. Many translators still feel the translation process should include two programs: reproduce the characteristics of the source text form faithfully and in one case and adjust to a different target audience. Since the 1960s, with the development of modern linguistics, translation studies have come to a new stage. New theories spring out and tend to be flexible. Research on pragmatic translation according to the characteristics of their own language, from the original introduction to applied research. Besides, research on pragmatic translation tends to be inclusive and equitable. In 1980s, domestic and foreign pragmatics studies focus on introducing and evaluating the western theory of pragmatic function. After entering the 1990s, domestic and foreign research on pragmatic function forms an upsurge quickly.
2.1 The definition of puns
Looking at the same problem from a different perspective, we might come up with different definitions under discussion. And, not surprisingly, pun can be defined in many ways. There is a pun on such a humorous explanation: punning --to torture one poor word ten thousand ways. In the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, the definition of puns is an interesting use of the words or phrases have two meanings and with the same sound. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, pun is defined as ― in such a way that the use of the word is to indicate that two or more meanings or different organizations or use the same or nearly the same sound with different meanings of two or more words, in order to produce a humorous effect. In poetry and poetics (Green, Roland, 2012: 98) Princeton Encyclopedia, pun is defined as a figure of speech depending on a similarity of sound and a disparity of meaning. From the above definitions, we can see that homonyms, homophones, and homographs used to construct pun with the so-called pun that refers to the use of a word to suggest two or more layers of meaning or different associations, or use more homophones or near syllable antonym words(徐鹏，1996: 136).