Metaphor Translation from the Perspective of Cognitive Linguistics

【Abstract】Cognitive linguistics holds that metaphor is not only a linguistic phenomenon but also an important cognitive way of mankind. This paper explores the concrete strategy of the metaphor translation from the cognitive point of view so that the translation can convey the textual information accurately and can be accepted by the target language reader.

【Key words】cognitive linguistics； translation； metaphor

1. Metaphorical Cognition

Metaphors are prevalent in peoples everyday language and are closely related to peoples thinking activities and behaviors. Famous cognitive linguist， Lakoff and Johnson， argue that the general system of human thoughts and actions is fundamentally metaphorical. So it is very constructive and practical to understand what metaphor and its meaning to everyday language. Cognitive theory holds that all languages are metaphorical and metaphor runs through the whole process of our speech act. Metaphor is not only a language phenomenon， but also a rooted way in our language， thinking and culture. Modern metaphor profoundly and comprehensively discusses the characteristics and essence of metaphor. It describes and interprets the various functions of metaphor in order to establish a theoretical framework of metaphor.

2. Metaphor Translation

The essence of metaphor determines that the metaphorical cognitive way of thinking is the interrelated， projected and reflected cognitive process between two different fields. Metaphor originated from the existing knowledge in the real world， Human beings rely on background knowledge and experience through the different cognitive fields linked to each other to explain the interpretation of strange abstract concept domain， with a familiar experience of the specific structure. People intend to make the correct recognition and recognition of the target domain， thus generating metaphor. Metaphor can also be studied through human psychological and cognitive perspectives. Cognitive linguistics holds that the metaphorical transformation of a language symbol can be transformed with each other in different cultures. The traditional translation theory is influenced by rhetoric， stylistics and structuralism linguistics.

3. Cognitive Strategies

Nida pointed out that the focus of translation should not be the form of language， but should be the readers response to the translation. Based on different geographical environment， historical background and philosophical origin， different people have different modes of thinking， cognitive way and way of thinking， so the metaphor of different language and culture has both the same nature and the same side.endprint

3.1 Literal Translation

Cognitive linguistics holds that language is the result of the interaction between cognition and objective world. It is prerequisite for cognition. Language is a symbolic system consistent with conceptual structure. Based on the same understanding of the objective world reflected in the different languages， the common language is not in the form of language and it is the human cognitive psychology. Because humans have a common physiological structure （sensory and physical structure） and the same psychological basis， the cognitive abilities of different nationalities are very close. The experience of different people facing the same objective world has a large degree of similarity， so the language of different cultural backgrounds （including metaphors） is capable of translating.

3.2 Liberal Translation

Liberal translation refers to the differences between different languages and ethnic groups in the aspects of ecological culture， language culture， religious culture， material culture and social culture， and it retains the theme and outline of the original text according to the original meaning of the translation rather than verbatim translation. The use of literal translation can reflect the language characteristics of target language culture. In the translation of certain cultural features of the metaphor， the translator sometimes needs to abandon the image of the body and the use of liberal translation method to facilitate the reader to understand. This strategy is usually used when the source language concept domain representation in the target language culture can not achieve cognitive equivalence， people must be through the concept domain in the target language metaphor to translate.

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作者簡介：郭慧瑩（1993-），女，漢族，黑龍江齊齊哈爾人，碩士研究生，哈爾濱師范大學英語語言文學專業(yè)，研究方向：英語語言學。endprint