Abstract

In light of Nida’s “functional equivalence” , this thesis makes a comparative study of three Chinese-translated versions of The Fall of House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe so as to prove the applicability of the theory to the evaluation of the translation.
Unlike traditional translation theory, the principle of functional equivalence proposed by Nida provides a new set of criteria for translation criticism. According to the principle, a translator should aim to produce a translated-text to be the closest natural equivalent of the original message, in order to be as distinctly understood and felt by the target language receptor as by the source language receptor. Gothic 1iterature, as a form of 1iterature, shares the common characteristics of literature and yet bears its own distinctive features. Gothic literature emphasizes its “horrific effect” on the readers.
This thesis makes a comparative study of the three Chinese-translated versions from two perspectives: first in terms of meaning, second in terms of style. Based on the comparison and analysis, the thesis sums up the major findings and puts forward some suggestions for the further study.

Keywords: functional equivalence; Gothic literature; comparative study

摘　要

本文以美国语言学家和翻译学家奈达提出的功能对等理论为依据，对爱伦•坡《厄舍府倒塌记》的三个中译本进行比较研究，并探索这一理论对于评价哥特文学翻译的可行性。
奈达的功能对等理论突破传统，从另一角度提供了一个翻译批评的标准。即要达到理想的翻译，就要找到与原文最自然且最贴近的对等语，而不是拘泥于单纯的形式对等。换句话说，译文的读者对译文的反应要与原文读者对原文的反应等值。作为文学的一种形式，哥特文学具有文学的一般特征，但又具有不同于一般文学的自身特点。哥特文学格外强调在读者身上起到的“恐怖效果”。
本文结合功能对等理论，从意义和风格两方面对小说的三个中译本进行比较研究，分析它们各自的长处与不足，并对未来的研究提出建议。

关键词： 功能对等；哥特文学；比较研究

1.    Introduction
This thesis is to make a comparative study of three Chinese-translated versions of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher from the perspective of functional equivalence proposed by Eugene A. Nida.
1.1    Objectives of the Research
Nida’s theory of functional equivalence, as one of the most used theories in translation,  has already been applied to the translation of fiction, drama, advertisement, and so on, yet few have used it to study the translation of Gothic literature. From the perspective of functional equivalence, this thesis attempts to make a comparative study of three Chinese versions of the story The Fall of the House of Usher written by Edgar Allan Poe. Through a study of the realization of functional equivalence in the three versions, the thesis seeks to shed some light on the translation of Gothic literature in the future.