Abstract:

Hong Lou Meng is acknowledged as the encyclopedia of Chinese feudal society because of its abundant description of traditional Chinese culture in ancient China. In the novel there are more than four hundred characters and their names only are worth studying. For a translator the translation of names in the novel is a challenge as they often have important implication. In this thesis, the author focuses on name translation in the two English versions of Hong Lou Meng respectively by Yang Xianyi and David Hawkes. The thesis is intended to find out some general rules of name translation and differences of the two versions. In the first part, there is a brief introduction to the original text and the two versions. In the second part, the author will analyze the similarities in translation methods. In the third part, differences will be explored. Finally there is a conclusion. The author hopes that further researchers can gain some inspiration through this thesis and more researches will be conducted on the field of name translation.

Key words: name translation; similarities; differences; transliteration; free translation

摘要：

《红楼梦》描述了古代中国的传统文化，被公认为“一部反映中国封建社会的百科全书”。小说中有超过四百个人物名称，这些名称本身就值得研究。对译者而言，小说中的名称翻译就是一个挑战，因为它们经常具有重要内涵。本文作者聚焦杨宪益及大卫.霍克斯两位译者《红楼梦》译文中的名称翻译，论文旨在发现名称翻译中的一些一般规律及两种译本中的不同点。论文第一部分简要介绍小说原文及以上译本； 在第二部分中，论文作者分析了两种译本中名称翻译方法的共同点。第三部分探讨名称翻译的不同点。最后一部分为结论。本文作者希望其它研究者能从本文中受到启发，对名称翻译进行进一步的研究。

关键词：名称翻译；共同点；不同点；音译；意译。

1. Introduction
   With the development of communication with other countries, Chinese people have gained more chances to get in touch with foreign cultures. At the same time, Chinese culture is receiving growing attention, which explains why more and more Chinese classics are translated into English and other foreign languages. Hong Lou Meng is generally acknowledged as the encyclopedia of the Chinese feudal society for its abundant description of traditional Chinese culture. Cao Xueqin, the writer of the novel, skillfully used the sound and form of a name to imply something. In the novel, Names play an important role in helping the readers trace the plot of the complicated story. The author uses rhetorical devices in the names of characters, indicating his attitudes or implying the plot development. Generally speaking, a name is the most universal language form in human society and a special sign to distinguish a person from others. For literary works, names have other significance.