Abstract

Foregrounding, simply speaking, is the deviation of normal and standard language purposely employed by authors to serve their ends. In other words, foregrounding language in literary works marks the unique style of the author; therefore, the theory has long been applied to stylistic analysis. Similes and metaphors are, due to figurativeness and unusualness, in a sense foregrounding language. This thesis applies the foregrounding theory to translation of metaphor and simile in literary works. It begins with a general review of the development of foregrounding study, then discusses metaphor and simile translation within the framework of foregrounding theory, and finally proposes feasible translation strategies for metaphor and simile translation together with specific example analysis.

Key words: foregrounding, simile and metaphor, translation, literature
 
摘要

简言之，前景即偏离常规或标准的语言。在文学作品中，作者常运用前景语言实现其创作目的。因此，前景化语言集中体现作者的风格。长期以来，前景化理论一直应用于文体学分析。比喻是形象化非常规语言，从某种意义来说，是前景语言。本文即从前景语言角度探讨比喻的翻译，将前景化理论应用于比喻翻译。本文首先详细介绍前景化理论的发展，其次从前景化角度出发探讨比喻翻译，最后通过翻译实例分析提出合适的比喻翻译策略。

关键词：前景化，比喻，翻译，文学
 
1. Introduction
The concept of foregrounding is first introduced into visual art, which means that bright objects, in contrast to dark ones that form the background, stand out as the foreground. This term is soon borrowed by Russian formalists at the turn of the 20th century to analyze literary language, especially poetic language. Among the most prestigious scholars, Victor Shklovsky holds that foregrounding is what makes literature literary by defamiliarizing what people deem as usual and normal. Prague School further enriches the foregrounding theory. One of its leading figures, Jan Mukarovsky, points out that everyday language tends to be so rigid in some way that it loses the capability to attract people’s attention.