公示语汉语地名及英译的转喻解读

Metonymic Analysis of Chinese Place Names in Public Signs and Their English Equivalents

以公示语汉语地名及其英译为研究对象,以转喻认知机制为理论基础,尝试对转喻进行重新分类,进而以公示语地名及其翻译的汉英词汇结构为例,考察转喻机制在语料中的操作模式和解释力。研究发现:1)所有公示语地名都是定中名词结构,包括名名定中和形名定中两类;2)公示语地名构词要素,包括专属词汇和通用词汇,其中专属词汇结合是概念和语义混搭的结果,汉语读音和英译拼音之间存在基于语音象似性的转喻机制;3)通用词汇组成的公示语地名中,部分显示指称转喻现象,汉英均是“名1+名2”或“形+名”定中结构顺序,其他地名不存在明显转喻机制,英译时呈现“名1+名2”和“名1 of名2”两种形式。

On the basis of metonymic cognition, this paper focuses on Chinese names of places in public signs and their English equivalents to reclassify metonymy. Through analysis of the word formation in both languages, it tries to probe into the operative model and explanatory capability that metonymy manifests in place names. It is found that 1) all the names of places in public signs are composed of modifier-head nominal constructions with nouns or adjectives as the modifiers;2) the constituents of the word structures include exclusive vocabulary and common words. The combination of exclusive words is the result of conceptual and semantic “ mixture” which manifests the metonymy between Chinese pronunciation and translated pinyin based on phonetic iconicity;3) Referential metonymies can be found in some place names composed of common words in the sequence of “Noun 1+ Noun 2” or “adjective +noun” structures in both Chinese and English. No obvious metonymies are found in the other constructions whose English equivalents include “Noun 1+ Noun 2” and “Noun1 of Noun 2” in form.