An Incongruity Theory-based Approach to Interpreting and Translating Literary Humor: A Case Study of The Republic of Wine

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2022.02.015

Abstract

Abstract:

Humorous expression is one of the artistic means to achieve a unique style in literary works and its translation needs to be dealt with properly. However, up to now there remains much room for exploring further the nature of literary humor and its translation. Accordingly, this paper, starting with the theory of incongruity, attempts to explain the literary humor and its cognitive mechanism. Thereafter, samples of both Chinese and their English translation are taken from The Republic of Wine for a comparative study to illustrate whether the English translation can represent the humorous tone of the original. The study is intended to reveal the nature and cognitive mechanism of literary humor so that we are informed of a more insightful view on the translatability of literary humor.

Key words: literary humor, theory of incongruity, cognitive mechanism and categories of literary humor, translation of humor in The Republic of Wine

CLC Number:

H059

ZHOU Hongmin. An Incongruity Theory-based Approach to Interpreting and Translating Literary Humor: A Case Study of The Republic of Wine[J]. Contemporary Foreign Languages Studies, 2022, 22(2): 148-155.

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