Abstract:

Diplomatic discourse with Chinese characteristics in the new era is a multi-form discourse that combines the solemnity of political discourse with the affability of folk discourse. Its solemnity is a characteristic of the genre itself, while its affability contributes to affect expression and effective communication. Folk language serves as the primary carrier of affability, but its translation studies have not received enough attention. This paper, based on the theory of translator behavior criticism, explores three different ways of representing folk expressions in diplomatic discourse, as well as the reasons for and effectiveness of such representation. It has been found that the different ways of representation do not affect the faithfulness and completeness in conveying China’s attitude.

Key words: folk language, diplomatic discourse, translator behavior criticism, translation effectiveness, Truth-seeking & Utility-attaining, Continuum Mode of Evaluation