Context Adaptation and Marine Engineering English Translation

Abstract

On the basis of Verschueren's theory of contextual adaptation, the paper discusses the influences of context adaptation to marine engineering English translation, especially to the restriction of word meaning. Translators should choose the word meaning complying with the scientific context of marine engineering English, and pay attention to the assimilation, fusion and implicit phenomenon of words in translation, so as to effectively guide and promote our translation and teaching. Index Terms - context adaptation; marine engineering English; translation. I. Introduction Context occupies an important position and of great values in modern linguistics the field. It is an important content in disciplines as pragmatics, social linguistics, translation, semantics, rhetoric, etc. Linguists both home and abroad has made many wonderful descriptions and classifications of context (1,2). In 1999, Verschueren reclassified context in his new book Understanding Pragmatics: communicative context and linguistic context. He stated the dynamic process of context adaptation and language use from a brand-new angle of view. During the process of translation, the translator should choose the appropriate language adapting to different language structures and different context so as to gain the best effect of translation. In recent years, linguists have had intensive studies about context adaptation and translation strategies, but not for marine engineering English translation strategy. As an examination subject of marine engineering majors in navigation colleges to gain professional certificates of competency, marine engineering English has a lot of difficulties in translation. Many students know all the words' dictionary meanings, but still can't translate them into Chinese smoothly. Based on Verschueren's theory of contextual adaptation, the paper discusses the influences of context adaptation to marine engineering English translation, especially to the restriction of word meaning, so as to effectively guide and promote our translation and teaching. II . Context adaptation