The Study of Pun Translation in Zhu Shenghao’s Chinese Version of King Lear from the Perspective of Relevance Theory

Abstract

As one of the most commonly used rhetorical devices by Shakespeare, pun plays a significant role in Shakespeare’s works. In the translation of pun, it is quite important to handle it well so that the target text readers can understand Shakespeare’s works better. There are plenty of puns in King Lear, which brings great challenges to translators. By analyzing the pun translation in Zhu Shenghao’s version of King Lear from the perspective of relevance theory, this paper attempts to prove the explanatory power and guiding role of relevance theory in pun translation. By analyzing the translation of puns, it can figure out whether the translators have provided the best contextual effects and realized the optimal relevance in their translations.