Research on the Chinese Translation of Academic Monographs under the Guidance of Relevance Theory

Abstract

This paper, framed by relevance theory, systematically explores the issues of cognitive inference and contextual reconstruction in the process of translating academic works from Chinese into English. By analyzing translators’ dual grasp of the original author’s intention and the target reader's cognitive context, it is proposed that academic translation should adhere to the principle of optimal relevance. The study employs a combination of text analysis and case comparison, focusing on the translation strategies of core elements such as proper nouns and culture-loaded words, complex sentences to reveal the guiding value of relevance theory for academic translation practice. This paper verifies the applicability of relevance theory in the Chinese translation of academic works through specific case analysis. It finds that translators need to establish a dynamic balance between the intention of the original author and the cognition of the target reader, and achieve effective information transmission through means such as expliciting implicit information and adjusting context dynamically. The research conclusion indicates that relevance theory not only provides methodological guidance for academic translation, but also reveals the path to achieve cross-cultural cognitive equivalence.