Chapter 4 Lexical Translation I Denotative Meaning Associative Meaning 1. Denotative meaning: (also known as conceptual meaning) is the meaning given in the dictionary and forms the core of the word meaning. It forms the basis for communication as the same word has the same denotative meaning to all the speakers of the same language
Chapter 4 Lexical Translation I. Denotative Meaning & Associative Meaning 1. Denotative meaning: (also known as conceptual meaning) is the meaning given in the dictionary and forms the core of the word meaning. It forms the basis for communication as the same word has the same denotative meaning to all the speakers of the same language
(1) Word-for-word equivalence Some English and Chinese denotative meanings are identical, because some things and phenomena in the world and man's ability and the manner of cognition are identical. So there appears full equivalence between English and Chinese words. This is most evidently shown in proper nouns and technical terms. For example
（1）Word-for-word equivalence Some English and Chinese denotative meanings are identical, because some things and phenomena in the world and man’s ability and the manner of cognition are identical. So there appears full equivalence between English and Chinese words. This is most evidently shown in proper nouns and technical terms. For example:
■拖拉机 tractor 欧姆定律 ohms law 维生素 vitamin 台风 typhoon 马克思主义 Marxism 激光 laser 阿司匹林 Aspirin
拖拉机 tractor 欧姆定律 ohm’s law 维生素 vitamin 台风 typhoon 马克思主义 Marxism 激光 laser 阿司匹林 Aspirin
(2) One word with several equivalents of different meanings(多词多意) ■汉语中有的词,在英语中可以找到多个近义 词来翻译,而这些近义词本身的意义不尽相 同。因此翻译时,需要我们仔细辨别。This is very common in translation. For example
(2) One word with several equivalents of different meanings (多词多意) 汉语中有的词，在英语中可以找到多个近义 词来翻译，而这些近义词本身的意义不尽相 同。因此翻译时，需要我们仔细辨别。This is very common in translation. For example:
笑 Smile (微笑) laugh (出声笑) giggle (咯咯的笑,傻笑) Chuckle ■(抿着嘴笑) Sneer (嘲笑)
笑 Smile （微笑） , laugh （出声笑） , giggle （咯咯的笑，傻笑） , Chuckle （抿着嘴笑） , Sneer （嘲笑）