Abstract: Emerging in the mid 1980s, Mo Yan is considered as one of the most important writers of contemporary China.His works are influenced by modern Western Literary trends and several foreign authors. However, his works are rooted deeply in Chinese. Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out may be Mo Yan's most ambitious project yet.In this article, there are many foregroundings. Foregrounding is a writing technique that has been used by many writers and to some, it has become their unique characteristic. Professor Ye Zinan is the first to advocate the application of foregrounding theory in translation study and practice. With the theory of foregrounding and translation proposed by professor Yi Zinan and the classification of foregroundings by stylist Geoffrey.N,Leech as theoretical basis,this thesis analyzes the translation of foregrounding language in the English version of Mo Yan’s novel Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out by Howard Goldblatt, and proposes some translation principles and procedures on the translation of foregrounding language.

Key words: Foregrounding; translation; Mo Yan; Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out 

CONTENTS

摘要

Abstract

1. Introduction-6

2. Literature Review and Theoretical Framework-7

  2.1 Definition of foregrounding-7

  2.2 Development of foregrounding-8

  2.3 The Thoughts Proposed by Ye Zinan-9

  2.4. Theoretical Basis by Leech Geoffrey-9

3. The Translation of Foregrounding language in Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out-10

  3.1 The Translation of Paradigmatic Foregrounding-10

    3.1.1 Lexical Deviation-10

    3.1.2 Dialectal Deviation-11

    3.1.3 Register Deviation-12

  3.2. The Translation of Syntagmatic Foregrounding-13

4. Conclusion-13

Bibliography.14

Acknowledgements-14