On the Deviating Effect of the English Translations of Rhetorical Movie Lines --- A Case Study of Hi, Mom

Abstract

Lines are considered the main means used by scriptwriters to show plots, depict characters and embody themes. Various figures of speech are employed in lines to enhance their expressiveness and functions by deviating from zero degree as a base point. Taking the movie Hi, Mom, this paper analyzes the deviating effect of the English translations of rhetorical lines at the four levels of morphology, syntax, semantics and logic. According to the analysis, the use of figures of speech in these English lines can achieve the same deviating effect as that of rhetorical Chinese lines; on the other hand, the original deviating effect will be absent from the translations without the application of rhetorical means. Therefore, it is better for translators to adopt rhetorical devices when translating rhetorical lines, which will play a vital role in the success of movies in overseas markets.