A Relevance-theoretic Exploration of C-E Translation of the Titles in the Inner Chapters of the Zhuangzi

This paper employs Relevance Theory to perform a comparative analysis of the Chinese-English translation of the titles of the seven Inner Chapters of the Zhuangzi by Fung Yu-lan ([1931] 2015), Burton Watson ([1968] 2013), and Angus Graham ([1981] 2001). It is found that these three translators have different considerations and trade-offs in presenting the connotations of the titles, thus emphasizing different aspects in their choice of translation strategies. In order to offer readers, the optimal contextual effect with minimal cognitive effort, this paper posits that translators are required to interpret the profound connotations of the titles and flexibly employ translation strategies, striving for a dynamic equilibrium between comprehension and expression.