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It is of great necessity and importance to probe into the function of one of the register variables—field in translating—reconstructing textual coherence. Based on the explication of concrete examples of E-C translation, field, as a parameter function of meaning reconstruction in a target text, is hopefully brought to light. This research is thus expected to help a translator or a translation researcher realize that people frequently ignore the relevance between register variables and translation. If the parameter function of field is ignored in the process of translation, the textual function of TT will be greatly different from that of ST, as a matter of course. Keywords—translating; register variables; parameter function of field; textual coherence reconstruction I. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS Both the source text (ST) and the target text (TT) are products of linguistic activities in a certain context. Therefore, the context is one of the most fundamental requisites when a specific text comes into being. Context is referred to as an immediate environment for linguistic activities, so the nature of context is both linguistic and non-linguistic. “According to Gregory & Caroll, a contextual element consists of three parts: field of discourse, tenor of discourse and mode of discourse, i.e., field, tenor and mode.” (Hu Zhuangling, 2005: 274) Field, tenor and mode, therefore, are seen as the most basic elements of register variable which are categorized into some contextual parameters. So far as language is concerned, context is composed by such elements as field, tenor and mode. Field refers to such situational factors as subject matter and settings. Field, however, is an inseparable part of context and one of the conditions where ST or TT is constructed or reconstructed. As an inseparable part of context, field, which produces potential impact on the formation of TT, has long been beyond notice. The textual reconstruction in translating, as a matter of fact, can never do without the involvement of such a variable as field owing to the fact that context is firstly pre-existent, i.e., co-exists with ST; secondly, field needs to be reconstructed in TT. Thus, one of the purposes of building any ST or rebuilding any TT must be based upon the building or rebuilding of field. This realization demonstrates that the interrelation between field and construction of ST or TT is just like the one between tongue and lip. Translating means transforming contextual meaning, indicating that translating must demonstrate the innate field in ST and rebuild it in TT. This viewpoint is fit for the explication of the relationship of inner variables to translational ontology and nature. Considering this, discussion on the parameter function of field should be conducted with the methods based upon the following pre-translation or post-translation analysis and study. II. PRE-TRANSLATION ANALYSIS AND STUDY For the development of the analysis and study of translation, an utterance selected from the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is adopted as follows:“Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humor, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three and twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character (S1). Her mind was less difficult to develop (S2). She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper (S3). When she was discontented she fancied herself nervous (S4). The business of her life was to get her daughters married (S5); its solace was visiting and news (S6)” (Austen, J., 1992: 4). In the literatures of translation research, many textual methods find their application to pre-translation analysis, one of which is adopted in the process of constructing a ST on the basis of systematic functional grammar. This method may help gain knowledge about the textual function reflected by such contextual parameters as field, tenor and mode. As can be seen from the above, the selected utterance is mainly concerned with the characters’ features and the description and summary of the characters’ conduct. It is easy to see that field, as a register variable, conspicuously plays a role in the process of textual construction. The following is a case study relevant to the parameter function of field in the ST.This selected utterance intends to give a description about Mr. Bennet and his wife’s characters, hobbies or behaviors, or an evaluation and summary of Mr. Bennet and his wife’s conducts, ways of treating others, etc. and thus field – one of the register variables reflected in this utterance becomes crystal.It is imaginable that a ‘psychological construct’ (Sperber & Wilson, 1998: 15), i.e., a context, naturally emerges from a reader’s inner-most when he finishes reading this piece. As can be perceived from the linguistic form, pronouns are frequently used, words are allocated properly and means of sentential connections are employed appropriately, and thus the context International Conference on Education, Language, Art and Intercultural Communication (ICELAIC 2014) © 2014. The authors Published by Atlantis Press 298 of situation of the utterance is delineated holistically, reflecting the experiential function of ST, i.e., something occurring around is adequately embodied. The linguistic form involves dynamic and static situations, matters, properties of things, etc. These indicate the author’s insight into the characters and their inner worlds. The reason why close semantic chain and logical construction of the utterance are realized is that the author is deft in employing grammatical devices and capable of applying means of lexical cohesion and logical connectors, which is shown by the following facts. In (S1), the author uses nouns like ‘Mr. Bennet’, ‘his wife’, ‘his character’, etc.; in (S2), (S3), (S4), (S5), (S6), and so forth, such pronouns as ‘her’, ‘she’, ‘herself’, ‘its’, etc., are used. The above-mentioned nouns and pronouns surely provide supportive materialistic condition for the building of one of contextual parameters—field because “Register is a componential part of meaning, usually inclusive of semantic configuration under special conditions, with words and structures embodying these meanings.” (Zhang Delu, 2007:19) These materialistic conditions urge the building of context in return, indicating the situation in which causal relationship between context and language thus comes into exitence. Therefore, a so-called text is usually referred to as a semantic unit in which register variables reciprocally reflect in the result of coherence as a glaring feature. As has been stated above, the utterance is related to the description of Mr. Bennet and his wife’s conducts and ways of treating others. The completion of this task owes to appropriate use of words which plays a key role in interweaving cohesive network. The reason why we say so is that the nouns and pronouns in the utterance always cohere with each other, as is clearly shown in the utterance. Besides, such pronouns as ‘she’, ‘her’, ‘his’, etc., which show reiterative relationship, demonstrate the referential relations between ‘anaphora’ and ‘cataphora’. Examples are many like two ‘his’ ’ in (S1), referring to Mr. Bennet; ‘his wife’ and ‘her’ in (S1), referring to Mrs. Bennet and thus forming the repetitive relationship; the reiteration of ‘herself’ in (S4) is reflected in two ‘shes’; and the two ‘shes’ in (S4) and the two ‘hers’ in (S5) reiterate the ‘woman’ in (S3); The pronoun ‘its’ in (S6) repeats ‘business’ in (S5). As for the relationship of ‘anaphora’, it is reflected in ‘Mr. Bennet’ in (S1) and the two ‘his’ ’ in (S1), etc.; the pronoun ‘her’ in (S2) is utilized to act as an anaphora echoing the antecedent ‘his wife’ in (S1); Pronouns referred to ‘Mrs. Bennet’ have reappeared in several places. As major contents of contextual parameter, her image is strengthened which provides information for the theme, causing the configuration of the sense of the utterance to be holistic. There are altogether six sentences in this utterance, but four logical connectors are used. They are ‘so...that...’ in (S1), indicating the cause-effect relationship, ‘and...’ in (S1), ‘and...’ in (S3) showing amplification or addition and ‘when...’ in (S4), demonstrating time, etc. Considering the contents, the utterance is relevant to the description of characters’ personalities, features of individuality and ways of treating others and shows characteristics of delineation of the textual morphology of narrative writing, indicative of the feature that English text pays heed to hypotactic structures. To reflect preor postlexical structure plays an important role in embodying the logical connection of the utterance, which can be perceived from the repetitive use of pronouns. It is proper utilization of grammatical methods, lexical cohesion and logical connectors that the field of the utterance gradually emerges. When the thematic chain of the utterance is established, its contextual configuration and coherent feature come into being smoothly. It can be postulated that with the help of grammatical devices, lexical cohesion and logical connectors, we get to know that the process of the utterance centers round the construction of one of the register variables—field. Meanwhile, it is under the function of the contextual parameter that the image of the heroine of the story in the utterance is delineated naturally and conspicuously. In this field the personal features of the couple, Mr. and Mrs. Bennets, are conjured up, impressively echoing harmoniously with the specific atmosphere of field. With the narration of the utterance deepening, the psychological construct is reinforced gradually and the parameter function of field in the utterance thus becomes crystal. As one of the contextual parameters, the function of field is paramount since it provides the reader with associable contextual information such as environment, topic an

On Parameter Function of Field a Register Variable in Translating Reconstructing Textual Coherence