The Implication of Conjunctive Element Shifts in the Translation of Argumentative Texts

This study attempts to identify the implication of conjunctive element shiftsin the Chinese translation of argumentative column articles by an established columnist.More specifically, this study focuses on the implication of a cohesive shift, which includesexplicitations, implicitations, shifts and wrong translations of conjunctive elements in thetranslated text. The texts in this study are argumentative in nature, and the use of conjunctiveelements is pivotal in guiding the reader on the flow of the argument at hand. Through indepthanalysis and observation, it is found that changes in conjunctive elements can affecta translation in six possible ways: altering the intensity of the message, shifting the focusof the message, altering the tone and manner of the texts, causing repetitious and intrusivetranslations, changing the interpretation of the text, and altering the conversational-likeelement in the source text.