美国黑人英语作为一种方言，有其独特的社会背景和文化内涵。文学译作中，美国黑人英语的译法多样，反映出不同时期译者的认知变化。当前，学界对于方言翻译的研究尚处于起步阶段，主要集中于译法特点分析及翻译方法选择。其中，美国黑人英语翻译研究更是如此，有待进一步深入。因而，黑人英语的汉译研究可丰富方言翻译领域的研究，也符合当下文化交融的背景。本研究以关联理论为视角，关注文学作品中黑人英语的汉译问题。研究以新中国成立前、改革开放后和21世纪初出版的Gone with the Wind的三个代表性中文译本为研究对象。首先通过文本分析和对比来归纳黑人英语翻译方法的历时性特点，进而借助关联理论中的核心观点“认知环境”，来阐释译法存在历时性特征的原因，并利用明示-推理交际模式阐述翻译产生的过程和结果。在此基础上，本文将分析不同译法在人物形象塑造方面的艺术效果，一方面揭示认知环境对黑人英语译法选择和译文效果的具体影响，另一方面提出新认知环境下文学作品中黑人英语的翻译原则和方法，使译文构建更加丰满、真实的非裔形象。本文希望以历时性案例研究丰富美国黑人英语汉译的研究成果，加强学界对美国黑人英语翻译的社会性本质的关注，也进一步为方言翻译的研究和实践提供历时和认知视角的探讨思路。

本研究发现美国黑人英语的汉译呈现历时性特征，且受认知环境的影响。美国黑人英语的汉译经历了三个重要的历史时期，在认知环境的影响下主要催生了三种主要译法，即方言对译法、标准汉语口语法和方言混杂法。不同译法下，译者也塑造了各具特色的非裔形象。此外，非裔美国人的社会地位和文化认同也深深影响着译者和读者的认知，随着非裔民族社会地位的提升，美国黑人英语也得到了“正名”。因此，在不同的认知环境影响下，翻译的原则和方法也应做出适当调整，以构建符合当下认知环境的非裔美国人形象。

African American Vernacular English (AAVE) is a dialect with unique social background and cultural connotation. In literary translation, the translation methods of AAVE are quite diverse, reflecting the cognitive changes of translators in different periods. At present, the studies on dialect translation are still in its infancy, especially on AAVE’s translation study. Therefore, the study on Chinese translation of AAVE can enrich the study in the field of dialect translation, and it is also in line with the background of contemporary cultural integration. From the perspective of Relevance Theory, this paper focuses on the Chinese translation of AAVE in literary works. The study takes three representative Chinese translations of Gone with the Wind published before 1949, after the reform and opening up, and in the early 21st century as the research cases. Firstly, the diachronic characteristics of AAVE translation methods are summarized through text analysis and comparison, and then the paper uses the conception of “cognitive environment” in Relevance Theory to explain the reasons led to the diachronic characteristics of translation methods. Then with the guidance of the ostensive-inferential model, the study provides a reasonable and unified theoretical account for translation process and outcome. On this basis, this paper analyzes the artistic effects of different translation methods in character building. On the one hand, the paper aims to reveal the specific influence of the cognitive environment on the choice of AAVE translation methods as well as the effect of translation, and on the other hand, this paper puts forward the translation principles and methods of AAVE in literary works under the new cognitive environment, so that the translation can build a vivid and authentic African-American image. Finally, this paper hopes to enrich the research of AAVE-Chinese translation with diachronic cases studies, strengthen the academic community’s attention to the social nature of AAVE translation, and further provide a cognitive perspective for the research and practice of dialect translation.

This study finds that the Chinese translation of AAVE shows a diachronic characteristic which is influenced by the cognitive environment. The AAVE-Chinese translation has gone through three important historical periods, and under the influence of the cognitive environment, three main translation methods have emerged, namely, the equivalent dialect translation method, the Chinese colloquialism method and the dialect blending method. Under different translation methods, translators have also created distinctive African-American images. In addition, the social status and cultural identity of African-Americans also deeply influence the cognition of translators and readers. With the improvement of the social status of African-Americans, African American Vernacular English has also been “renamed”. Therefore, under the influence of different cognitive environments, the principles and methods of translation should also be adjusted appropriately in order to construct images of African-Americans in line with the current cognitive environment.