Intertextuality And The Translation Of Intertextual Signs In Hong Lou Meng

The theory of intertextuality, originating from semiotics, is widely applied to literary criticism and translation studies. Whereas many scholars at home and abroad have devoted themselves to the theoretical research of intertextuality from different angels, studies of its practical application are by and large neglected. This thesis is an attempt to apply the theory of intertextuality to the study of translation practice, to be specific, to the study of the translation of intertextual signs in literary translation.Intertextuality, a term first coined by the French semioticist Julia Kristeva, is used to refer to the relationship of one text with other texts. Deconstructionists hold that no text can be truly original, for every text is an absorption and transformation of other texts, and textual meaning comes from the interaction between different texts. Cultural connotations and knowledge structures are incorporated into intertextual reference. From the perspective of semiotics, an intertextual sign is a combination of many elements that may cause interaction with other signs within or outside its own system. It is not necessarily a substantial part of the intertextual reference, but is a crucial tangible pointer to it. The translation of intertextual signs should be given enough attention to in literary translation because they extend the boundaries of textual meaning and contribute to proper understanding and full rendering of texts.In literary works, intertextual signs generally include quotations, literary allusions and archetypes, collage, parody, conventionalism, and proverbs. How to translate intertextual signs in literary works and diffuse Chinese culture to the rest of the world is a big challenge for the translator. Hong Lou Meng, one of the four greatest classical Chinese novels, is fullof intertextual signs which refer the reader to a whole context of Chinese culture. The translation of intertextual signs in Hong Lou Meng is chosen as the subject of this thesis. Two English versions, A Dream of Red Mansions translated by Yang Hsien-yi and Gladys Yang, and The Story of the Stone translated by David Hawkes and John Minford are chosen as a case study.Apart from Introduction and Conclusion, this thesis is composed of three chapters.Introduction provides the research background, the research purpose and procedure of the thesis.The first chapter is a survey of the theory of intertextualijty and intertextual signs. The author introduces the theory of intertextuaMty and explains its significance to translation studies. The chapter also makes it clear that an intertextual sign has two aspects: the semtotic aspect and the informational aspect.The second chapter applies the theory of intertextuality to translation practice;to be specific, to the translation of intertextual signs in the two English versions of Hong Lou Meng. Hong Lou Meng is extremely rich in intertextual signs which are a component part of its thematic and cultural implication. This chapter starts with a classification of intertextual signs in Hong Lou Meng according to a common classification of culture. This is followed by a comparison of the two English versions in the translation of these signs. The thesis suggests that the notion of intertextuality provides a cultural framework to comprehend and compose texts. Only by tracing their pretexts, or "situates the texts within history and society" are we likely to fully understand and faithfully translate intertextual signs into TL.The third chapter discusses the strategy and methods for translating intertextual signs and corresponding prerequisites for translators. Intertextuality is a series of sedimentary fragments of prior texts andintertextual signs in literary works usually have distinctive cultural flavor. Accordingly, the SL culture-oriented strategy is preferable in translating intertextual signs because it can help to preserve the foreignness of the ST and make the SL culture appreciable by the target reader. In translating, literal translation should be the principal method and some compensation means are necessary to make up for the meaning loss due to differences of intertextual conventions between the SL and TL. With regard to qualifications for a translator, a competent translator should be not only bilingual but also bicultural.In Conclusion, the thesis states that the semioticized perspective into intertextuality opens a new avenue of thought into literary translation. The introduction of intertextuality into literary translation can be viewed not only as epistemology but also as methodology.