A Hermeneutic Approach Towards Re-Creation In Literary Translation

Literary translation is always paid much more attention to the utmost because of its literariness and complexity, literary translation is not only the transformation of languages and literal meanings, but it is required to represent the authenticity of literary works so as to contribute to the same aesthetic feeling of the target readers with that of the source text readers. Literary translation is a sophisticated re-creative activity. Re-creation is the key issue of literary translation, since if there is no re-creation, the representation of the target text is impossible.Hermeneutics is the philosophical theory of understanding and interpreting, which are inevitable in every act of translation. From Gadamer's modern hermeneutic concepts——prejudice and fusion of horizons, this thesis analyzes that re-creation develops thoroughly in literary translation, since some believe that the essence of literary translation is the re-creation of art. Mr. Fu Donghua is the first translator who introduced Gone with the Wind, a best seller popular in America to Chinese readers. For a long time, his translation of this novel has been the center of controversy. Guided by hermeneutic approach, especially the re-creation in literary translation, a comparatively comprehensive analysis of Mr. Fu Donghua's translation Gone with the Wind has been done, which comes to a more objective and scientific evaluation. This thesis consists of four chapters besides the Introduction and Conclusion. In Chapter 1, the thesis outlines the development of hermeneutic approach and lays down the theoretical foundation of this thesis; Chapter 2 investigates a general view of the necessity and possibility of re-creation in literary translation, as well as the definition and process of literary translation; Chapter 3 is the focus of the thesis. It analyzes the presentation of re-creation in the comprehension and representation process and fusion of horizons in translating process by employing the Germen philosopher Hans-Georg Gadamer's Hermeneutics; in Chapter 4, with a case study of Mr. Fu Donghua's translated edition Gone with the Wind, the thesis explores Mr. Fu Donghua's perfect fusion of horizons in translation strategies——addition, deletion and alteration, as well as the "prejudice" factors of re-creation in society, culture, and history. It draws a conclusion that re-creation does not refer to "treason" against the source text, but it should be fulfilled in accordance with the principle of being faithful to the content and spirit of the source text and conforming to the general norms of target language and culture; the conclusion provides a review and summary of the whole thesis.