Application Of Lin Yutang's Translation Criterion In Camel Xiangzi

The translation criterion has been studied from very early time whenever in China or in west. The faithfulness has always been the discussing topic for translators. After Yan Fu giving out the criterion—faithfulness, expressiveness, elegance, many translators also propose their own criterions, but most are based on Yan Fu's translation criterion. There are so many researches about Yan Fu, Lu Xun and so on. Recently more attention was attached on the Lin Yutang's translation criterion. In west, the study of the translation criterion is still going on. Lin Yutang combined the linguistics and culture to put forward the translation criterion---faithfulness, fluency, and aesthetic aspect. More and more people begin to study Lin's translation criterion.In the ancient times, translator proposed literal translation and free translation. The debate between literal translation and free translation still exists today. The translation of scripture began in Han Dynasty, reached climax in Tang Dynasty and end in Song Dynasty. The most famous representative of literal translation is Zhi Qian. The most famous representative of literal translation is Qiumoluoshi, an Indian Buddhist. Xuan Zang combined the literal translation and free translation to translate the scripture successfully.Later, with the decline of Qing government, China began to go downhill; especially after the Opium War, China was humiliated by the foreign countries. Many people who loved their county began to seek the way to save their own country. They thought that the backward of China was because of the backward science and technology and the traditional ideology. So the translation became their way to introduce the science and technology. In this process, they also translated books about economy, politics, culture, literature and so on. Yan Fu is one of the representatives. He made a lot of translations and proposed the translation criterion—fidelity, expressiveness, elegance. This is the first time a systematic translation criterion was put forward. After one hundred years later, his translation criterion becomes the topic of discussion. His translation is regarded highly and admired by people. Later, the translation criterion-spiritual similarity (神似) by Fu Lei appeared. Qian Zhongshu proposed the translation criterion-sublimed adaptation(化境). The debate of translation criterion has been continuing. Gu Zhengkun proposed that the reason for the debate is that people always look at things in single-minded. The multi-complementary translation criterion can solve this problem successfully.Compared with Chinese translation theory, western translation criterion is more systematic, and it has the theory basis. For the western translation, literal translation and free translation were the translation criterion in ancient times. The translation criterion in Linguistic School is the functional equivalence proposed by Nida.Lin Yutang is a renowned scholar, translator and writer who attained a high rank and great international reputation among his contemporaries. He made great contribution to the understanding of western and Chinese cultures and he introduced Chinese culture into western world. Through his own translation experience and translation theory, he proposed his own translation criterion–fidelity, fluency, aesthetic effect. He stressed that his translation criterion is mainly about aesthetic effect.His translation theory has attracted great attention of the translation study. In contrast with Yan Fu's translation criterion, Lin has inherited and developed Yan's translation criterion. Lin Yutang put forward his translation criterion on the linguistic and psychology basis. In this thesis, the application of Lin Yutang's translation criterion in Camel Xiangzi rendered by Shi Xiaojing will be discussed.