On Literary Retranslation From The Perspective Of Philosophical Hermeneutics

Retranslation is of frequent occurrence in classic literary works. There often exist different versions from different translators concerning the same source text. Besides, in spite of the same translator, there are also different translation versions as time goes by. As far as the previous studies on retranslation were concerned, most mainly followed traditional prescriptive norm and cared about the linguistic differences of the concrete texts. In this sense, the researchers were often led to prefer telling which text was better through comparison of different versions. Such a way is not reasonable to make objective and comprehensive explanation about retranslation because the way itself is lack of looking deeply into the existing differences in social and historical factors, etc. of each version. Focusing on the openness of a source text, modern hermeneutics introduces a new methodology for the literary study as well as opens up a fresh theoretical perspective for rationality of literary retranslation.Hermeneutics is a theory regarding understanding and interpretation. Its gradual development from theological hermeneutics to modern philosophical hermeneutics has undergone a long process. Gadamer, the pioneer and main representative of philosophical hermeneutics, attaches great importance to understanding and establishes this as the philosophical core of hermeneutics. For the past decades, the theoretical study of philosophical hermeneutics has made an increasing impact on western translation theories. As a result, many translation researchers begin to draw their attention to the hermeneutic theories and carry out the systematic researches in steps.In fact, there is a close relationship between hermeneutics and translation studies. Any translation starts from a translator's understanding of a source text, so a translation version is directly related to understanding. Meanwhile, modern hermeneutics just takes understanding as its basis and core. Therefore, the conclusion can be drawn that translation in essence is a dialogue between the reader (translator) and the author via a source text. It is a dynamic interpretation process. Gadamer argues that all of the understanding subjects, objects and behaviors are results of history and he also believes that meanings of a text should be in changes. For this reason, there are different versions due to different time and space as well as varied perspectives. Moreover, translators from different historic periods will understand a source text with their own horizon to meet with the horizon of source text when understanding begins, and finally a new horizon can be formed. As a result, different versions bearing their own historical effect come into being. That is to say, Gadamer's hermeneutics offers a brand-new approach for literary retranslation.Based on Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics, this thesis takes American anti-slavery literature's milestone novel Uncle Tom's Cabin and its three Chinese versions as a case study and analyzes two main factors-translation context and translators'competence which have a profound effect on literary retranslation. The thesis also addresses how the three translators who are deeply influenced by the above mentioned factors express their own understanding and adopt different translation methods. Consequently, it is only rational for literary retranslation to occur with the passing of time and the emergence of dynamic interpretations from translators.