A Comparative Study On The Translation Of Culture-loaded Words In Li Qingzhao's Ci-poetry From The Perspective Of The Skopos Theory

The Skopos Theory, an important theory in German functionalism, holds that translation is a form of translational action based on a source text and the prime principle determining any translational process is the purpose (skopos) of the overall translational action. This theory has made"adequacy"become another judgment to the quality of translation besides"equivalence", and has provided a new perspective for translation studies.Within the framework of the Skopos Theory, this thesis attempts to make a comparative study on the two English versions of Li Qingzhao's Ci-poetry in terms of culture-loaded words by building a bilingual parallel database. The author explores various factors that influence the translator's choice of strategies in the translation process, and how the strategies influence the effect of the translations. Through a comparative study on the two English versions of Li Qingzhao's Ci-poetry (translated by Xu Yuanchong and Kenneth Rexroth respectively), the research reveals that two translators adopt two different strategies, namely, Xu Yuanchong mainly adopts the strategy of foreignization in order to introduce Chinese cultural heritage, while Kenneth Rexroth mainly adopts domestication with a purpose of entertaining the target reader. Then the research further shows that both versions are successful in transferring expected functions, hence, achieve the skopos they set to reach. Yet, it is hard to say which version is better since the two versions both have their own merits. With regard to the Chinese culture, Xu Yuanchong does well in keeping the cultural heritage; while concerning the target reader, Kenneth Rexroth's version is more acceptable. The author of this thesis arrives at a conclusion that the two versions account for the different strategies the translators take in their translation, and each translation is adequate when its purpose (skopos) is achieved.