Literary Translators Subjectivity

Although literary translation appeared as early as in the ancient Roman period, the subjectivity in literary translation remained isolated from concerns. The linguistic school upheld a dominating position in translation theories until the 1980s. The translator's task has always been confined to receiving language messages, translating and sending them to target language readers. Therefore, translation studies, focusing on comparisons of versions in different languages, ignored the most dynamic component of translation practice: the positive aspect of the translator's subjectivity.After the culture turn in the 1980s, the focus of translation studies underwent a transfer from Language to Culture and Human beings. The basic difference between translation studies and natural sciences is that, like other disciplines of humanities, translation studies concerns the involvement of human beings'subjective consciousness. As a decisive player in the process of translation practice, the translator's subjectivity should attract much more attention than ever before.Through the analysis of the scientific and artistic nature of translation, the author of this thesis holds the view that literary translation is a creative treason and focuses on the actual situation of the translator's subjectivity reflected in literary translation practice. A comprehensive and new understanding of the translator's subjectivity is obtained through the denouncement of over-demonstration of the translator's subjectivity. Inter-subjectivity, as the best way to accomplish a harmonious coexistence among the author, the translator and the reader in literary translation, is therefore put forward with a case study on Lin Yutang and his C-E translation.