On Dialectical Connotation Of Translator’s Subjectivity

The research on translator’s subjectivity closely connects with philosophy which hasmany different branches. Therefore, the conclusions of the researches differ from each other.Besides, from the perspective of theoretical philosophy the translator did not get out of“idealistic world” in the researches. Although some other researches have applied dialecticalmaterialism, some relevant concepts have been partly comprehended, even misunderstood.These aspects have made the relevant researches defective. For example, miscomprehendingthe connotation of subject has influenced the conclusion of the research. It is believed thatsome non-human aspects become the referent of translation subject, and some phenomenon isthe result of those non-human aspects. Miscomprehending the connotation of subjectivity hasalso influenced the conclusion of the research which means that the translator’s subjectivityhas been partly comprehended. What is more, the reason why the researches on translator andtranslator’s subjectivity still remain in “idealistic world” is that the lack of inspecting thetranslator’s concrete practice.In order to clarify misunderstandings in the research on translator’s subjectivity anddeepen the research on translator’s subjectivity, the view of practice and other relevantconcepts in dialectical materialism need to be fully comprehended, then, should be applied inthe research. Thus the viewpoint that the referent of the translation subject should only referto the translator is established. This viewpoint helps to distinguish the specific role and impactof the translator. Based on this, the research on translator’s subjectivity could go further; thetranslator could thoroughly get out of “idealistic world” in the researches.Therefore, the translator’s practice is the key to this research. The translator’s practice isthe socio-historical activity of the translator who is subject; it is reforming the objective world.First of all, the translator manifests human unique activity in the translation practice,including activity of cognition and activity of practice. The translator’s practice provides thebasis for the translator’s cognition and promotes the translator’s cognition of the objectiveworld, and the development of the translator’s cognition helps the translator to practice in thetranslation process. The content of the translator’s cognition includes not only the source text,but also all other objective things, such as the tools used in the translation practice, customs and other unique culture in the source language and the target language, the specific socialand historical conditions in the translation practice and so on. Secondly, the translator, who isconstrained not only by external materials, but also by his own internal contradictions, alsohas passivity. The translator who is flesh and blood is the part of the objective world and oneof human society, thus the translator must be constrained by the society and the objectiveworld. Besides, the translator is also constrained by his own internal contradictions, such asthe contradiction between subjectivity and objectivity. Finally, that the translator, with allconstraints, not only actively comprehends the source text and the objective world, but alsoactively works out the target text and reforms the objective world in the translation practice,manifests that the translator’s subjectivity dialectically unifies activity and passivity of thetranslator.For deepening the practical significance of the research, there is a case study of A Dreamof Red Mansions translated by the Yangs. In this case study, the dialectical connotation oftranslator’s subjectivity can be analyzed in a specific translation practice. With regard to theobjective socio-historical conditions of the Yangs’ translation practice, analyzing themanifestation of the Yangs’ activity and passivity in their translation practice helps to clarifysome misunderstanding of the Yangs’ subjectivity and confirm the dialectical relation betweenactivity and passivity. Therefore, translator’s subjectivity, based on the translator’s translationpractice, is the dialectical unity of the translator’s activity and passivity.