Impact Of Yang Xianyi’s Cultural Outlook On Translating Hong Lou Meng

This paper aims to exploring into the impact of the translator’s cultural outlookon literary translation from both a micro and a macro way, based on reflections uponprevious studies of the translation of Hong Lou Meng. The translator’s culturaloutlook, including early literary experiences, attitude towards cultures and translationideology, greatly influences the translator’s choice, strategies, and even the wholeliterature system. The interaction between the translator’s world and the literatureworld is quite complex and multiple. A comprehensive study of the selection,production, spread as well as manipulation of translation clarifies the theoretical basisand practical strategy of the subjectivity of the translator. In this thesis, the issue iselaborated from three perspectives: individuality and subjectivity, otherness andself-resistance as well as reception and rebalancing, in chapter three, four and fiverespectively. It does not only focus on the differences on the language level, but alsounderscores the complicated context consisting of discourse, power, norm, ideology,etc, as well as their relations with the translator as the individual, in order to dive intothe implying political, cultural and social factors behind the translator and thetranslation. It is of great significance to combine the complicated network with thetranslator’s cultural values as to the research into the impact of the translator’s culturaloutlook on literary translation. Besides, it is possible to take the perspective of thespread and reception of cultures to further probe into the relationship between thetranslator and the literary translation.As a great master of translation, Yang Xianyi’s translation of ancient Chineseliterature can be listed as the top in terms of both quantity and quality. His culturaloutlook under a complicated context exerted cardinal effects on his translation.Despite the fact that current studies of this translator and the translation of Hong Lou Meng are huge in number, this thesis tries to make some reflections and questionings,like whether Yang was virtually manipulated by the press and authority, how heperformed his cultural outlook and resistant strategy within the complicated context,etc. This study will collect and analyze the background materials about Yang Xianyiincluding his autobiography, literary reviews, interviews, letters, prefaces of histranslations and other scholars’ remarks. A case study of Yang’s translation A Dreamof Red Mansions combined with comparisons of translated versions offers empiricalevidence for better exploration. Besides, this study also provides advices andinspirations for the translation and transmission of Chinese literature and ancientculture to the west.