Howard Goldblatt’s Translation Views From The Perspective Of Dynamic Cultural Identity

Since the1970s, translatology has broken the restraints of pure linguistic researches and ushered the "cultural turn". Researchers assume all the cultural factors should be categorized into translatology for culture exerts a crucial influence on the production and quality of versions. Therefore, cultural identity of the translator has also aroused the focus of the academic circle.This thesis develops the research of cultural identity of translators on the theoretical ground of some scholars, especially of Stuart Hall. In their main assertions, cultural identity of translators is multidimensional, consisting of one’s country identity, national identity, regional identity, group identity and personal identity. Although cultural identities are more or less represented, country identity dominates in versions. The cultural identities of different translators are similar but different among individuals; they are comparatively stable but in a constant change; they retain their own features while absorbing elements from other cultures. Translators expose in their versions diverse cultural identities deliberately or unintentionally, which affect their selection of source texts, translation objectives, benefits, strategies and consequently their translation views. Since cultural identity is in a dynamic evolvement, translators display different cultural identities in their versions in different periods of time and adjust their translation views accordingly. Based on the theory, this thesis takes Howard Goldblatt as a case study, aiming to improve the dynamic research of the translator’s cultural identity and translation views and inspiring the transmission of Chinese literary works.In his thirty-year translation practice, the sinologist Howard Goldblatt has translated over fifty Chinese works, among which the most renowned ones are those written by the winner of the Noble Prize in Literature Mo Yan. Therefore, this thesis selects Red Sorghum:A Novel of China and Powl as analytical versions, which are the first and the latest versions both originally written by Mo Yan. Through case analysis, the thesis finds out that the former version mainly embodies his country identity of being an American for Goldblatt intends to cater for the acceptability and aesthetics of the target-language readers. Besides, his group identity of being a translator and his unique personal cultural identity, including his appreciations of the author, his affection for Chinese, his proficiency in manipulating both Chinese and English, his preferential translation style, are more or less reflected in the version as well. Under the orientation of such cultural identity, Howard Goldblatt proves it feasible to apply creative treason, rewriting and inadequate paraphrase in translation. However, two decades later in his version Pow!, his American cultural identity has faded out as Goldblatt put more stress on revealing exotic features of Chinese culture, and thus his Chinese-prone cultural identity is more visible. He also turns himself from a typical scholar who refuses to use vulgar expressions to a professional translator loyal to source works with various expressions. Correspondingly, he has adjusted his translation views. He pointed out that the translator is supposed to keep a good communication with the writer. Since versions are carriers spreading Chinese culture, translation need a combined employment of strategies and switches to sinicized approaches after the translator’s previous versions have gradually integrated into the western context. Translators are allowed to create transitional expressions well-accepted by both Chinese and foreign readers to preserve the features of Chinese culture in a coordinating and progressive pace.The case of Howard Goldblatt partially reflects influences dynamic cultural identity of translators may have on the process of literary translation and literary developments in both China and the west. Dynamic cultural identity improves writing techniques of Chinese literature, broadens writers’international views, enriches writing themes and perfects the mechanism of translation publication. When the mainstream of western culture accepts Chinese heterogeneous culture, the chief cultural identity of the translator might be Chinese-inclined. Consequently, the genuine Chinese culture is exported in a proper way, which remold the distorted image of China in western literary works. With the accumulation of Chinese elements, Chinese literature supplements multinational traits to the world literature.This thesis does not only further the research on Howard Goldblatt’s dynamic cultural identity and his translation views, but also widens the researching scope of the translator’s cultural identity, having enlightenments and references to theoretical study and translation practice.