A Comparative Study On Translation Strategies Of Domestication And Foreignization From The Perspective Of Deconstruction Theory

How to translate culture-specific words and what kind of translation strategies can be adopted require deliberate consideration. Domestication and foreignization are the two main translation strategies. In the history of translation studies, domestication seems to hold a dominant role in translation strategies. Presently the world witnesses frequent communication across nations and enhanced cultural exchanges. The21st century is sure to be the century with the mainstream of cultural communication. It is an overwhelming trend to conduct cultural dialogues between cultures on an equal footing. In recent years, more and more scholars advocate the foreignizing translation and the target readers who prefer foreignizing translation are on the rise. Foreignization in translation in this context becomes the focus of this paper. In the recent years, deconstructionism had a great influence on the translation theory and practices. Deconstructionism attracted scholars’attention in the1960s. It origins from philosophy and has a great development in daily life and study of that period of time. Domestication and foreignization translation strategies are two important strategies of translation in rendering phrasal verbs in news from a source-text language to a culture-specific target-text one. Deconstructralism has promoted translation theory development. American scholar Lawrence Venuti, one of representatives of deconstruction theory, advocated foreignization translation strategy. The debate about foreignization and domestication has captured the attention of translators all over the world in the recent years.Through introducing deconstruction theory, this paper analyzes domestication and foreignization from deconstructive perspective. Finally, through the comparative two translated version of Hong Lou Meng, it explores domestication and foreignization translation strategies.This paper aims to give the assistance to Chinese translation studies through critical analysis of Lawrence Venuti’s translation theory through comparative two translated versions of Hong Lou Meng. Although foreinization promotes cultural exchanges, it also has some disadvantages. So translator should have critical thinking about Venuti’s foreignization. It is concluded that foreignization is the effective strategies in translating Chinese cultural elements of classical literature and more faithful to its original text. Although foreignization promotes cultural exchanges, foreignization has some disadvantages. We should not follow the trend blindly.The principle of foreignization and domestication is that based on particularities of different social situation, we should combine them together instead of denying all aspects of domestication. Only through this principle, can translators spread Chinese culture and make contribution to Chinese classical translation studies. Although foreignization promotes cultural exchanges, foreignization has some disadvantages. We should not follow the trend blindly. On the contrary, based on the particularities of different social situations, we should combine the two strategies in the translation version to spread Chinese culture and make contribution to Chinese classical translation studies.