On The Translation Strategies In Howard Goldblatt’s Translation Of Red Sorghum: A Perspective Of Functionalist Skopostheorie

Reputed as ‘the chief translator of Chinese modern and contemporary literature’, HowardGoldblatt has done a remarkable job in translation of Chinese literature. A good many works byChinese writers were introduced to the Western readers through his translation. Mo Yan’s novelsoccupy a great part in Goldblatt’s translation. Red Sorghum, one of Mo’s masterpieces, is hisfirst novel to be translated and published for the Western readers. It has been so far the mostinfluential and best selling Chinese contemporary literature in the western world. The novel isfavored by Western readers and market, and also applauded by critics, so its translation willprovide valuable enlightenment for Chinese literary translation.This thesis applies a functional perspective to study Goldblatt’s translation of Red Sorghum.The Skopos theory is taken to analyze the ‘fidelity’ and ‘betrayal’ in its English translation inattempt to shed light on: the guideline in the translation process; the translation strategiesGoldblatte takes and the key factors determining the choice of strategies; and how he keeps thebalance between fidelity and originality, or accuracy and readability in the target text so as torealize the expected function and effect of the translation. Such analysis is hopefully to bringsome implication to the translation and introduction of Chinese literature.From this study, the following conclusion can be drawn: The translation process of RedSorghum reflects the key concept of ‘the translation purpose justifies the translation strategiesand methods’ in Skopos theory, and the target text is a result of the interaction among the threerules of ‘Skopos’,‘coherence’ and ‘fidelity’. Bearing in mind the translation purpose to makethis novel accepted by the Western readers, Goldblatt adopts a ‘reader-oriented’ approach thatemphasizes the target cultural context and the expectation of the target receivers. His translationstrategies in Red Sorghum include a ‘documentary’ strategy, which aims to faithfully reproducethe language and cultural features in the source text, as well as an ‘instrumental’ translationstrategy, which means adapting the target text to the target cultural framework and theexpectation of target readers by means of deletion, addition, paraphrase, rearrangement andrewriting. Both strategies are required under the ‘reader-oriented’ guideline in order to achievethe expected text effects. However, Goldblatt’s purpose-directed, target reader-oriented approachto translation doesn’t imply he ignores the communicative intentions of the original author. Hisfrequent correspondence and communication with the author is an indication that he takes account of the author’s interest and he is ‘loyal’ to his translating partner. Goldblatt’s ‘readerconsciousness’, which emphasizes target culture and the expectation of target audience, and hisrespect to the original author are revealing to the translation and introduction of Chinesecontemporary literature worldwide.