| Power Discourse Theory is proposed by Michel Foucault, a French philosopher, who believes that both tangible power (such as the government, army and law) and intangible power (such as ideology, morality, culture, customs and religion), are interwoven into a dynamic network of power relations. This network has a great influence on the practice of discourse. Any individual is an inseparable element in this network of power. Foucault notes that the "knowledge", "power" and "language" constitute "discourse". Among them, the "power" is the most fundamental factor that influence upon and control over the "Discourse" and the "power" is to be realized through discourse. In the process of translation, the author and the translator are restricted respectively by their power discourse. Accoding to different power discourses, the author and the translator of the same text, will have different expectations, feelings and explainations.Jin Ping Mei is the first great literary work in the history of Chinese Ming dynasty literature. Based on the family life of Pan Jinlian and Ximen Qing, who are the main characters in one of the four great classical novels Outlaws of the Marsh, this novel reflects the politicial and social panorama of China in late Ming Dynasty. As one of the most important literary works, Jin Ping Mei plays a significant role in promoting the mutural communication between China and other countries. Up till now, there are two unabridged English versions:The Golden Lotus translated by Clement Egerton and The Plum in the Golden Vase or Chin P’ing Mei translated by David Tod Roy.Based on Power Discourse Theory of Michel Foucault as the theoretical framework, this thesis takes Clement Egerton and David Tod Roy’s unabridged versions as the research objects. This thesis is to probe into the translation methods of Jin Ping Mei by studying on the English versions of it as the research texts to provide a new perspective for the C-E translation of Chinese literary works. Firstly, it summarizes the research topic, including the research background, research objectives and significance, methodology of the research, innovation of the thesis and the structure of the thesis. Secondly, it reviews predecessors’research for Power Discourse Theory and Jin Ping Mei’s English versions. Thirdly, it studies on the Power Discourse Theory and explores the relationship between power discourse and translation study.Fourthly, it briefly illustrates Jin Ping Mei and its English versions. Fifthly, by means of systematic research on the theory and its influence on translation, it analyzes influencing factors of Jin Ping Mei in the process of its C-E translation, such as ideology, historical background, and cultural identity of the translator and translation purpose. Finally, the thesis proposes translation principles in the C-E translation of Jin Ping Mei:the translation should be loyal to the traditional Chinese culture; the accuracy of translation should be combined with language features of Chinese; translators should be consciousness of the discourse power of Chinese. According to different contents in the work, corresponding translation methods can be applied as follows:as to the title of the book and names of people, transliteration can be used; as to the structure of the novel, literal translation can be used; as to idioms, amplification can be used.; as to emotional expressions, combination can be used; as to Chinese traditional festivals, notation can be used. This thesis attempts to be a supplement and an expansion of the C-E translation of Jin Ping Mei and to spread Chinese culture widely. |
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