On Aesthetic Identification In The English Translation Of Sandalwood Death

This thesis adopts H.R.Jauss'(1982)theory of aesthetic identification as the basis to discuss aesthetic identification,strategies of identification and its significance to translation studies by conducting a comparative research on Mo Yan's TanxiangXing(2001)and its English translation Sandalwood Death(2013)by Howard Goldblatt.Current major research on the source text concentrates on the discussion within the Chinese literary realm concerning literary values,artistic features and the human condition.There is little research on translated texts from the aesthetic angle.The thesis adopts an aesthetic angle to conduct the research.The methods employed are historical literature research,comparative and case study.The thesis considers Jauss' theory of aesthetic identification in the translation of Sandalwood Death,and the translation strategies of Goldblatt.In essence,this is a cross-disciplinary study of aesthetics and literary translation.The research analyzes how the translator employs five types of identification in his translating work namely:associative identification,admiring identification,sympathetic identification,cathartic identification and ironic identification.It discusses translation strategies brought into play to provide readers with authentic cultural and literary experiences,as per the original.The major findings are:Associative identification is reflected in the Chinese cultural traditions displayed in the story.Admiring identification is shown in the content,structure and the language of the book.Sympathetic identification is presented via the protagonists Qian Ding,Sun Bing et al.The protagonist Sun Meiniang displays cathartic identification.Ironic identification is revealed by the inhumanity of the protagonist Zhao Jia.The translation strategies include defamiliarization,transliteration,addition,rewriting and faithfulness.Under-identification is embodied by the inadequate translation of some routine expressions.In conclusion,Jauss' theory of aesthetic identification has a guiding significance in Goldblatt's translation.By achieving identification,the beauty and connotations of Chinese culture can be manifested.However,some failings in the translation render culture invisible.Thus the degree of identification must be controlled in an effective way.The value of this thesis is that it suggests that by using innovative methods in introducing the theory of aesthetic identification from the realm of reception aesthetics into translation studies,we may garner further insights into the translation process.Further,the interpretation of the English version of Sandalwood Death(2013)from the perspective of aesthetic identification could provide new data for the research on Mo Yan's works and Goldblatt's translation.Finally,this research could offer a new aesthetic model for the translation and communications of Chinese literature,and would help foreign readers to acknowledge and understand the aesthetic value of Chinese culture.Of more practical significance is guiding future translators in their attempts to preserve the aesthetic value and literariness of Chinese literature during the process of translating.Due to the restrictions of time and length of this thesis,there are limitations to the research.The thesis only focuses on the comparison between the original and the translated English text of Sandalwood Death(2013).Therefore,the research results might not be applicable to other translated texts.The research mainly discusses some typical examples within the text,which cannot cover all aspects.Further research is proposed on the English and other translated texts of Sandalwood Death(2013).