A Study On Translator’s Subjectivity From The Perpective Of Manipulation Theory — With The Three-Body Problem As A Case Analysis

Under the framework of translator’s subjectivity and Manipulation Theory,this paper conducted a descriptive research of The Three-Body Problem to explore Ken Liu’s subjectivity under the constraints of ideology and poetics,and to discuss whether he has fulfilled his alleged purpose of preserving the flavor of the original by translating faithfully.Translator’s subjectivity,based on previous views of scholars,consists of three elements according to the author: Agency,which influences translators’ interpretation and rewriting of source texts and determines adoption of specific translation strategies;passiveness,which refers to constraints from factors within and outside literary system on a translator;and purposiveness,which is reflected in selection of source texts,goal and style of translation.Under the manipulation of ideology,Ken Liu rewrote gender stereotypes in the original to eliminate sexist phenomena that contradict the mainstream value in the West.Under the manipulation of dominant poetics in the West,Ken Liu reorganized chapters of the original and rewrote culture-loaded expressions and vague statements to lower the comprehension barrier of target readership.There are three major findings of this research: 1.A theoretical framework of translator’s subjectivity is established,indicating not only subjective initiative of translators,but also purposiveness and constrains imposed on them.2.Under the influence of two main factors of Manipulation Theory,Ken Liu intentionally rewrote the original to cater to values,ideologies and reading habits of target readership.3.Though strategies of domestication took up a larger proportion than that of foreignization,Ken Liu managed to preserve the flavor of the original without sacrificing reception of target readership.