Poetics, ideology and patronage in translation: Liang Shiqiu as a translator (Chinese text)

Liang Shiqiu is not only a famous litterateur and lexicographer, but also a prominent translator. This thesis draws on Lefevere's translation theory and makes a descriptive study of Liang as a translator from the perspectives of poetics, ideology, patronage and professionals. The first chapter provides a literature review of the studies of Liang's translation and introduces the research purpose, theoretical framework and research methodology. Chapters 2 and 3 focus on the issue of Liang's poetics, discussing Liang's translation thoughts and translation strategies, and exploring the relationship between Liang's literary thoughts and his translation activities. Chapter 4 examines the influence of Liang's ideology upon his translation activities through the investigation of the debate between Liang Shiqiu and Lu Xun and the analysis of Liang's translation of several political writings. Chapter 5 discusses the influences of patronage and professionals upon Liang's ideology and poetics respectively, and also investigates how Liang acts as a patron and a professional of other translators. Chapter 6 is the conclusion. The study indicates that Liang's translation activities have been greatly influenced by his translation thoughts, literary thoughts, ideology, as well as the patrons and professionals. Liang has his own translation principle, and tries to adhere to it in his translation practice. His selection of translation materials has been greatly influenced by his literary thoughts, which, on the other hand, have also been promoted by his translations. Although he argues strongly against the idea that literature and arts should be the tools of ideology, in fact he himself cannot get rid of the fetters of ideology. The famous debate between him and Lu Xun about translation actually goes beyond the question of translation standard and involves political issues; moreover, under the patronage of the Kuomintang Government, he has even translated (though reluctantly) several political writings. Liang's translation of Shakespeare is carried out with the patronage of Hu Shi, who has not only initiated this project, but also influenced Liang's translation strategies. The role Liang has played in the translation activities sometimes is not simply a translator, but a patron and professional of other translators as well. This research demonstrates the interrelationship among the factors of translation thoughts, literary thoughts, ideology, patronage and professionals and their different influences upon Liang Shiqiu in different circumstances, and through this case study, further enriches Lefevere's theory on poetics, ideology, patronage and professionals.