Study Of Internet-Based Translation Criticism On Feng Tang’s Translation Of Stray Birds From The Perspective Of Media Ecology

Internet media has provided a new space for the production and spread of translation criticism,accounting for the change of its form,discourse,subjects and driving factors.Existing concepts of translation criticism activities are in an awkward position in the face of Internet-based translation criticism.Scholars in the translation field have noticed the emerging phenomenon,but there has been no theoretical research on the relationship between the Internet media and translation criticism.In 2015,Feng Tang’s translation of Stray Birds triggered an online translation criticism event.Internet critics of various identities were active in timely discussions,which had a significant impact on the reception of the translation work.Therefore this event can be seen as a prominent case for Internet-based translation criticism research.Based on the case study,this paper employs theoretical tools of media studies and sociology to probe into the form,discourse,subjects and driving factors of translation criticism in the Internet media environment.To be specific,by deriving from the interpretation of “media as environment”,the core proposition of Media Ecology,as “media as sensual environment”,“media as symbol environment” and “media as social environment”,this paper investigates how Internet media influences translation criticism in terms of technology,symbol and social interaction.The definition,function and operating mechanism of Internet-based translation criticism are thus expected to be revealed.This paper argues that the “sensual environment” created by Internet determines the textual form of translation criticism as hypertext in general due to technical restrictions while it display different textual features on varieties of Internet platforms.The "symbol environment" creates translation criticism discourse with more flexible language and more concern over controversial issues than their non-Internet counterpart,but still great compliance with the criticism standards established by the print media.The "social environment" lastly plays a role in critics’ struggle for the discourse power and the capital operation in translation criticism activities.“Elites”,“the masses”,translators and the media act and interact driven by different capital,reconstructing the discourse center in the field of online translation criticism.As a new-phenomenon research in the field of translation,the paper pioneers the introduction of media theory to the discussion of the relationship between media and translation criticism in combination with a representative case.It aims to form a more comprehensive and systematic view of Internet-based translation criticism and to inspect at the theoretical level its connotation,function and operation mechanism as well as its correlative relations with media.