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Towards "Translation Of The Other"

Posted on:2008-02-14Degree:DoctorType:Dissertation
Country:ChinaCandidate:Y QiaoFull Text:PDF
GTID:1115360215472722Subject:English Language and Literature
Abstract/Summary:PDF Full Text Request
With the"living on"of Desconstruction, Jacques Derrida, its father, attracts more and more people's attention. His philosophical thought is accordingly under intense dramatic stress, and the study of it is strikingly in-depth and extensive. However, when it comes to his translation thought, as a very important event in his philosophical discourse, the investigation, with only a few articles and sparse monographs, remains comparatively inadequate, though some intriguing results in this field have been achieved. What matters more is that the darkening eclipse of the ethical orientation in Derrida's translation thought, probably due to the least consideration given to his idea of"regarding human being as the purpose of translation", has heightened the need for treatment. Against such a background, the present study is significant in five aspects: First, it helps realize the importance of the ethical dimension in Derrida's translation thought; Secondly, it helps rethink the possible nihilism in différance; Thirdly, it helps reconsider Derrida's translation thought from a completely new angle, so as to thoroughly understand and penetratively grasp it; Fourthly, it urges us to pay more attention to Derrida's antinomical way of thinking, and thus provide a correct access for the study on his philosophical thought; Finally, it encourages us to march more steadily from the"translation of the Self"to the"translation of the Other"with the support of Derrida's"ethic of the Other".Based on drawing from and criticizing previous studies, this thesis takes Derrida's antinomical way of thinking as the pivot. Mainly with the method of logical reasoning, this thesis proposes first to deal with Derrida's translation thought in terms of its characteristics, form of expression, historical origin, and aim, then give the key point a more detailed analysis from the viewpoint of the"ethic of the Other", and finally affirm that Derrida's translation thought tends towards"translation of the Other".This thesis is in six chapters: a general introduction, four main-body parts and a conclusion.The general introduction gives the research background with the importance and significance of the study, and reviews the current literature on this project at home and abroad. With the deficiencies of previous studies brought to light, the focus and the planned innovative points of the study are pinpointed. In addition, the angle of the investigation, the content of the dissertation, and its train of thought are presented.Chapter Two takes many scholars'misreading about différance as the starting point and attempts to draw upon the criticism over Kathleen Davis and Edwin Gentzler to demonstrate the three characteristics of différance and the antinomical thinking it embodies, from which comes the pre-original, fluid, and antinomical feature of Derrida's translation thought. In the light of the antinomical thinking différance embodies, it also tries to prove that the form of expression of Derrida's translation thought is likewise antinomical, composed at once of the ideal, non-metaphysical"relevant"translation and the real, metaphysical translation as"the very passage into philosophy". The two components, heterogeneous at different levels, coexist and depend on each other, the former being the basis, the latter its realization. Of these the translation as"the very passage into philosophy"still concerns the"transcendental"transfer of meaning of the"signified"at the linguistic level, while the"relevant"translation refers to the constant, continuous, cyclical alteration, transformation, evolution and other changes among things like the human society and culture.Chapter Three begins with a probe into the historical origin of Derrida's translation thought and finds out that it carries forward and develops Walter Benjamin's thought. Next, after a close study on the objective of Derrida's translation thought, it proceeds to argue that the ultimate aim of this is to urge human culture back to its pre-originary, state of perpetual mutation, imbued with limitless vigor, potency and potentialities, and to raise humans to a higher level of humanity and vitality. Then comes the question: why can"relevant"translation play such a role?Chapter Four goes on to say that the key to the question above lies in ethical factors,and turns the focus of study to Derrida's ethical thought. After a review of Derrida's critical inheritance on Emmanuel Levinas'"ethic of the Other", the author of this paper thinks that Derrida's ethical thought is in essence an"ethic of the Other", the unconditional"yes"to the alterity of the Other. With regard to whether there is an ethical turn in Derrida's thought, this paper argues that the ethical issue accompanies Derrida's Deconstruction from beginning to end. Deliberating on the absence or presence of the"ethic of the Other"on translation, it points out that the importance of the"ethic of the Other"provides translation with a necessary condition, namely, the"alterity"of the"Other". Therefore mordern Western translation, suppressing and violating the Other, is essentially a"false translation"or"translation of the Self"; while the"relevant"translation, which respects difference and variety of national or individual languages, is a"true translation"or"translation of the Other". Based on the previous discussion, it is clear that Derrida's translation thought, with the"ethic of the Other"both absent and present, tends towards the"translation of the Other". In other words, it is an eternal flow from"translation of the Self"to"translation of the Other". For further discussion round the"translation of the Other", this paper puts forward three quertions, namely,"how does Derrida's'ethic of the Other'perform in his'translation of the Other'?","what is the ethical foundation for the'translation of the Other'?", and"how is the'translation of the Other'realized?".Chapter Five opens with a discussion of the three questions asked above. Firstly, it points out that Derrida's"ethic of the Other"is manifested in justice on the basis of the definition of the"ethic of the Other"provided by Derrida and Levinas. Secondly, after discussing the condition and the property of justice, it posits those of the"translation of the Other". The enquiry shows the"translation of the Other"is possible under conditions of: 1) possessing singularity and generality at the same time; 2) having an impossible experience of setting borderline among things; 3) allowing possibilities"to come"while make immediate decisions by following and inventing the translation laws. Therefore the properties of the"translation of the Other"are understood as undeconstructibleness, incalculableness, heterogeneousness, and"to-come". Up to this point, the first question is answered. Thirdly, in the light of the relation between ethics and hospitality proposed by Derrida, our investigation reveals that the foundation of Derrida's"ethic of the Other"is hospitality. Further study on the implication of hospitality proves that the foundation of the"translation of the Other"is the antinomy of unconditional and conditional hospitality to foreign language and culture, which answers the second question. Fourthly, based on the importance of responsibility for justice, this paper holds that the realization of Derrida's"ethic of the Other"depends on the fulfillment of its responsibility. Fifthly, the author, based on her analysis of the condition and character of responsibility, with the critique of Kathleen Davis as the starting point, explores the responsibility in the"translation of the Other"and its realization The research, which answers the third question, shows that the responsibility lies in keeping the alterity of foreign language and culture, and that its realization depends on the fulfillment of opening native language and culture, welcoming foreign language and culture, reflecting upon the self of man, cultivating the critical mind, rethinking on democracy, and respecting both the difference and the sameness in languages and cultures. Finally, the paper puts the"translation of the Other"in a historical context in elaborating on its role in driving Europe out of"cultural imperialism"and into the pre-original state of human society, namely,"the New International".Chapter Six summarizes the main results of our research, namely, 1) Derrida's way of thinking is"fluid"and antinomical, allowing for both poetic and logic; 2) Based on Benjamin's thought, Derrida's translation thought is fluid, pre-original and antinomical. It includes the"relevant"translation and the translation as"the very passage into philosophy", aiming to drive human culture back to its endless flux of the pre-originary, full of vigor, potency and potentialities. It urges Europe to head for the pre-original human society rather than sticking to the"cultural imperialism", and promotes humans to a higher level of humanity. In terms of the"ethic of the Other", Derrida's translation thought tends towards the"translation of the Other". The author then puts forward her seminal suggestions from the study, that is, translation study is the starting point of examining the human being, it is inseparable from the ethical orientation and the way of thinking. Finally, the author looks into the prospects of further studies on the subject.
Keywords/Search Tags:Derrida, Antinomy, Pre-originary, Ethic of the Other, Translation of the Other
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