Integration Of Chinese And Western Thought Patterns

In traditional translation studies, theorists and scholars have been focusing on text analysis for a very long time. Nevertheless, the subject of translation practice----translators is becoming a new issue in this circle, and drawing increasing attention among scholars and translation theorists, along with its development and penetration in the theoretical respect. The early research on translators only concentrated on introducing their translation practice and their views on translation. Apart from those two fields, translation theorists now integrate translators'world vision, philosophy, cultural thoughts, aesthetic consciousness, cultivated personality, and the influence of translated works on target culture into the research on translators with a deepening understanding on this issue. This trend deserves due attention in the translation research circle.Yang Xianyi (1915-) , conversant with both Chinese culture and western culture, is a prestigious translator, a researcher on foreign literature studies, a scholar on Chinese and western transportation history, a scholar on cultural history and a classical poet. He was brought up in a special historical and cultural context. As many other masters in the literary world during the same period, Yang Xianyi has not only been immersed in traditional Chinese culture, but also bathed in modern western thoughts for a long time. He later stepped on to translation practice out of his own interest or his motherland's need and has devoted almost his entire life to the respectable translation career. In terms of his achievements, especially in the field of Chinese to English literary translation, Yang Xianyi is second to none. He endeavors to translate numerous Chinese literatures to the outside world, ranging from classical fictions to modern plays. It is unfortunate that few researches have been conducted on Yang Xianyi's translation thoughts, his status or influence, not to mention systematic and objective categorization of and evaluation of his translation practice. Therefore, this dissertation, entitled"Integration of Chinese and Western Thought Patterns----A Study of Yang Xianyi's Translation Style", aims to discuss and evaluate this rare scholarly translator in a comprehensive, objective and fair way.The choice of works for translation, approaches to translation, intention of translation are all taken into consideration in the dissertation, which can probably bring both the skeleton and particulars of Yang Xianyi's translation to readers in a realistic way. The study probes into Yang Xianyi's cultural thoughts, his pursuit of value and his political consciousness when he is conducting his translation work so as to trace his spiritual change. It is a miscellaneous and complicated project to do research on Yang Xianyi's translated works of literature, and thus the author endeavors to lay emphasis on receiving culture of translated versions in such a way that the author can organize thoughts on modern restructuring of literary translation under new cultural context. This study also discusses prominent changes and features of literary translation during that period. The following questions will be answered: What kinds of works are chosen by publishing houses or translators themselves? Why do they choose such works to introduce to ordinary people at that time? What are the basic translation methods? What impact has been exerted on the literature and culture of target language? Have translated works influenced an author's creative writing? To what extent? What experience and lessons can be used for reference?In the 1970s, translation studies in the western countries had undergone a remarkable transition and had expanded its research target and scope. With the rising of descriptive translation studies and following the cultural trend in the translation studies, translator's subjectivity in translating has increasingly become a spotlight of translation studies. The impact of ideology and literary concepts on translation are reflected by translators and the choice, methods and strategies made by translators also reflect the social-cultural context in particular times. The probe into translators themselves is indispensable if we intend to make an in-depth and comprehensive analysis of the relationship between translation practice and target culture. With the turn of translation studies, the study of translators ---- the subject of translation ---- has become a new topic in the translation circle.Admittedly Yang Xianyi has achieved greatness in translation practice, especially translating Chinese literature into English, and there are some papers home and abroad posting comments on his achievements in translation, but unfortunately compared with his contributions, those introductions are sporadic. We can see a new trend in terms of study on Yang Xianyi ---- autobiography, biography and critical biography, including but not restricted to Everlasting Pursuit ---- A Biography of Yang Xianyi(《永远的求索——杨宪益传》)written by Zou Ting and published by East China Normal University Press in 2001, Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang Going Together《杨宪益与戴乃迭一同走过》written by Li Hui and published by Elephant Press in 2001, A Biography of Yang Xianyi(《杨宪益传》)written by Lei Yin and published by Min Bao Press (Hong Kong) in 2007. All of them depict Yang Xianyi's life in such a comprehensive way that his translation career has been mentioned many times here and there, but not in a systematic way. Yang Xianyi was even once invited to write an autobiography, entitled White Tiger(《白虎星照命》), later it was translated into Chinese by Xue Hongshi, entitled《漏船载酒忆当年》, whose postscript was written by Yang Xianyi. It is an outline of study on Yang Xianyi in recent decades home and abroad.Why is there such a lacking in explorations on Yang Xianyi's translation or furthering his translation style? On the basis of many material analyses and critical thinking on the development of domestic and foreign translation research, we propose two main reasons. Firstly, it is highly influenced by the development course of translation studies. The traditional translation studies did not focus on the study of translators, which explains why during a very long period, translation research did not touch upon the issue of"who is translating", and therefore, few translation theorists have conducted theoretical study on translators. Secondly, Yang Xianyi is still alive and healthy, which to some extent, also explains why only inadequate attention has been given to the study of Yang Xianyi's translation.Traditionally, the translator is invisible. In other words, a wise translator should not make target readers aware that they are reading a translated version. Nevertheless, both domestic and foreign translation circles have become increasingly aware that the subject of translation practice, i.e. the translator, is not invisible but has his own style and features.We propose that style itself is translatable to some extent. If a translator ignores the significance or value of style, it is difficult for him to be loyal to the original version. To convey style in the process of translation is a high-level aesthetic activity. Some translators are lacking in profound literary taste and have little or even no ability to discern or appreciate original literary works and therefore it is predictable that the style of original works would unavoidably be decreased or even lost. We cannot attribute the decrease or loss of original style to the translatability of style without any serious analysis, not to mention such a conclusion that style is not translatable. Since the style is translatable, a translator should be conscious of an author's style and further convey it.It is a substantative issue in the study of style transference in literary translation how to handle the relationship between the style of original works and target works. There are chiefly two contradictory tendencies:1. Translator's style should be undoubtedly submitted to writer's style, but if a translator is too restricted to the superficial structure of original works, he, only treasuring the scientific nature of literary translation, is liable to adopt a rigid or even dead translation approach. The consequence is that the translated works run counter to the style of original works. In other words, it is not a way to pursue faithfulness.2. A translator's style is betrayed in the translated works consciously or unconsciously. However, if the translator lays too much emphasis on the translator's style, translator's chief role, and the possibility that translated works can surpass original ones artistically, which means he only treasures the artistic nature of literary translation, he is liable to adopt a free or even liberal translation approach. Many translators are doing translation conscientiously and therefore deliberate free or liberal translation phenomenon can hardly be traced now. Nevertheless, the translator might give so much prominence to his own style that writer's style exists in name only.The dissertation is going to discuss how Yang Xianyi can actively reproduce writer's style and meanwhile appropriately reflect translator's style, and how he can integrate writer's style and translator's style during his lifetime translation career, no matter whether he introduces Chinese literature to foreign readers or vice versa.This dissertation falls into eight chapters.Chapter One IntroductionThis chapter puts forward the current research accomplishment in terms of Yang Xianyi's translation, achievements made by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang in translating classic literatures, including the translation of classical Western literature into Chinese and the translation of classical Chinese literature, and the purpose, significance, methodology and framework of this dissertation. Chapter Two Yang Xianyi's Individual StyleThis chapter firstly broaches the topic of translation style, and further discusses its theoretical basis, necessity, difficulty, possibility, inevitability, prerequisites and commonalities, all of which pave the way for the following study of Yang Xianyi's translation style. Then, we discuss the relationship between individual style and thoughts as well as personality, the relationship between translation style and his thought pattern, the relationship between individual style and his experiences. Furthermore, this chapter lays emphasis on the relationship between Yang Xianyi's patriotism and his selection of literary works and his translation strategies. This chapter also analyzes the advantages of Yang Xianyi to translate poems, since he himself is a talented poet.Chapter Three Yang Xianyi's Translation Practice and his Translation ViewFirstly, this chapter focuses on Yang Xianyi's nationalism, rationalism, consciousness of apprehension, sense of nationalism and reality and his translation thought. Secondly, it is concerned with Yang Xianyi's translation practice from two perspectives: translating Chinese literature into English as well as translating foreign literature into Chinese. In terms of translating Chinese literature into English, we divide the whole literature history into three chief stages, i.e. classic Chinese literature, modern Chinese literature (from the mid-19th century to the May 4th Movement of 1919) and contemporary Chinese literature (from the May 4th Movement of 1919 to the present). In this way, this chapter gives great prominence to Yang Xianyi's tremendous achievements in introducing Chinese literary works to the outside world. It also testifies Yang Xianyi's achievements in translating foreign literature into Chinese by elaborating the translated versions of Pygmalion written by Bernard Shaw, and"Homeric epic", namely The Iliad and the Odyssey.In Chapters four, five and six, three other prestigious translators are chosen: Gladys Yang, David Hawkes and Xu Yuanchong. By comparing different translated versions of the same original text, the author endeavors to find out the different translation styles.Chapter Four Comparative Study on Translation StylesChapter four serves as an introduction of the following two chapters. It analyzes Gladys Yang's, David Hawkes'and Xu Yuangchong's translation styles and compares them with Yang Xianyi's. Gladys Yang is a great help to Yang Xianyi in terms of his translation career. Nevertheless, their mother tongues are different, which exerts a significant impact on their individual translation strategies. It also discusses their cooperative translation mode. It takes Hong Lou Meng as an example to compare and contrast the translator's styles between Yang Xianyi and David Hawkes. Xu Yuangchong, second to none in the field of poetry translation, is also introduced to compare his translator's style with Yang Xianyi's.Chapter Five Deeper Analysis on Yang's and Hawkes's Translation StylesChapter five goes on much deeper to analyze Yang Xianyi's and David Hawkes'translationd styles from the following perspectives: cultural strength, status of source texts, original standards, translation clients, expected target readers, translation objectives, ethic criteria, evaluation, interpretation and literature views. At the end of this chapter, it focuses on the differences in translating language styles of different characters.Chapter Six Deeper Analysis on Yang's and Xu's Translation StylesChapter six goes on much deeper to analyze Yang Xianyi's and Xu Yuanchong's translation styles in the field of poetry translation. Both of them have achieved great success in this field. It makes a comprehensive analysis of Yuefu Songs, Tang Poems, and Song Proses so as to discuss the differences of translator's styles between them. As for Yuefu Songs, A Pledge and Gathering Lotus are chosen; Tang Poems, Song of Eternal Sorrow; Song Proses, Xi Jiang Yue·Traveling at Night to Huangsha Ridge.Chapter Seven Chief Factors Influencing the Formation of Translation StyleChapter seven concludes the chief factors that may influence a translator to form his own translation style on the basis of the study of those first six chapters. It proposes that educational experience, social background, translation objectives, publishing house or translation organizations, expected target readers and ideology exert influence on translation style. The part of"ideology"is the climax of this dissertation, which summarizes Yang Xianyi's thoughts on translating literature, which includes translation views from comparative cultural perspectives, culture and significance, elimination of historical distance, views on modern translation of ancient works. Chapter Eight ConclusionIn the last chapter, the present author summarizes Yang Xianyi's translation style in general, and brings the study to the end by discussing the significance, value, limitation and further research of the study.Yang Xianyi brings both domestic and foreign literary legacy into his broad vision during his lifetime translation career. He knows very well that Chinese people are eager to know foreign literature and foreign people are also anxious to read Chinese literature. Translation is one of the most important factors to achieve this objective. His main work focuses on translating classical Chinese literature into English, which contributes enormously to cultural exchange. The characteristics of his translated works are smoothness and easiness to understand. It explains why sometimes, even Chinese readers prefer to read translated works by Yang Xianyi to original classical Chinese literature.Yang Xianyi has gradually formed his own translation style along with his outstanding accomplishment in language, literature and culture, rich imagination, high esthetic taste, cross-cultural comparative competence, creativity and long-time translating experience. We will analyze Yang Xianyi's translated works of different genres, themes, styles, authors, times and societies. Yang Xianyi's translation style in general can be summarized as being faithful to original works in terms of their thoughts, deeper understanding, exact expressiveness; vivid character images; insight into implicit meaning, thoughts and emotions; preferring to a literal translation approach while adopting various other translation strategies flexibly; and language which is lively, concise, smooth and variable.Yang Xianyi's translation achievements sufficiently testifies that a qualified translator should be enthusiastic about translation and cultural exchange, have a strict attitude toward translation practice, be conscious of social, academic and moral responsibilities, and therefore be responsible for original works, authors, original culture, target society and target readers. Secondly, a translator should be well equipped with adequate research competence, a broad cultural vision and cross-cultural comparative competence as well as profound accomplishment in language, literature and culture so as to be"a real cultural-conscious man". Thirdly, a translator should be conscious of linguistic art, be full of imagination, sentiments, creativity and experiences, and have good sense of judgement and appreciation. Fourthly, a translator should have adequate theoretical foundation, dialectic views on translation, correct translation intention as well motive. Last, a translator should also be industrious in conducting translation practices in order to enrich translation experiences and integrate translation theory, academic research and translation practice, which means initiative and creativity of the subjects in translating can be maximized."Style is translation"means translator's personality, cultural consciousness and artistic cultivation constrain the translation quality and translation style. We deepen our understanding and thinking on literary translator, i.e. subjects of translation by means of the study on Yang Xianyi's translation style, which will boost this academic field to develop into a new phase.The value of this study is reflected in these six aspects:1. We will make apparent Yang Xianyi's status and role in Chinese translation history through systematic and thorough analysis on his translation practice.2. Yang Xianyi, as a case study, will be used to study cooperative translation mode and"a poet translates poems"phenomenon and further study translation process, translator's role and chief factors influencing translation process.3. We will testify that a qualified translator should be highly style-conscious, faithful to the original style while simultaneously keeping his own translation style by discussing possibility, inevitability, generality and prerequisites of style translation.4. We will prove that translator's style is relatively stable for a long period, while translator's style will be adjusted in accordance with different original works, different potential readers and different translation consignors by discussing stability of translator's thought structure, stability and creativity of translator's rational thought and opposition and integration of translator's rational thought.5. We will analyze different translators and their translated works of the same original works so as to predict English readers'expectation on translated Chinese literature during various stages of the history. Export of Chinese literature will accordingly learn from this experience, which will boost Sino-Western cultural exchange and be conducive to deepen our knowledge on translation process, translator's role, translator's subjectivity, factors that have an impact on translation action.6. The study of Yang Xianyi's translation style is indispensable to the overall study of Yang Xianyi and also useful for compilation of China's translation history.