Domestication And Foreignization: The Fluctuation Of Chinese Translating Literature In 20^th Century

With the strategies of domestication and foreignization ,this dissertation has traced back the development of Chinese translated literature to explore the main principle strategy of domestication in later 19th century, strategy of foreignization in May Fourth Period, strategy of domestication in the early period of the People's Republic of China and the strategy of foreignization from 1980s afterwards. In combing the plenty of information of historical facts of the translation study through the fluctuation of strategies of domestication and foreignization in 20th century in China, with representative translated works and translators in different periods as latitude and the course of development as longitude, this dissertation has elaborated the problems such as method, nature, content and the origin of the two strategies fairly systematicaly from the angle of dynamic development, not only clarified some mistakes on traditional translation research, but made some new attempts towards the theory,content and method of domestication and foreignization at the same time. This dissertation holds a dialectic attitude towards this controversy and claims that domestication and foreignization are both justified and valuable.The whole dissertation is composed of seven parts.The introduction part is an overall evaluation of the origin of the argument about the strategies of domestication and foreignization and has explored the substance and meaning as well as the problems and countermeasures,and also has put forward Polysystem Theory as theoretical tool so as to reveal the implicit cultural hegemony trend behind the translation campaign from the angle of cultural criticism .Chapter I is devoted to a study for the climax of publication Western translated literature represented by Yanfu and Lunshu at beginning of 20th century, and points out that the translation strategy of this period is domestication and has caused the creation of Chinese modern translated literature. During the process of artistic foreignization , Chinese literature modernity aroused by translated literature has played the role of connecting link between the preceding and the following.Chapter II focuses on the modernity of the consciousness of suject in the language of foreignization while excavating the western times and spiritual intension with unique culture through the strategy of foreignization adopted by translators in May Fourth Period, when the target language is in the position of margin of international cultures.Chapter III attempts to reveal the strategy of domestication adopted by the translators for the purpose of " Serve revolution , Serve creation "with political option, and with "Gadfly" as an example to illustrate the course of classics under the context of different cultures at the initial stage of new China. The whole course of translation campaign must be influnced by the macro environments such as the viewpoint of value , social and historical as well as political and economical factors.Chapter IV discusses the balanced principle of domestication and foreignization through the analysis of the translated texts of Zhang Gu Ruo, and points out the complex factors that affects the option of translation strategies,which is not only the problem of language and culture, but concerned with cultural empire and the language hegemony.The argument of domestication and foreignization not only embodies the problem of translation strategy or method, but declares publicly with the cultural ideas held by specific culture and attitude represented by translators and theoretical researchers. The adoption of domestication and foreignization is deeply rooted in the inequality between cultures and the exclusionism of the dominant cultures.Chapter V has special meaning of a new era with the connection of literature translation and comparative literature, because the strategies of translation and the quality of translated texts of literature directly affects validity and the feasibility of the study of comparative literature, and the interdisciplinary tendency of academic research has also offered a new perspective to translation research.The last part presents the conclusions and main arguments of this dissertation, with a further exploration of philosophy and linguistics foundation of domestication and foreignization with dualistic antagonism which can break through the set pattern of antagonism, and can discuss translation research from the meaning of deeper layer with the angle of pragmatics .The innovation of dissertation lies in the comprehensive combing and analysis of domestication and foreignization in combination with the flunction of Chinese translated literature in 20th century . Conclusions and main arguments are as follows:1.domestication and foreignization is a dynamic concept, not only dualistic antagonism , which can be understood from two aspects, one is time ,and the other is the contents such as language and thought, for example the translation of Linshu can be regarded as domestication from language and foreignization from thought. 2.It's a complete blank to study domestication and foreignization from the angle of Comparative Literature. 3. The translation strategy takes on a certain historical tendency with domestication being a domination and foreignization only occupying major position in the specific historical period, which surely has some historical factors influenced translation strategy rearward. 4.Venuti is not haggling over every ounce about accuracy of translation, his purpose is to denounce cultural imperialism with translation as a tool , also to enlarge translation research not only as the meaning of pure language campaign but the emphatic social cultural function of translation. Now under the context of Chinese language , domestication is helpful to retain the characteristic of Chinese on the contrary. 5.It is not only from culture but philosophy linguistics layer surface to explore the strategies of domestication and foreignization, especially from the perspective of pragmatics, which combines language with culture systematicly so as to regress Ontology of translation study.