Situation Translation And Translational Situation

This dissertation is a study of the meta-problem of drama translation from the perspective of "situation". All my arguments can be condensed into one proposition: drama translation consists of situation translation and translational situation, which are intrinsically linked by the emotion embedded in the source text and that of the translator.The lack of systematic theories of drama translation to date can be attributed to the fact that most studies so far have shied away from the ontology of drama transla-tion. This dissertation suggests that the construction of systematic theories of drama translation is possible only after we have entered into the ontology of drama transla-tion. It further suggests that from the perspective of ontology, drama translation proper, i.e. drama translation in a strict sense, is the very cornerstone on which drama studies, translation studies, and drama translation studies can be possibly developed.The main method of research employed in this dissertation is the formulation and confirmation of hypotheses through reasoning supplemented by a review of literature, multidisplinarity, qualitative and quantitative analyses, and cross-validation. Firstly, three major controversial issues in the theoretical studies of drama translation are dis-cussed, i.e. whether drama translation should be defined in a broad sense or narrow sense; whether the play text is best characterized by its literariness or theatricality; and whether the translator’s role is a dominant one or a subordinate one in the process of drama translation. Solutions are then offered, that is, drama translation should be defined in its narrow sense; the play text is characterized by its dramaticality with both literariness and theatricality; and the translator plays a dominant role on his own home ground—drama translation. Secondly, the ontological approach to drama trans-lation is proposed on the basis of a thorough study of the existing literature. Accord-ing to this proposal, the research objects should be the play form and the translator’s psychology, and the study of drama translation should take its very "nature" and "ori- gin" as its point of departure. A hypothesis is then formulated that the meta-problem of drama translation consists of situation translation and translational situation, and that situation translation constitutes the nature of drama translation, while translation-al situation is its origin.In the main part of the dissertation, the nature and the origin of drama translation are expounded and verified from the two dimensions of dramatic situation ontology and the translator’s psychology, with the aid of other theories and methods from phe-nomenological aesthetics, language philosophy, art and literary psychology. In the process of discussion, situation translation and translational situation are elaborated theoretically with regard to their connotations, functions and significance on the basis of textual analysis. It is pointed out that situation translation involves the transfer of the dramatic situation of the source text into the target text, that the preservation of dramatic situation is the criterion of evaluating the identity between the source text and the target text, and that translational situation refers to the translator’s psycholog-ical state at the time of translation, which is the emotional drive behind the act of drama translation, and which also contributes to the different traits of the target text from those of the source text. In the discussion on our idea that "situation translation is the nature of drama translation", the focus is on the process of translating, in which our arguments are developed step by step in support of the proposition. When dis-cussing the idea that "translational situation is the origin of drama translation", we proceed from a comparative analysis of the source text and the target text and prove the validity of the statement with concrete examples.A comprehensive analysis is made of situation translation. After a brief introduc-tion to the main points of dramatic situation ontology advanced by Tan Peisheng, this dissertation suggests that in drama translation, this theory should include another point, that is, the dramatic situation is revealed by the translator’s psychological inten-tion via language. It is pointed out that the dramatic situation is the criterion for judg- ing the identity between the target text and the source text. Based on Roman Ingar-den’s theory about the stratification of literary works, image-thinking of drama and poetic literary language, we suggest that the dramatic situation is composed of three strata:the stratum of language, that of image, and that of essence, which are key to effective understanding of the structure and significance of the play under translation. As the translation of the dramatic form is a major concern of the poetics of drama translation, this dissertation proposes the notion of the identity of the verbal expres-sion, image recreation, and emotional expression of the situation, which are presented as the poetic identity between the two texts.Then a thorough analysis is made of the translational situation. We claim that the translational situation is the psychological state of the translator. On the basis of the viewpoint that "the human being is the root of translation", it is confirmed that trans-lational situation is the origin of drama translation, and thus the question of where drama translation comes from and how it comes into being is answered. We contend that the psychological state of the translator is constructed with his consciousness, pre-consciousness, and unconsciousness, the last of which agrees with the translation ontology, since it constitutes the translation situation which, as is further argued, is what guides the translator in the process of translating irrespective of his wish. This argument is then followed by a discussion on the manifestations of the origin of translational situation in three aspects, i.e. the empathy of the translator, the isomorph and tension between situation translation and translational situation, and the psycho-logical implications in the target text. The hidden impact of translational situation upon drama translation is analyzed from the perspectives of verbal expression, image recreation, and emotional expression of the situation. In the following analysis of the visible impact of translation situation on drama translation, we offer an answer to the puzzling question of why translated plays need to be retranslated every two decades that the identicalness between the source text and the old target text tends to be over- whelmed by the increasing incongruousness between them due to the development of the target language and the necessity of reconstructing the dramatic situation with new linguistic resources for the new generation of target audience. Finally, it is suggested that the task of the drama translator is to set a correct viewpoint of drama translation, have a good grasp of dramatic theories, and keep a balance between objective transla-tion and translational empathy. In short, it is the embodiment of the translator’s love for the play and duty to represent it faithfully to the target audience.The dissertation affirms the validity of the hypothesis that the meta-problem of drama translation consists of situation translation and translational situation. Of the two, the former is the nature of drama translation, while the latter is its origin, which are intrinsically linked by the emotion embedded in the source text and that of the translator. The correctness of the proposition could be verified repeatedly. Secondly, we have defined a number of terms about drama translation including drama transla-tion, situation translation, translational situation, meta-problem, identity, difference, image, latent and outstanding situations, and situation rhythm. It is emphasized that "situation" is a key word in answering fundamental questions such as "what is drama translation" and "how does drama translation come to be what it is", but it is also in-dispensable in solving other knotty problems such as the object of drama translation, the assessment of translated plays, and the role of the translator.The solution offered by this dissertation to the meta-problem of drama translation is a new starting point for the construction of systematic theories of drama translation, which means more translations of plays in the strict sense can be expected in the near future. Being the first and most important problem of drama translation, the meta-problem contains all the paradoxes and mysteries inherent in drama translation. Its solution means that all other theoretical problems could be solved subsequently. Therefore, it is safe to say that the study of the meta-problem of drama translation is of significance not only in ontology, but also in epistemology and methodology of drama translation.