A Study Of Xu Yuanchong's Thoughts On Translation

Chinese translation has a long history with several climax,including translation of Buddhist scriptures from the Eastern Han Dynasty to Tang and Song dynasties,science and technology translation in late Ming and early Qing dynasties,translation of Western learning and literary translation around the May Fourth Movement.In new historical period,foreign translation activities on Chinese literature got most of the attentions for promoting the "Going Out" strategy.In the increasing important translation activities,a group of excellent translators are sprung up,making outstanding contributions for communication between Chinese and foreign cultures.In recent years,researches on translation history,especially on those translators who were important in the history of Chinese translation,have been received much attention in the field of translation.In this research background,this dissertation chooses Xu Yuanchong as research object.On the basis of grasping the basic context of translation theory development in the recent forty years,combining with Xu Yuanchong's abundant translation practices and persistent exploration on translation theories,this dissertation mainly focuses on Xu Yuanchong's related discussions and important viewpoints on translation,and pursues the origin of his translation theories.Meanwhile,this dissertation also explores the profound connotation and academic value of Xu Yuanchong's translation theories,revealing logical relationship and composition among his series of important viewpoints on literary translation,and then discusses on the characteristics and translation contribution of his translation theories.Besides Introduction and Conclusion,there are five chapters in the dissertation.In Introduction,the dissertation emphatically points out that in recent years,the study of translation history in China has mainly included in the areas of translation phenomena,translators,and translation works.Among these three areas,the study of translators has unique and important values in investing translators' translation activities and theoretical exploration of different historical stages and cultural contexts.This investigation helps to fully understand translation activities,connotation and function of translation,and to evaluate translators' historical contribution objectively and comprehensively.Based on such understands,this dissertation determines to take Xu Yuanchong's translation activities and theoretical exploration as researching object.Researching structure and emphasis are based on fully grasping the statements and viewpoints of Xu Yuanchong on translation,and researching conditions on Xu Yuanchong's translation art and theories by the academic fields.This dissertation uses ways of historical description and comprehensive analysis to holistically study the practice foundation,theoretical viewpoints,development tracks,and logical relations of Xu Yuanchong's translation theories.The first chapter starts with essence of translation.With Xu Yuanchong's fruitful translation practice,thinking and theoretical exploration on translation,this chapter tries to reveal the interactive relations between Xu Yuanchong's translation practices and theories.In order to explore,understand,and grasp Xu Yuanchong's translation theories,it is inevitable to understand and observe his translation activities historically and holistically.It is necessary to investigate the following questions in historical and cultural context.What did Xu Yuanchong translate?Why did Xu Yuanchong make such choices?What characteristics do Xu Yuanchong's translation activities have?What are the meanings of his translation?What maj or viewpoints did he raise with his translation practices?Where do his translation theories and viewpoints come from?Combined with Xu Yuanchong's translation practices,the first chapter starts researching his roads of translation with these questions dynamically.Meanwhile,this chapter captures Xu Yuanchong's different translation choices than that of other cotemporary translators,tries to explore the precious meaning of his works.This chapter also evaluates Xu Yuanchong's contribution to China's translation activities,thus to dynamically examine and rationally analyze main parts of his translation theories.Xu Yuanchong's exploration on translation theories is long and fruitful,relating many aspects of translation.In order to holistically grasp and systematically interpret his translation theories,this dissertation holds the idea that several aspects should be considered in tracing,teasing,concluding,analyzing,and interpreting Xu Yuanchong's translation theories.First is to base on the essential attributes of translation.Second is to reference from latest achievements of contemporary researches on translation theories.Third is to research in ways of language transformation,meaning construction,cross-cultural communication effect,and creativity of translation.Based on the above understanding,the second,third,and forth chapter of this dissertation will start from three major aspects of literary translation to analyze Xu Yuanchong's view of language,culture,and aesthetics.The second chapter emphasizes on Xu Yuanchong's translation view of language.This dissertation points out Xu Yuanchong's translation thinking on language level is intensively reflecting in his cognition on the differences between Chinese and English,and between Chinese and French.Combined with creating rules of sound,form,and meaning,he starts from differences among different laguages.On one hand,he emphasizes the importance of transformation on these three levels.On the other,he emphasizes the creativity of that.Through exploration on Xu Yuanchong's translation view of language,this dissertation further reveals Xu Yuanchong's consistent viewpoints on language's importance on literary creation,and better understands his views of "taking advantage of target language in translation".During his long thinking on translation,Xu Yuanchong repeatedly puts forward the differences,obstacles,and issues in transforming between different languages.Because of this,he emphasizes that China's translation theory researches should focus on that,highlighting the particularity in transforming between Chinese and foreign languages.Most importantly,Xu Yuanchong believes that it is not enough to consider transformation of translation on the level of linguistics.It should be on the level of language and art creation in exploring ways of "Transformation" on the level of language.The third chapter explores Xu Yuanchong's translation view of culture.It is noticed that at the beginning of Xu Yuanchong's translation activities,there was some kinds of "Culture" awareness.On one hand,this dissertation discusses the relationship between translation and culture.Especially in the theory of culture turn,this dissertation analyzes and reveals the cultural self-consciousness and cultural self-confidence in Xu Yuanchong's translation activities and theories.On the other hand,this dissertation carefully analyzes,elaborates,and concludes the following three questions in Xu Yuanchong's translation activities.How does he concern the cultural elements in translated texts?How does he translate words with profound cultural connotation from one language to another?How does he purpose the interaction and abundant thinking in translation activities?Meanwhile,through studies,it is found that Xu Yuanchong not only captures many essential issues of cross-cultural communication through his translation and thinking,but he also purposes strategic ways and methods in solving them.Thus,in the actual field of Sino-Western cultural communication,Xu Yuanchong makes full efforts to promote cultural communication.The forth chapter of this dissertation mainly emphasizes on Xu Yuanchong's translation view of aesthetics.First,based on the inspect on Xu Yuanchong's translation activities,this dissertation points out that most of Xu Yuanchong's translation practices are literary translation.The dissertation starts analyzing his translation practices from his understanding to the essence of literary translation.Xu Yuanchong believes that literary translation is art.Artistry is the essential pursue of literary translation.Second,based on Xu Yuanchong's position towards the essence of literary translation,this chapter discusses the connotation and core value of his theories of "Triple Beauty","Triple Transformation",and "Triple Objective"."Beauties" pursued by Xu Yuanchong include both static and dynamic aesthetical meanings.artistic pursuit of literary translation is the creation of beauty.Third,in activities of literary translation,the propose of "Triple Transformation" reveals the transformation ways in translation activities.In the process of "Triple Transformation",Xu Yuanchong interpret "I could do what I would without going beyond what is right." This interpretation has positive meaning in understanding his promotion of developing translators' creativity in translation,and opens up new angles.After analyzing Xu Yuanchong's translation views in aspects of language,culture,and aesthetics,the fifth chapter of this dissertation emphasizes on exploring the peculiarity of his translation theories and his contribution to translatology.From 1970s,with his translation practices and learning from Chinese academic thoughts,theory of literature and art,and traditional aesthetics,Xu Yuanchong proposed series of important viewpoints relating to language,culture,and aesthetics.It embodies his conscious theoretical pursuit.Xu Yuanchong 's theoretical exploration on translation opens up a referable paths.What he dedicates to build up is not adding "Chinese Characteristics" on the basis of Western translation theories,but Chinese School's literary translation theory in contributing the construction of translation theories.The Conclusion part of this dissertation briefly concludes this thesis's main research approaches,emphasis,and viewpoints.At last,this dissertation points out that through researches on Xu Yuanchong's translation practices and translation theory exploration,it is reasonable and sufficient to explain and reveal his value of practice,connotation of spirit,foresight of thoughts,and contribution to translatology.The meaning of this dissertation is not only teasing,analyzing,and elaborating Xu Yuanchong's translation theories,but also his enlightenment and value to theoretical contribution of China's translation field and relating fields in the new era of innovation.