On Russian Translation Of “Selected Works Of Mao Tse-Tung” In The Context Of Polysystem Theory

The“Selected Works of Mao Tse-Tung”is the important Chinese Party and state leader's works first translated systematically since the founding of the P.R.China and also one of the most influential CPC Party Literature impacting on the world in the 20^thcentury.Its Russian translation was made 50 years ago with an excellent quality in general which has a high value for translation studies due to its distinct“cultural vacancy”phenomena.The Polysystem Theory holds that translation studies should be made from dynamic,developing and co-relative perspectives,to survey the translation activities by putting them into the times'and social milieu that surround them by focusing on how the political,social and cultural factors impact on the translation actions,which opens an important approach from the sociological perspective to the translation studies.On that account,this thesis makes a survey,comment,discussion,summary and prediction,with the“cultural vacancy”phenomena as its pointcut from the perspective of Polysystem Theory,on the Russian translation of“Selected Works of Mao Tse-Tung”(Vol.1-3)revised by the Compilation and Translation Bureau of the CPC Central Committee,to expound in-depth its research value.At the beginning,the author reviews first the publications and distributions of both the original“Selected Works of Mao Tse-Tung”and its Russian translations and,by the textual analysis,sorts through in detail the typical“cultural vacancy”phenomena reflected from the Russian translations(about 700 examples in total),dividing them into the material cultural vacancy,the system cultural vacancy,and the spiritual cultural vacancy under which 7 sub-items are further divided,summing up 4 methods,7 tactics,and 3 translation concepts,to form a panorama of the translation of the“Selected Works of Mao Tse-Tung”.The author then,by a sociological analysis with a view to the Polysystem Theory,makes comments and discussions from the past perspective on the whole situation of the translation of“Selected Works of Mao Tse-Tung”.After discussing both the domestic and international political backdrops and social developments at that time,this thesis makes a comparative study focusing on the“cultural vacancy”phenomena between the old Moscow's version and the revised version of the“Selected Works of Mao Tse-Tung”by the Compilation and Translation Bureau of the CPC Central Committee,expounding in-depth what the revisers then thought and what logic they followed,which demonstrates clearly how the extra-textual factors like political systems(both international and domestic)and the social cultural systems(cultural exchanges,education development,translation notions)influenced critically their translation actions at that time,recommending a new approach to the translation studies of the“Selected Works of Mao Tse-Tung”.After reviewing the revised translation with“faithfulness,expressiveness and elegance”as its criteria,the author also gives his opinions for discussion,besides his full confirmation on its excellent quality,about some specific translations that can be further improved,such as some improper translations for the Chinese measurement units,some understanding problems in the cultural connotations caused by the lack of information,etc.Then the author analyzes from today's perspective the changes made nowadays in China's political and social cultural backgrounds as well as their influences on the translation,and illustrates 5 new changes and 4 new demands in China's translation of the Party Literature of the Central Committee,based on which the author reviews from a modern angle the translation in the past of the“Selected Works of Mao Tse-Tung”and analyzes some new major problems such as how to optimizing and adjusting the translation strategies as a whole,how to deal with some important issues in the translation like the“new cultural vacancy”caused by the changes of the times and the loss of the shared memory,and how to resolve the“reverse cultural vacancy”caused by the translators'“art exaggeration”,hoping to offer some new thinking and suggestions for translating some other Party literature of CPC Central Committee.The conclusion of this thesis is as follows:1.The the Russian translation of the“Selected Works of Mao Tse-Tung”is excellent in quality with a variety of good translation methods and techniques as well as strategies,which reflects a distinct translation concept up to the criteria of“Faithfulness,Expresiveness and Elegance”prevailing at that time.It is a classic work as a“benchmark”in the Chinese translation circle.2.Though excellent in quality reviewed by those years'standards,the Russian translation in the past still exists room for improvement with some translation methods and techniques open to discussion.3.Reviewed by today's view,an adjustment is necessary to be made in the overall strategies of the Russian translations,ie.,from“a faithfulness priority”to“a unitary balance”,in which some techniques adopted to some translation cases should be improved with the times.4.The final form of the Russian translation of the“Selected Works of Mao Tse-Tung”is a comprehensive product influence by both the text translation and the social strength,because such factors within political,social and cultural systems at that time played a crucial role in shaping the form of the translation of the“Selected Works of Mao Tse-Tung”.5.There are many“cultural vacancy”phenomena involved in the original text of“Selected Works of Mao Tse-Tung”,in dealing with which the translators did a very good job as a whole.But the“cultural vacancy”is dynamic and developing,because with the changes of the times,the“cultural vacancy”will possibly be renewed or disappear alternately,the translation of which,therefore,should accordingly keep improving and renewing with the times.Finally,we should solute to the classics at the present.The author summarizes the historical significance of the Russian translation of the“Selected Works of Mao Tse-Tung”.Looking into the future,the author discusses some questions of how to inherit and develop such good traditions as the“team work”methods,strong will of self-reliance and hard working,professionalism in the pursuit of excellence,self-centered translation principle in the history of translating“Selected Works of Mao Tse-Tung”,trying to offer some tentative suggestions feasible for the long-term development in the cause of the translation of Party literature of CPC Central Committee.