On The English Translation Of The Art Of War: A Deconstructionist Perspective

It has been over a hundred years since Sunzi Bingfa(The Art of War)was first translated into English in 1905.During this period,dozens of translated texts have been produced by different translators,with more than one hundred versions made public,which creates a flourishing situation and at the same time constitutes a unique translation phenomenon.As for how to understand its diversified translations,deconstructionism provides us with a unique perspective.This thesis,with a deconstructionist perspective,adopts a descriptive method for translation studies,chooses transliteration,meaning dissemination and paratexts as its research objects,analyzes and explains the means and measures taken in the representative translated texts so as to conduct research on the issue of translational diversification.The application of deconstructionism on translation study may offer us a different view.It is held by deconstructionists that,there is no transcendental signified in language,also there is no ever-lasting and corresponding relationship between the signifier and the signified,and it is through différance that language generates meaning.Thus,meanings are changing,dynamic and generative,which is also true for textual meaning.At the same time,the cultural metaphors of “pure language” by Benjamin and“Babel” by Derrida also indicate that,language is “by origin” confused and differential,human language at its very beginning cannot be separated from translation,while translation in an absolute way is impossible.Thus,translation becomes the liability of the translator as well as an impossible mission.As for the English translation of The Art of War,generations of translators have engaged themselves in interpreting and translating its texts.If we diachronically look at the whole English translation history of The Art of War,then the different versions can be regarded as variations of the original text.Those translated texts,in their own way,explore and elucidate the meaning of the latter,while their paratexts,following the rule of supplément,i.e.adding and replacing,enrich and sometimes also twist the image of the original texts as well as the source culture.The thesis consists of seven chapters.Chapter One mainly deals with issues including the sources of the thesis topic,the research object,methods,main content,innovative points and significance,outlining the basic structure of the thesis.Chapter Two is the Literature Review,which emphasizes on sorting out the English translated texts of The Art of War and previous researches on them,and chooses among them the representative ones as samples.Meanwhile,this chapter also reviews the application of deconstruction in translation studies,and thus explores other possibilities in this regard.Chapter Three serves as the theoretical framework which introduces the deconstructionist outlook on language,philosophy and translation,and formulates the theoretical basis thereupon.Chapters Four to Six are the main body of this thesis.Chapter Four takes transliteration as the study object.It analyzes choices by different translators over what and how to transliterate with theories of Benjamin and Derrida,examines transliteration from the position of a universal language,and summarizes the insights it offers people into the nature of translation and language.Chapter Five,on the basis of analyzing the textual features of The Art of War and how it came into being,in combination with concrete case studies,uses theories of différance and dissemination to explore the rules governing the generation and transfer of textual meaning in translation from the perspective of deconstructionism.Chapter Six applies the theory of supplément to the analysis of paratexts,and conducts research on how various constituents in the paratexts shape the images of the translated text,the source text and even the Chinese culture.Chapter Seven is the conclusion part which summarizes current research,pointing out its deficiencies and how improvements can be made with new directions of translation studies in consideration.The application of deconstructionist theories and methods to translation studies enlightens us on reviewing various relations in translation,resetting binary oppositions and attaching importance to marginal voices.From the deconstructionist perspective,reasonable explanations can be offered regarding the many phenomena found in the translation of The Art of War into English.The open structures of the text allow for the possibility of multiple interpretations and also provide room for different translated versions,for no single translation can be deemed as the “only correct one”.Cultural heterogeneity appeals for translation and hinders translation at the same time.The paradox of quality and quantity in translation makes it difficult for the translated text to exhaust “all the meanings” of the source text,and also leaves room for future translations.Therefore,we shall treat translational diversity in an appropriate way and show tolerance toward it,which is quite necessary for achieving transcultural communication.