On The Status And Role Of The Translator In Literary Translation

Translation is a creation under limitation. It is not only atransfOrmation of languages and codes, but also an exchange of culturesand a transplant of fee1ings. During this process, the translator, as abridge betWeen the writer and the reader, the source culture and thetarget culture becomes the most active element, whose performance is,to some degree decisive to the rise or fall of the translated work. Thisthesis aims to call up the due attention to and understanding of thetrans1ator as well as literary translation through a systematic andpenetrating analysis of the translator's status and role during theprocess of literary translation.The thesis consists of five pafts.Introduction gives a general picture of the significance,pervasiveness, possibilities and difficu1ties of translation. Translation isa complicated process instead of a simple act. In this process, thetfanslator becomes a decisive element.ChaPter One is a general survey and analysis of the translationprocess. Using the traditional definitions of translation for reference,the thesis offers its own definition, and divides the whole process intothree separate stagest the stage of decoding, encoding and checking. Ineach stage, the translator's function has been given a brief discussion.ChaPter Two makes a futther study of the problems and barriersthe translator encounters in each stage and the translator's consciousactivities of solving these problems. The relationships between theIVtrans1ator and the original writer, the translator and the TL reader havea1so been expounded. In the process of trans1ation, the factors aslinguistic differences, cultura1 batriers and sty1istic idiosyncrasies willon the one hand, create fOrmidable difficulties for the tYanslator, whileon the other hand, give a ceYtain degree of free rein to the translator'screativity. The translator should not only bear the text and the author'sintention in mind, but also take the reader's acceptance caPacity andaesthetic expectation into consideration. He is required to be bothcreative and self disciplined. The translator combines the role of reader,writer, editor, and critic into one during the whole process of literarytranslation.ChaPter Three generalizes the qualities that an ideal tTanslatorshould possess. Translation is a comPlex al1d arduous work thatrequires the translator to have rather high comprehensive qualities.Besides a solid linguistic and cu1tural foundation, an ideal translatorshould also be qualified with a high sense of responsibility, a goodliterary accomplishment, a wide range of knowledge, a proper guidanceof theory and frequent translation practices, etc.The conclusion recaPitulates that perfection of translation isalmost impossible to achieve, yet the translator's effofts to aPproachperfection should never be given up. The active roIe of the translator inthe process of translation can never be replaced or undermined, even inthe future when machine translation is really adopted in transIating.TransIation was, is and wilI be one of the most glorious afld arduousundertakings of human beings.