On The Subjectivity Of The Translator

In recent years, with the emergence of new approaches to translation studies, the complex role that the translator plays in the whole translation process has become a current heated subject of researchers. Accordingly the study of the subjectivity of the translator, one branch of the study of the translator, has become critically important and is gaining increasing attention among translation theorists. With the help of theories of behaviors, functionalist approaches, and literary interpretation theories, this paper examines why and how the subjectivity of the translator influences translation; and proposes that from the translator's perspective, the translation process is the process of decision-making based on the translator's own will, personal intention and specific purpose. The translated text is the carrier of those decisions. So the translator inevitably shows strong initiative throughout translation. Through this research, the author hopes to stimulate those translation practitioners to give full play to their initiative during translating, and at the same time advocates considerations for the translator when evaluating any translated works in order to achieve fairness and all-sidedness.This paper consists of five chapters.Chapter One is the introduction part, introducing and defining key words like subject and subjectivity, subject of translation and subjectivity of the translator.Chapter Two analyses the reason why the translator shows subjectivity in translation process from the psychological and functionalist approaches' perspectives.Chapter Three explores the translator's subjectivity in the translation process and how it influences the translated text. In this paper, the translation process is divided into two stages: the choice of source texts and the translating process. In the former stage, the translator's subjectivity is manifested through the way how the translator chooses a text to translate. In general, the translator chooses the source text either out of his/her taste or for his/her specific purpose. In the latter stage, the translator'ssubjectivity is manifested in the understanding process and in the reconstructing process.Chapter Four discusses the usefulness of the study of the translator's subjectivity. On the one hand, this study can be regarded as something encouraging for translation practitioners, and on the other hand, it provides a new consideration for translation criticism.Chapter Five is a brief retrospective summary of the main idea discussed in the foregoing parts.