On The Degree Of Translatability In Literary Translation

For hundreds of years, the subject of translatability and untranslatability of literature has been highly controversial in the translators' circles. Very often the argument in the past has been handicapped by its unilateral way of thinking: one school maintains literature works is translatable or mostly translatable while the other holds it untranslatable. So far, no effective and systematic theory concerns the DT (degree of translatability), except a few of them scratched the surface of it. For instance, J.C. Catford once claimed in A Linguistic Theory of Translation that the limits of translatability and untranslatability involve two cases-linguistic and culture untranslatability. Based on the relevant theories, the thesis maintains that the intrinsic relationship between language and literature lies in its dualistic opposition of form and content, which leads directly to translatability and untranslatability. Yet, we must be aware that there is a lack of necessary linkage between translation theory and translation practice and such linkage should be established on the theoretical level. Hence, a redefinition of the degree of translatability is starved for.The thesis set out to explore this mystery by focusing on the once neglected area- the degree of translatability, i.e. to what extent could an original literary works be translated into target language and meanwhile How many factors that determine the degree of translatability are also in the scope of the writer's view. The dissertation is different from the previous research in the field in the following respects: First, the DT is a kind of coherence rather than parallelism in the language level, secondly, it is a sort of possibility of potential conversion rather than operating system. Thirdly, the translation process should be treated respectively, in which, by exercising the advantage of Chinese language, the E-C translation is hoped to achieve higher DT than C-E translation. Fourthly, the translator's literary competence, world knowledge and cognitive ability exert great effect on the degree of translatability. Fifthly, the parameters of evaluating the DT are dynamic and mainly divided into language features, style and the readers' response.