On Cultural Transfer In C-E Translation In Light Of Skopos Theory--A Study On Translation Strategies Adopted In Moment In Peking

Cultural translation has always been attracting the attention of scholars both at home and abroad. Recently, how to transfer and spread Chinese culture through translation has already become translators' concern. However, most of current translation theories focus on the relationship between culture and translation at the macro level, providing limited help to the practice of cultural translation.Skopos theory was proposed in as early as 1970s. Unlike traditional translation theories, it only regards the source text as an information provider. During translation, the translator selects the information for translation to fulfill the translation purpose and meet the target readers' needs in accordance with the commissioners' requirements. This theory has provided us with a new perspective in translation practice. However, it was not introduced to Chinese translators until recently and few cultural translations have been discussed within the framework of the Skopos theory.Discussing the relationship between culture and translation at the beginning, the author of the thesis makes a synoptic description of the development of the Skopos theory. Within the framework of the theory, the present author gives an analysis of the translation strategies in Lin Yutang's English writings with a focus on Moment in Peking and arrives at a conclusion that with the purpose of translating Chinese culture into English, the preferred translation strategy is documentary translation. With regards to particular situations, instrumental translation is necessary esp. when dealing with the culture of inner layer.Through the integration of theory and practice, the author of the thesis demonstrates the advantages of the descriptive method of study in the hope that it might give some enlightenment on C-E cultural translation.