Gender In Translation--A Study In Feminist Translation Theories

Western translation studies took its culture turn in the 1970s and translation studies was recognized to be a separate discipline in the 1980s. Since translation was sexualized in ancient times, it provided a metaphorical framework for translation studies. Feminism has long been influenced by deconstructionism, post-colonialism, cultural studies, etc and since the 1980s, has taken effects in translation theory. Treating translation a political activity, feminist translators stress the translating subject from the perspective of women. They put forward strategies including supplementing, prefacing and footnoting as well as hijacking to make women heard and eliminate discrimination. Feminist translation theory aims to identify and criticize the tangle of concepts which relegates both women and translation to the bottom of the social and literary ladder. To do so, it must investigate the processes through which translation has come to be feminized and attempt to trouble the structures of authority which have maintained this association. This paper focuses on Sherry Simon, Luise Von Flotow, Barbara Godard and Tina Krontiris, and their magnum opus, trying to trim the close relationship between translation studies and feminism. It is expected that, inspired by the feminist translation theories, translation studies would be furthered from the angle of culture studies, especially the angle of feminism and, consequently, contribute new ways to the Chinese feminist translation research.