Identity And Translation

In recent years, identity as a core concept in cultural studies has achieved much attention in many disciplines and its influence has continually expanded. Identity is now an important issue of concern in many branches of humanities and social sciences.Identity is defined as "a set of concepts concerning how I see myself and how others see me". Identity involves social identity, cultural identity, national identity, ethnic identity, gender identity and others.As the impact of the "cultural turn" on translation theory deepens, translation has established an intimate relationship with non-linguistic disciplines. Many previously unexplored new perspectives and analytical methodology have been applied to translation studies. As a result, the focus is elevated from the traditional comparison between the translation and the original to placing a translated work on its specific historical and cultural environment. There is now greater attention on exploring the impact and constraints society, history and culture place upon translation strategy and methodology.Among these new perspectives, the cultural angle has received wide attention. Many works which study translation from the cultural angle have emerged. Identity is an important concept of cultural studies. However, the impact of the identity of the translator on his or her translation practice has been scarcely covered.This paper argues that the identity of the translator and translation studies are closely intertwined. It first summarizes the definition of identity, its formation and significance. It then establishes the linkage between identity and translation by showing the close relationship between identity and language as well as the close link between language and translation. In translation practice, whether consciously or unconsciously, the identity of the translator will show through in all aspects of his translated works. The paper uses a historical example - the spread of Western studies to China in the late 19th to the early 20th century to show that translation has been used by many people to express their identity and achieve their political goals. Finally, this paper examines two Chinese translations of Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club to explore the impact of occupation and gender, two aspects of the translator's identity, on translation practice. The author argues that the identity of the translator has unavoidable impacts on translation practice to varying degrees. It is a pity that due to the traditional emphasis on the 'invisibility' of translation, the study of the relationship between identity and translation has not received the attention it deserves in academic research.