An Intertextual Approach To Foreignization

Since its coinage by Kristeva in the late sixties of the 20th century, the theory of intertextuality has become a hot issue both in literary and translation studies. Many translation theorists both at home and abroad have dedicated their time and efforts to its theoretical research. While practical study on its incorporation into translation is still calling for more attentions.In this thesis, the author attempts to do a practical study by incorporating the theory of intertextuality into translation strategies, with special attention to foreignization. This thesis bases itself on Wang Rongpei's English version of Mudan Ting and analyzes the specific translation techniques Wang uses in dealing with the cultural elements in Mudan Ting from an intertextual approach.This thesis consists of two main parts.In the first part, the author starts with the theoretical origins of intertextuality and translation strategies. After a detailed analysis of the intertextual nature of translation, the author discusses the three main stages in translating from a perspective of intertextuality. Then the author puts foreignization within the framework of intertextuality and proposes that not only translators but also readers need a new competence — intertextual competence to build up a net of intertextual knowledge of the source culture, apart from the ready knowledge of their native culture. The conception of intertextuality has undergone many different changes, and the author of this thesis mainly introduces the viewpoints of Julia Kristeva, according to which, all texts are absorbing and transforming each other through parody, allusion and quotation. There must be some links between these interrelated texts, and these links are termed as intertextual signs from the semiotic point of view. The intertextual nature of translation makes it a necessity to take intertextuality as a prominent perspective in translation studies. By discussing the interrelations between translation and intertextuality from the history of translation practice, the author points out foreignization is constructive with regard to the enrichment of the source language and the advancement of the source culture.The second part of this thesis is a case study. A great number of Chinese classics are intertextuality-rich texts, full of cultural elements. This thesis takes Wang Rongpei's English version of Mudan Ting as a case of study and analyzes the specific techniques used in translating cultural elements. The author holds it true that translators should adopt foreignization as the primary approach and domestication as a secondary, because foreignization may help the translation to be faithful to the original by all means, and it ensures the TL receivers a true picture of the source culture. Through analysis, the author finds that transliteration, literal translation and annotation are adopted to preserve the source intertextuality by keeping both the semi otic status and the informational status. However, in some cases, the TL readers may get nowhere even if the three methods mentioned above are adopted, so the translator has to compromise on the differences between the two cultures by choosing combination of literal translation with free translation, or sometimes free translation alone.In conclusion, the author points out in the practice of translating, the translator experiences a complicated referential process of his intertextual knowledge of the source culture and the target culture. The translator should have confidence in the TL readers' acceptance mechanism of source culture and choose foreignizing translation as his main translation strategy, so as to provide TL readers with more opportunities to approach source intertextuality, and thus to preserve cultural diversity and promote the cultural prosperity of humanity.