Recast Systems Theories In Analyzing Different Translated Texts Of Uncle Tom's Cabin

This thesis is intended to adopt systems theories as a theoretical framework to make a case study of the different translated texts of Uncle Tom's Cabin .The purpose of doing so is to verify the validity and explore the limitations of systems theories.Systems translation theories with a target-oriented approach put translation in socio-cultural contexts and associate translation behaviors closely with the relative position of the source culture and the target culture. Meanwhile, the theories make a breakthrough in the traditional concept that translated literature only occupies a peripheral position in the literary polysystem and illustrate three major cases when translated literature assumes a primary position. The theories distinguish themselves from the isolated, static comparative study of the texts in a new, dynamic and descriptive way to conduct translation studies.On the basis of the contextual analysis of the two translated texts, the paper verifies the validity of the theories from perspectives of cultural position and translation strategies: The cultural position of a nation does demonstrate great influence on the position of the translated literature; under the given conditions, translated literature does occupy a primary position in the literary polysystem; to a great extent, the social norms and literary conventions in the target culture govern the aesthetic presupposition of the translator and thus influence ensuing translation strategies; Translations are designed to meet certain needs in the target cultural contexts and intended to cater for the needs of the target culture.Meanwhile, we can find that the theories simplify the influence of the social and cultural factors, especially ideology, on translation; paying scant attention to other factors that constrain the translations in addition to the literary polysystem; neglecting the subjectivity of the translators as the subject of the translation. In addition, the theories have the tendency to the cultural determinism.It is applicable to conduct the comprehensive diachronic studies on certain translated literature but not all under the given conditions. The theories should take the political, economic, ideological and other factors into account to see the influence of the social cultural factors on the position of the translated literature and the translation strategies. In addition, systems theories should lay more analysis on the cultural influence of translation on the development of national culture. Thus the theories can be adopted as a better framework to explain the complicated translation phenomena.