The Display And Restriction Of Translator's Subjectivity In Literary Translation

The ancient translation study has experienced a history of thousands of years and has exerted enormous influence on the evolution of society and culture. Historically, the traditional translation study focused mainly on the analysis of linguistic transformation and put the principle of "faithfulness to the original" in the first place. In the static text-centered studies, the translation subjectivity has been almost completely neglected and the translator was subjected to a subordinate position.With the Culture Turn and the Translator's turn in translation studies, the long-neglected translator has gradually gained the due attention. Translation is such a complicated process that we can not turn a blind eye to the most active participant involved, namely the translator, who plays a very important role in the translating process, during which the translator makes various decisions. In this dynamic process, the translator is the translating subject, and his subjectivity can not be denied. According to skopos theory, translation is a complex action designed to achieve a purpose. It claims the intended aim of the translator is one of the decisive factors of the final linguistic form and the layout of the target text. Every translator has his own intention of translation which in turn influences his choice of means of translation and his attitude in translating.By applying hermeneutics, a theory or philosophy about understanding or interpreting the meaning of a text to translation study, we can see the display of translator's subjectivity in the understanding and expressing stages in translating activity. The translator can set his subjectivity in full motion in the translating process and achieve the maximum fusion of horizons among the original author, the translator and the target reader.In the light of skopos theory and hermeneutics theory, this thesis is an attempt to furnish a better understanding of the translator's subjectivity, by the way of an analysis of its manifestation, the various roles and images of the translator, the relationships involved in translating process and the restrictions of the translator's subjectivity.This thesis consists of five parts: Chapter One is a general introduction to translation process and the status of translator's subjectivity in a broad sense;Chapter Two presents translator's status of his loss and invisibility and the derogatory images through history. It also introduces the Culture Turn and illustrates translator's return as the translating subjectivity;Chapter Three thoroughly describes the display of the translator's subjectivity, under the light of Skopos theory and Hermeneutic theory, it investigates the translator's role in three respective steps of translating process: processes of text choosing, understanding and constructing. Moreover, this chapter analyses the translator's multiple competences which influence his display in translating process;Chapter Four demonstrates the restrictions of translator's display, firstly from the cultural aspects, and then focuses on the interrelations involved in translating process: translator and the author, translator and the target text reader and the translator and the reality. At last, this chapter explores some other important factors restricting translator's subjectivity.Through the descriptive study, this paper tries to justify the translator's subjectivity, clarify the translating process and the subjects involved, for all these efforts will be conducive to our understanding of the translator-centered literary translation.