The Dual Role Of The Translator In Perspective Of Reception Aesthetics

Just as what I. A. Richards says, translation is probably the most complicated activity in the evolution of mankind history. It is an integrated manifestation of the interaction between the author and the original text, between the original text reader and the translator, between the target text and the target text reader in a dynamic state. Taking a wide view of the translation history in China and western countries, the traditional translation studies fettered by "equivalence" and "faithful" ideas, only put great emphasis on the conversion of the language analysis, which is originally a kind of static state of text study. In the turn of culture in translation research at the end of last century, the subjective creation function becomes the highlight gradually. Therefore, this paper mainly dwells on the dualist role of the translator in perspective of Reception Theory.As we all known, Reception Theory or Reception Aesthetics, represented by Hans Robert Jauss and Wolfgang Iser, appeared in 1960's. It is based on the Hermeneutics and Phenomenology. It completes the belletristic center with the change that the text arrives the reader originally and perfects the research of "author--- work--- reader" system. Therefore, chapter one ushered in the literature theories first introduced the basic theories of Reception Aesthetics and its application in translation. The relationship between the translating and translators appeared in chapter two. Because the traditional translation theory emphasizes its absolute faith to the original text, it paid little attention to the important function of the translators. The translator was described as the servant, shadow, or the traitor by the image ground. However, according to the Reception Theory, translator has to be put into two processes of reception. One is the process of the communication between the original text and the translator and the next is between the reader and the version. The latter can only be realized after the translating is complete. But translators must take the readers of thetranslation into account, and the translators must predict their levels of acceptance and the power of appreciation because the final purpose of the translation is to be read and accepted by readers. Therefore, in the whole translation process, it is obvious that the translator not only act as a special reader who accept the original text at first, but also as a target language reader and has to pay attention to their need and accept the ability to make to carry on creation as well. In the following third and fourth chapter, then the author analyzes as a reader of the original text, how he can understand the text at the utmost level and show his subjective creation function to recreate the original. Therefore, the translator is a special individual who has the dual role in translating activity. That is to say, He is the acceptor of the original text information (reader) and the creator of the target language translation (translator).However, though the translator has certain rights to interpret the original, he cannot translate it casually because of the limits of the original. Therefore, chapter five discusses the limit of the translator's translation. The paper describes that the translator's translation will be affected by the restrictions of the original context and the author's different intention.In conclusion, the thesis states that translation process is a dynamic process in perspective of Reception Theory. That is: The translator creates the original after accepting it (reading and interpreting). In other words, translator plays a dual role in the whole translation process.