A Tentative Study On Faithfulness Criterion Of Translation

The topic of translation criteria may be thought of as platitude, but such assumption is rather misleading. As a matter of fact, the research into this topic is far from being adequate to meet the need of today's translation practice and criticism. In traditional translation theories, there have been many elaborations on translation criteria, like "Faithfulness, Expressiveness and Elegance", "faithfulness and smoothness", and "spiritual resemblance and sublimation" theory, as well as Tytler's the "three laws of translation", Catford's "textual equivalence" and so on. In traditional theories, faithfulness criterion has always been the central topic.As time proceeds, new theories came out and lashed the traditional criterion for its limitations. Faithfulness criterion in the traditional translation theories is an absolute, static, unilateral, source-text oriented criterion confined to literary translation. However, as the traditional translation studies shift from self-sufficient, static prescriptive approach to open, dynamic descriptive approach, the faithfulness criterion should also be reoriented to meet the requirements of translation practice and theory. Firstly, although it cannot be denied that absolute faithfulness is impossible, we cannot then negate the criterion of faithfulness. Secondly, translation criteria are historical, i.e. they have undergone changes in history. As time goes on, language develops;readers' expectation and response also change. Thus faithfulness criterion should be a dynamic criterion developing with time. Thirdly, the process of translating involves many phases;the criterion to evaluate it should also be multi-dimensional. Fourthly, the evaluation of translation is not only source-text oriented, but in some cases target-text oriented. As a criterion, faithfulness cannot be confined to literary translation;it should conform to other types of translation and take text types into consideration. For different types of texts, informative texts are content-focused, expressive texts are form-focused and the operative texts are appeal-focused (Reiss 26). In one word, faithfulness criterion consists of different aspects, faithfulness tomeaning, effect, or readers' response.This paper is to propose such a new perspective on faithfulness criterion. Our position is that it should be a dynamic and relative criterion. The term of faithfulness is multi-dimensional, relative, flexible and dynamic. When evaluating translation works, this criterion requires that we should be comprehensive and tolerant. A translation should not be labeled as unfaithful when not being faithful in some aspects at some time. A case study of translations of Gone with the Wind will be taken as a sample of the application of this perspective. This paper is composed of four chapters:Chapter 1 provides an overview of translation criteria in Chinese and Western translation theories, and then points out the central place of faithfulness criterion and its historical limitations.Chapter 2 introduces new theories of translation criteria, which go against the traditional faithfulness criterion in different aspects. It also analyzes the enrichment brought to faithfulness criterion.Chapter 3 suggests that we should reconsider the traditional faithfulness criterion and maintains a new perspective on faithfulness criterion. It should be a dynamic criterion for its development with time and connection with text types. It should be a relative criterion for the difference between languages, the translators' subjectivity and initiative, and the significance of purpose.Chapter 4 does a case study of translations of Gone with the Wind to apply the dynamic and relative criterion to practice. By the new perspective, the three translations are faithful in different aspects to different degrees despite difference of faithfulness in language reflected in the different language characteristics, and in culture reflected in the differentiation of domestication from foreignization in the three versions.The conclusion restates that faithfulness criterion of translation is a dynamic and relative criterion. With the new perspective, we should hold a comprehensive and tolerant view when evaluating translation works.