On Translators' "Creative Treason" In Literary Translation

The subjectivity of the translator is attracting more and more attention of the theorists in the field of translation studies. The concept of "creative treason" pushes the study on the subjectivity of the translator to a new height. This thesis focuses on the concept of "creative treason" and gives interpretation on the concepts of treason, creativity and "creative treason" of the translator. The factors that influence the treason and creativity and the role of "creative treason" are analyzed. The author tries to discuss the objectivity of the existence of "creative treason" based on different theories such as hermeneutics, deconstructionism and aesthetics. Some translation examples are also given to make the analysis of the concept of "creative treason" comprehensible. The degree of "creative treason" is also covered in the thesis.There are five chapters in the thesis, including introduction, literature review, theoretical bases, "creative treason" as reflected in the translation and conclusion. Chapter One introduces the background, purpose, methods and significance of the research. Chapter Two looks back on the study of "creative treason" and some relevant concepts like subjectivity and creativity in the history of translation theory, and finds that the research on "creative treason" is still not enough. Chapter Three, the main part of the thesis, analyzes the treason, creativity and the relationship between fidelity and treason, and considers both of them are relative. The translator is therefore a "faithful traitor". At the same time, the objects and types of treason are discussed. The present author provides theoretical bases for the inevitability of "creative treason" from the perspectives of hermeneutics, deconstructionism and aesthetics. Besides the theoretical bases, the thesis, starting from the practice of translation, analyzes the subjective and objective factors that create "creative treason", which include language, culture, the original, environment, readers, and education background, writing style, translation outlook and translation purpose of the translator. The degree of "creative treason", which is determined by the subordinateness of translation, is also discussed in this chapter. The overemphasis of the translator's creativity and the neglect of the subordinateness of translation will lead to the deviation from the original of the translated text and the loss of the meaning of translation. In Chapter Four, some examples are analyzed to show the role of "creative treason" in translation. The last chapter concludes that the "creative treason", as akind of subjectivity, is inevitable. It is caused by the co-effect of many factors. It brings us some successful translated texts and makes it possible for translation to take on diversified forms. "Creative treason" is also restricted. The degree of it should be paid more attention to in translation. Moreover, it is historical. And at the same time, the recognition of "creative treason" is actually the acknowledgement and affirmation of the translator's job. The problems unsolved and the disadvantages of the thesis are also listed, including the division of the types of treason and the analysis of the degree of "creative treason" being not so scientific. The methods like comparison, contrast, induction and deduction are used for analysis.The author attempts to make an objective analysis of "creative treason" in the literary translation in the hope of providing some directions for further studies and the translation practice.