On The Subjectivity Of The Translator-From The Perspective Of Feminist Translation Theory

The translator assumes an indispensable and irreplaceable role in translation. It is the translator who builds the bridge connecting two cultures and ensures the survival of the source text even in hundreds of years. However, a historic review of the status of the translator shows that the recognition of the importance of the translator's role in translation has undergone a long period of time. Recently more and more scholars at home and abroad have begun to show concern for the translator's subjectivity, and they adopt different approaches to its studies. Yet few have touched upon it from a gender perspective. Feminist translation theory is a new theory prevailing in the west which has exerted great influence on translation studies. It deserves great attention in that it gives prominence to the subjectivity of the translator, especially of the feminist translators. In China, however, few researches are conducted on the feminist translation theory as well as its practice.Due to the above reason, this thesis focuses on the issue of the translator's subjectivity from the perspective of feminist translation study, with a consideration of both its theory and practice. A case study of Zhu Hong's translation work is also made to examine the significance of the feminist theory in the study of Chinese female translators who have been influenced by feminist thoughts. To fully explore the contributions and limitations of this theory regarding the translator's subjectivity, the whole thesis is divided into seven parts including the introduction and conclusion. Throughout the whole thesis, a descriptive method, contrastive research and exemplification are combined for a complete discussion.The introduction covers the foreign and domestic background for this research as well as the scope and significance of this thesis.To pave the way for further analysis, Part 2 explores the connotations and manifestation of the translator's subjectivity.Part 3 concludes previous researches on the function of the translator's subjectivity. The recognition of the translator's subjectivity and his/her identity as a creative subject has experienced a long history, which is analyzed in two parts, first in traditional translation theories and second in the Cultural Turn in translation studies. Traditionally, the translator was supposed to live in the shadow of the author, who should try hard toremain invisible. So the translator's subjectivity was ignored. The Cultural Turn in the 1980s offered a new perspective for translation studies where the focus is shifted from the text to the translator. The issue of translator's subjectivity has attracted increasing attention and has become a hot topic. Many new schools and theories such as the polysystem school, the manipulation school and postcolonial school have included this topic as one of their major concerns.Part 4 is a tentative study of translator's subjectivity in the framework of the feminist translation theory. With the Cultural Turn in translation studies, feminist literary criticism and gender theory have entered the domain of translation studies, thus forming the feminist translation theory. The feminism movement and the feminist translation theory share a common aim — to fight for equality in the male-centered world. In the west, women have long been closely related to translation. Feminist translators revise the tropes of translation. Moreover, in the process of re-reading and re-translating of many literary texts, they exert their manipulation over the texts to make themselves visible. They employ their unique linguistic style and feminine language to better convey feminist messages and information in the source texts, so as to give prominence to their subjectivity and expose their identity. The translator's subjectivity is justified and boldly taken advantage of by feminist translators.Part 5 is a case study of Zhu Hong's translation of a Chinese female writer — Lu Xing'er's essay Are Women "as Good as Men"? ( lit AM "~W" ft "^—#"? ). By exploring her translation career, translation thoughts and text choices, the author of this thesis believes that Zhu Hong demonstrates her subjective role in understanding translation and choosing translated texts. Additionally, the study of Zhu Hong's translation of Lu Xing'er's writing shows that she exerts her subjectivity in actual translation by employing the strategy of creative treason. However, compared with western feminist translators, she possesses her own individual characteristics. Instead of employing radical strategies as done by feminist translators, she tends consciously or unconsciously to add her own understanding of the source text to the target version to make women in China visible.Part 6 is a reflection on the limitations of feminist translation study with regard to the translator's subjectivity. In the west, feminist activism and interventionism in translation have encountered harsh criticism from both outside and within feminisms, assummarized in this part. The feminist translator's subjectivity is overstressed to serve for political purpose of translation. As a result, most feminist translation works are beyond the common readers.The last part of this thesis concludes the results of this research. It confirms the contributions of the feminist approach regarding the translator's subjectivity. The limitations of this theory, however, are also discussed. It is pointed out that feminist translators' active intervention in translation results from the efforts to reconstruct their lost women subject and is of positive cultural significance. Moreover, the feminism and feminist approach to translation have a positive impact on the female Chinese translator—Zhu Hong, but she employs different ways to expose her feminine status and identity. The feminist translator should not overemphasize her subjectivity in translation.