On Current Situation Of Contemporary Western Translation Theory In The Perspective Of Main Translation Schools

Since the second half of the 20^th century, the situation of western translation theory studies has reached an all-time prosperity. The model of diversified and multidisciplined mutual communication, penetration, and engaging not only provides translation studies with new support, but also endows relative disciplines (especially cultural studies) with an indispensable perspective. Based on a good many theories, this thesis divides contemporary western translation theories into three main schools, i.e. linguistic school, school of translation studies, and deconstruction school. Since 1950s, a group of scholars have been enclosing translation into the field of linguistics. Therefore, in translation studies, there also exist Prague School, Structuralism School, London Social Context School, Scientific School, and other linguistic schools, which inject traditional translation research with new contents and make the outcome of translation research more intuitionistic and more scientific. Holmes's "The Name and Nature of Translation Studies", published in 1972, was the foundation declaration of school of translation studies. Especially, the "cultural turn", first appeared in 1980s, gets rid of the limit of context. Translation is no longer regarded as an isolated fragment of language but as part of socio-cultural context. It broadens people's horizon and completes the theoretical fundamental of translation as an independent discipline. Deconstruction which rose in the middle of 1960s also has great influence on translation. It prefers to analyze translation with dialectic, dynamic, and developmental philosophical view. Insisting that original lives on version, deconstruction emphasizes the importance of translated text. Reviewing the evolution process of western translation theories in the latter half of the 20th century, we can conclude seven characters, and based on which it's not too difficult to predict the prospect of western translation theories: the relationship between translation studies and cultural studies will get closer, and "translation turn" in cultural studies will gradually emerge; translation and studies of translation theory will cooperate with more and more other disciplines.