On Cultural Transformation And Creative Treason In Translation

Traditionally, translation is regarded simply as a transformation between different languages with its emphasis on the source language text, requiring the target language text to be equal to it. However, in practice, the translator may have more to consider in the transforming the content of the original for a better effect and understanding.In 1990s, translation studies took a'cultural turn'. This new paradigm of translation studies has broken through the traditional paradigm, which is highly prescriptive, empirical and confusingly vague. The new paradigm laid equal emphasis on culture as well as on linguistic transfer; meanwhile the function of description and explanation of translated work is greatly highlighted. Due to this shift, the views on the nature of translation have greatly changed. It is now widely realized that translation, being one form of rewriting and manipulation, is simultaneously a norm-governed activity and a skopos-based process. Translation is always restrained by quite many external factors such as target cultural environment, translation purpose, etc. Therefore, literary translation is no longer understood as mere transference of words and expressions, but as a cultural activity within the whole socio-cultural context and a purposeful operation.This paper, based on translation norms put forward by Gideon Toury, Andre Lefevere's theory of rewriting and the skopos theory in'German School'functionalist translation theory, and adopting a descriptive-explanatory research method, analyses the translator's creative treason in literary translation, which is defined in this paper as the translator's translation activity deviating from the original work deliberately in terms of form and content in order to serve a specific purpose and perform an intended function by means of addition, omission, reorganization and adaptation to the original work.Within the above theoretical framework, this thesis further explores the manifestation of translator's creative treason in literary translation practice. The factors that influence translator's creative treason such as target cultural norms and purpose of translation are examined through case studies, and the value and the significance of translator's creative treason is covered as well.Through the study of translator's creative treason in literary translation, this thesis puts forward that treason in literary translation is necessary. Meanwhile, we have to...