Towards The Transformation Of Untranslatability

Abstract: Early in the translation history, translators sensed some elements in the source language were not translatable in the target language, when the paradox of translatability and untranslatablity came into being with consequent continuing debate. However, translators of various times have been carrying on their translating while the arguments keep going on. There is no blinking the fact that many outstanding translation works have been produced throughout this process the fact that reflects the efforts made by translators to transform the untranslatabilities. At the same time the study on untranslatablity has grown deeper and more extensive, and from static to dynamicAs a part of the study into the paradox of translatability and untranslatability, this thesis probes into the study on the untranslatability between English and Chinese languages with reference to the theory of knowledge evolution by Karl Popper. From the view of traditional theory of induction on science development, the growth of science is a static process of accumulation which develops smoothly. Such a point of view remained popular until 1950's. However, Popper, an outstanding British philosopher in the 20th century, disagreed with that. Rather, he believed the evolution of knowledge could be a process to partially falsify the old knowledge and discover new problems. Thus the theory of knowledge evolution was put forward to summarize this dynamic process. Since the translation studies have been widely accepted as a discipline of science, the progress of translation studies canreasonably be taken as a process of knowledge evolution. The progress in translation studies shares the similar dynamic evolution process with other disciplines of science. The study on untranslatability, in particular, is worth attention because it goes forward on the basis of efforts by generation after generation of translators in criticizing disadvantages in predecessors' works. At the same time, new problems have been found in research. The first interesting topic in this area is whether inter-language translation is possible. The answer is now positive with some hypotheses being falsified after repeated argument among translation theorists. The possibility of translation has been not accepted until modern times. But a new problem emerges, that is, how to achieve the maximum degree of translation, with the untranslatability from the source language well rendered into the target language. This subsequent question attracts much attention from translators, and demonstrates the growth of the untranslatability study is compatible with the theory of knowledge evolution by Popper.In the light of the knowledge evolution theory, this thesis investigates and analyses the process of the rise and growth of the studies of untranslatablity between English and Chinese languages. With a review of some experiences of translation history, it puts forward some practical methods in handling the untranslatability with the optimized effect in transforming untranslatability to facilitate the cross-cultural communication.