Transference Of Cultural Elements In Translation

Hong Lou Meng is considered one of the best ancient Chinese literary works which is still popular among modern readers. Deep and valuable thoughts about the society, human relations, love, and other eternal concerns of mankind are revealed everywhere in the novel, furthermore, its language achievements push the manipulation of Chinese Mandarin to its crest. As it covers almost every aspect of social life at that time, custom, ideology, state system, rite, religion, philosophy, clothes, appliances, architecture, music, drama, medicine, cooking, etc., it is known as"an encyclopedia of Chinese culture".Since Hong Lou Meng was completed several hundred years ago, it has been translated into several foreign languages several times to feast the eyes of foreign readers. By now among all the complete translated versions and abstract translated versions, two versions are most popular: one is The Dream Of Red Mansions translated by Yang Xianyi(杨宪益) and Gladys Yang(Yang's wife, an English woman), the other one is The Story Of The Stone translated by David Hawkes and John Minford.This paper is not going to discuss which one of the two strategies on earth is more valid or applicable for the translation of cultural elements in Hong Lou Meng. It aims at proposing some practical advice for target language readers and TL readers with source culture background of Hong Lou Meng's English versions and translators who may come across the same problem through studying of the major strategies respectively employed by David Hawkes and Yang Xianyi, namely, domestication and foreignization. What influence these two strategies have upon the final cultural information obtained by readers with subjective initiative including TL readers and TL readers with source culture background is also discussed through analyses of some carefully picked examples.