A Study Of Translation Of Cultural Other From The Perspective Of Deconstructive Translation Theories

Cultural Other is of great importance in the process of translation. Research on deconstructive translation theories boomed at the theoretical level, but to use deconstructive translation theories to guide studies of translation practices was vacant. Thus this thesis tries to study Cultural Other's translation in David Hawkes'The Story of the Stone in a deconstructive approach, using a descriptive way to examine the translator's role in translation.Though Benjamin and Derrida realized the importance of translator and Cultural Other in translation, they didn't systematically study them. Thus, this thesis bases its theoretical framework on Venuti's deconstructive translation theories, who emphasized the importance of Cultural Other and systematically researched the translation of Cultural Other in the history through the surveying of domesticating and foreignizing.A well-organized thesis needs a scientific methodology to guide its development. The thesis takes an empirical study by examining the translation of Cultural Other by David Hawkes in a descriptive approach. The thesis has been developed in strict accordance with a descriptive approach: the question be raised after objective observations, a survey of the previous studies and theories in translation, the assumption presupposed by the author of this paper, the case study in order to examine the specific object under the guidance of the general laws, a planned and systematic collection of the translation examples and a descriptive and objective analysis of the examples.Enlightened by Venuti's deconstructive translation theories, the thesis has classified Cultural Other into four aspects from the angle of the translator: Expected Cultural Other within the translator's knowledge framework; Expected Cultural Other from the angle of the translator's cultural standpoint; Unexpected Cultural Other outside of the translator's knowledge framework and Unexpected Cultural Other from the angle of the translator's cultural standpoint. Every kind of Cultural Other is explained and supported with several examples from authoritative works.And finally, through descriptive study of David Hawkes'translation of the Cultural Other in The Story of the Stone, the thesis has found support in translation practices, finding out that David Hawkes'knowledge framework, life experiences and cultural standpoint influenced his translation, while the latter played the most important role in the decision making. As for analysis of translation practices, different from the traditional translation studies such as"which translation is better","what is a right translation"or"how should a translator translate", this thesis takes a descriptive approach to analyze translation examples: Based on the research on the translator's knowledge framework and cultural standpoint, the thesis examines how the translator translated, why he translated in that way and what influenced the translator.This thesis aims at strengthening the status of the translator, the role of the translator in translation and the factors that influence the translator most, and further improving the status of Cultural Other in translation and its research.As a tentative study to classify Cultural Other from the angle of the translator, and to apply deconstructive translation theories to analyzing translation practices, the thesis is based on an acceptable theoretical framework and supported by abundant examples.