Performability Out Of Fidelity

Susan Bassnett discussed key issues concerning drama translation and changed her position several times from performability to readability. Evoked by the disputes on drama translation, more thinking and discussions have been underway. Based on the discussions about the central issues involved in drama translation and the criterion of performability, this thesis advocates the criterion of"performability out of fidelity"for drama translation practice.The proposed criterion for drama translation requires the translator to possess not only expert bilingual competence but also adequate theatre knowledge. Ying Ruocheng, a director and translator, has translated a large number of masterpieces and adapted them onto the stage, which have been proved to be a great success. His translation is a typical example of successful drama translation, which is characteristic of both fidelity and performability. Therefore, one of his translation works Measure for Measure is analyzed in detail to further explain his drama translation strategies.The thesis is composed of six chapters. Chapter One draws a global picture of the thesis. Chapter Two is the literature review, elaborating the controversial views on drama translation. In Chapter Three, a modified criterion on drama translation is advocated and discussed in detail. Chapter Four gives an introduction of the background information of Ying Ruocheng, focusing on his translation views and strategies. Chapter Five comes as a case study of Ying Ruocheng's drama translation. A contrastive analysis of Ying Ruocheng's and Zhu Shenghao's versions of Measure for Measure is carried out so as to highlight the former's characteristics—performability out of fidelity. Conclusion of the thesis is provided in Chapter Six, which is a summary of the whole thesis and offers useful suggestions for drama translation.