A Study Of Leuven-Zwart's "Translation Shift" Model

There has long existed a phenomenon in Chinese translation studies of favoring textual analysis while belittling theoretical reflection, which does harm to the healthy development of translation studies. The paper argues that only under the systematic study and dissection of existing translation theories can translated texts be better analyzed. The thesis is just a tentative one for theoretical reflection on Leuven-Zwart's "translation shift" model, which is expected to bring some fresher perspectives to Chinese translation studies.Zwart proposed her "translation shift" model in the late 1980s, which is well received in the western translation circle and regarded as "the most explicit as well as the most extensive and detailed model" for shift analysis. But it is also "very complex and difficult". In the West, what is done to her model is more of simple introduction than attempted application or research. In China, due to the limitation of the available materials on "translation shift", even fewer scholars have ever touched on her "shift" model, let alone appraised or applied it.Through the careful research and positive inquiry into the significance and theoretical values of her model, the paper aims to disclose its nature and enrich Chinese translation studies. The thesis is going to be unfolded as follows:After giving a detailed introduction to its background, comparative and descriptive models involved, the thesis applies Zwart's model to Chinese translations of English fictional texts. Based on clear, explicit theoretical concepts, Zwart's model stresses that the nature of the deviation of the TT from the ST can be reasonably revealed through the comprehensive, systematic and objective comparison and description between the two. It can thus serve as a model of translation quality assessment (TQA), compensating for the deficiencies of "over-rigidity" and "over-flexibility" in traditional Chinese translation criticism.Secondly, the theory can well guide translation practice and language learning, drawing Chinese translators' attention to the problem of "translation shift" and deeply revealing the nature and characteristics of the SL and the TL through the occurrence of "translation shifts". Thirdly, it is also a reasonable model for descriptive translation studies (DTS). However, in China, researches on DTS models are so limited as to neglect Zwart's. The thesis will particularly elaborate on its values and contributions to DTS in terms of the comparative unit and the descriptive method.Besides, the thesis, from the respects of the reception of western linguistically-oriented translation theories in China, the impact of traditional Chinese translation theories as well as the features of the theory itself, deeply explores the several profound reasons for the neglect of Zwart's theory in China. It also queries some unfair criticisms against the theory and probes into the very validity of the theory as a whole. Last, the flaws of the theory as regards translation analysis are pointed out, with the attempt to further amend it.The paper holds that Zwart's "shift" model is of prevailing value and positive significance. An in-depth study of it will greatly enlighten Chinese translation studies on theoretical research, making researchers realize that the linguistically-oriented translation theory can well serve literary translation analysis. It is worth further exploration, improvement and acceptance in Chinese translation studies. Meanwhile,, the proper attitude towards the learning and acceptance of western translation theories is thus revealed through such a study.