A Study Of Cultural Default Reconstruction In Translatiing "the True Story Of Ah Q" Into English

"Cultural default", a linguistic phenomenon in communication, is also reflected in literary works. It challenges the translator's capacity of the cultural default reconstruction in the target language (TL). Hence, the thesis tries to study the cultural default through the English translations of "The True Story of Ah Q", a culture-loaded novel by Lu Xun. The different features of cultural default in the original are first analyzed. Then, with its translation by George Kin Leung and that by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang (called Yang's version for short in the following), the thesis classifies and analyzes the methods adopted in solving cultural default. By comparison, we find out the differences in their method application and the advantage and disadvantage of each method. It shows that SL culture orientation is preferred by both versions in cultural default solution. With it, Yang makes a proper arrangement and flexible application of methods, thus better reproducing the original to the TL reader. By contrast, Leung goes to the extreme to keep the original culture, presenting a rigid rather than faithful translation, which does not fill in the TL reader's "vacuum of sense" resulted from cultural default.The thesis is composed of four sections. The first chapter presents a general explanation of the relation among culture (cultural default), language and translation, the reason why the novel is chosen and the purpose of the thesis. Cultural default in the original is discussed in the chapter two with the analysis of its mechanism, value, and the relation between its interpretation and translation. Beside, its textual reflection is also examplified. The third chapter makes a detailed comparison between George Kin Leung's and Yang's versions to see how they deal with the cultural default, together with the advantage and disadvantage of each method. Comments are also given on how the same SL culture orientation of the two versions generates the different cultural default solution. The last chapter is the conclusion of the thesis.