On Inter-subjectivity In Literary Translation From The Perspective Of Hermeneutics

Traditional translation theories lack enough concern about and systematical research on the subjectivity of the translator and the subjectivity status of the translator,as a consequence,has long been obscured.With the cultural turn in translation studies,the translator's subjectivity has been brought out to front.The issue on the subjectivity of the translator has become a hot topic in translation circle.In China,scholars began to probe into this issue in the 1990s.By analyzing the articles concerning translation subjectivity, this paper argues that the study on translation subjectivity nowadays is mainly on the translator's subjectivity,rather than on inter-subjectivity in translation.However,the western philosophy and literary criticism have already turned from the study of subjectivity to that of inter-subjectivity;and therefore,with the cultural turn taken in translation domain,translation study is bound to take this trend.This paper starts from the issues of subject,subjectivity and inter-subjectivity.The author argues that the translator is not an isolated subject when highlighting his subjectivity in the translation process.The display of his subjectivity is limited by the author subject and the reader subject.The source text(hereafter shortened for ST)author, the translator and the target text(hereafter shortened for TT)reader are creative subject, translation subject and receptive subject respectively.The author also points out that inter-subjectivity of literary translation refers to the interrelatedness and interaction among the subjects of literary translation which are the ST author,the translator and the TT reader. Such a position can get the theoretical support from contemporary Hermeneutics.This paper mainly discusses the inter-subjectivity in literary translation from the perspective of fusion of horizons and that of horizon of expectation,arguing that the translation process is actually the inter-subjectivity between the translator and the ST author and that between the translator and the TT reader.The translation activity is no longer regarded as a merely linguistic transcoding,instead a dialogic interrelationship.The translator,the ST author and the TF reader should co-exist harmoniously.And the translation activity is regarded as a communicative process rather than the subject conquering the object.In the process of communication,these three subjects are equally respected and valued.This paper consists of four chapters in addition to an introduction and a conclusion.The introduction gives the background to the study,the significance of the study and the layout of the thesis.Chapter Two is literature review.It starts from the issues of subject,subjectivity and inter-subjectivity.Then the author gives a review of current studies on translation subjectivity and inter-subjectivity.Chapter Three explores the characteristics and functions of literary works and literary translation.At the end of this chapter,the author points out that inter-subjectivity of literary translation refers to the interrelatedness and interaction among the subjects of literary translation which are the ST author,the translator and the TT reader.Chapter Four and Chapter Five respectively analyze the inter-subjectivity between the translator and the ST author and that between the translator and the TT reader by adopting the related theories in Hermeneutics—fusion of horizons and horizon of expectation.Chapter Six is a brief summary of the main idea discussed in the foregoing parts and the limitations of this paper.