Realizations Of Intertextuality In C-E Translation

Intertextuality refers to the relationship between different texts. According to intertextuality theory, no text is independent. Integrating translation with intertextuality theory is a new research area in translation studies. This area is also full of challenges for Chinese-English translation in that there are differences between the two languages and cultures. At present, researchers have to face the tough question of how to overcome these differences and transfer intertextuality. This is a task full of challenges for them. Studies in this area can be grouped into two major branches: one is to study intertextuality and translation from a theoretical perspective and the other is to analyze different translation methods to reproduce intertextuality, with the latter being the focus of this study. Materials used in this study are drawn from Weicheng, a novel abounded with intertextual signals and conflicts between Chinese and Western cultures. Apart from the corpus-based study of Weicheng, this thesis also uses questionnaire to further analyze reader's response to reproduction of intertextuality in target text.Below is a summary of the major findings of this research:Firstly, allusion, proverb, parody, quotation and culture-bounded expression are five main types of intertextuality signal in Weicheng. The translators use annotation, free translation, substitution, interpretation and back translation to deal with those signals. Specifically speaking, annotation is used in treating literary allusions and some of the culture-bounded expressions; some strongly culture-specific expressions are treated by free translation; proverbs, parody and quotations are translated literally, but for some proverbs drawn from western cultures, they are treated by back translation. In short, choices of different translation methods greatly depend on the signal's relationship with culture.Secondly, translating intertextuality has to stride across the ocean of culture. In Chinese-English translation, translators can not fully reproduce intertextuality. However, they can try to compensate or reconstruct it. Translating has to take readers' response into consideration, but readers of different culture background can not appreciate same intertextual signals in the same way, therefore, translators have to choose different methods according to specific situation.Finally, it is hard to let target text readers share equivalent response to intertextuality with source language readers. In translation, translators should take a "reader-oriented" attitude, and treat intertextuality signals flexibly in order to reproduce intertextuality as much as possible. The general strategy is that for intertextual signals at different culture levels, translators should take different methods according to specific situation: if it is strongly culture-specific, it tends to be treated freely; if it is weakly culture-specific, it tends to be translated by literal translation (with annotation). As to translation methods, transliteration with explanation, free translation with annotation, and literal translation with annotation are relatively effective ways to compensate intertextuality; substitution is often used to reconstruct intertextuality.