On Primary-Secondary Relationship Between Foreignization And Domestication

Translation is not only a bilingual activity but also a bicultural one. Translation cannot reach the real communication without the specific cultural background. As for conveying the cultural elements, there are two general strategies: that is, source-language-oriented foreignization and target-language-oriented domestication. How to use the two strategies in literary translation is always confusing translators. From the perspective of dialectical contradiction, the relationship between foreignization and domestication is expounded on the basis of translation theories and practice.Firstly this thesis states the relationship among culture, language and translation, after representing the definition of foreignization and domestication, and it relates that foreignization and domestication are the main strategies in translating culture-loaded expressions. Then it takes many examples from two versions of Pride and Prejudice, respectively by Sun Zhili and Zhang Jinghao. With comparative analysis of two Chinese versions, it criticizes the cultural effects, stylistic and functional conveyance of the two strategies at the levels of words, phrases and sentences. Finally the thesis draws the conclusion that foreignization is primary and domestication secondary.So in general, the dialectical relationship between the two approaches is that: foreignization and domestication coexist, and foreignization is dominant with domestication as complementary in literary translation. It also means that we should combine foreignization with domestication, because the two strategies are of different merits. Especially in conveying the original culture, foreignization is dominant, and domestication is just as complement when foreignization is not feasible.This thesis may be useful for a further study of the approaches to literary translation.