On The Treatment Of Cultural Elements In Literary Translation

Approaches to cultural elements involved in translation may be divided into two methods: SL (source language) culture oriented and TL (target language) culture oriented, that is, foreignization and domestication. This article analyses the classic Chinese novel Outlaws of the Marsh translated by Shapiro in aspect of language and culture, and comments on the uses of methods of domestication and foreignization to deal with cultural message. Furthermore, based on Even-Zohar's polysystem theory, it probes into the factors such as social and cultural context, translators'cultural consciousness and orientation that may influence translators'choice of translation strategies.This thesis consists of three parts, including introduction, body and conclusion.The first part introduces culture, culture in translation and organization of the thesis.The second part is developed in three chapters.The first chapter discusses the cultural elements contained in literary works. Based on the classic novel Outlaws of the Marsh, the thesis generalizes the features of cultural elements in the novel in respect of linguistics and ideology. Linguistic aspect includes nicknames, address forms, vulgar languages, idiomatic phrases and sayings, and writing styles; whereas ideological aspect includes loyalty and righteousness, religion, and attitudes toward women manifested in the novel.The second chapter introduces two main strategies dealing with cultural elements, namely, domestication and foreignization. Then abundant translational examples are cited from Shapiro's version of Outlaws of the Marsh, and translation strategies he used are analyzed.The third chapter makes further study on what may influence Shapiro's choice of strategies. Based on the Even-Zohar's polysystem theory, it probes into the factors such as social and cultural context, translators'cultural consciousness and orientation that may influence translators'choice of translation strategies.And the last part concludes that the main strategies Shapiro adopted in dealing with cultural elements are domestication and foreignization, which complement and supplement each other. In translating process, translators may be influenced by social context and their own cultural consciousness and orientation. However, a successful translation is determined in large measure by a translator's manipulation of two languages and the improvement of his cultural consciousness.