On Literary Translator's Subjectivity From The Perspective Of Skopos Theory

There is no doubt that the translator is the most active factor in the translation activity, but the translator, as the subject of translation activities, has failed to enjoy his deserved status, respect, and honor. The subjectivity of the translator has either been ignored or constrained by traditional studies. In the 1970s, with the development of culture turn, the schools of translation study begin to realize the creativity of translator in translation and the significance of translator's subjectivity.Skopos theory belongs to the functionalist approach in translation studies with some German scholars such as Hans J?Vermeer and Christiane Nord as the most outstanding representatives. Skopos theory (skopostheorie) focuses above all on the purpose of the translation, which determines the translation strategy and methods that are to be employed in order to produce a functionally adequate result. This thesis attempts to explore the translator's subjectivity comprehensively from the perspective of Skopos theory, especially Nord's Skopos-plus-loyalty model. In this model, Skopos rule refers to the factors that make a target text work in the intended way in the target context; loyalty principle indicates the interpersonal relationship between the translator, the source text sender and the target text readers, the target-text addressees and the initiator; loyalty to the outside factors limits the range of justifiable"Skopos". This model emphasizes the translator's creative aspect—Skopos principle, and meanwhile shows full respect for the relationship between the translator and the outside factors—loyalty principle. By using this model, this thesis points out that translator's subjectivity actually involves two aspects: his subjective creativity (Skopos) and his awareness of the outside restricting factors such as the source text writer and the intended readers (loyalty).This thesis consists of seven chapters. The first chapter is basically introductory. Chapter Two provides the research background and the argument of this thesis. Chapter Three introduces the Skopos theory and exemplifies how translator's subjectivity and Skopos theory can be related. From the perspective of Skopos theory, Chapters Four and Five depict the content of translator's subjectivity—translator's creativity and his awareness of outside restrictions respectively. Chapter Six attempts to balance the two pillars in translator's subjectivity. Then the whole thesis comes to a concluding remark: 1) translator's subjectivity does exist and plays an active role; 2) translator's subjectivity is by no means personal arbitrariness but an interaction of translator's creativity and his awareness of all restrictions; 3) translator's subjectivity lies in the unification of creativity and his awareness of the restrictions through translator's purposeful self-awareness, and only those translators with a broadened cultural horizon and aesthetic awareness can give a full play to his or her subjectivity.