A Study On Yang Xianyi And Gladys Yang's Translation Of Ah Q Zheng Zhuan

Translating is a kind of human action, and it is a purposeful activity. Therefore, the prime principle determining the translation process is the purpose (Skopos) of the overall translation action. "Adequacy", the qualities of a target text with regard to the translation brief, is taken as the criterion of translation accordingly. Skopostheorie provides a new perspective for the translation practice and study. However, although the theory was proposed as early as 1980s, it was not introduced to Chinese translators until recently and few literary translation works have been discussed within the framework of Skopostheorie.This paper aims at taking a thorough and objective analysis of a translated literary work from the perspective of Skopostheorie. This paper first gives a brief introduction to the Skopostheorie, and analyzes the purpose of the Yangs in translating The True Story of Ah Q and the strategies adopted by them in translating cultural elements. Then the thesis discusses the way how the translators dealt with intertextual coherence and intratextual coherence in practice. The thesis believes that the Yangs' translation is adequate. The Yangs managed to spread Chinese culture by employing idiomatic English and by adopting various and flexible translation strategies. Besides, the study also proves that Skopostheorie is quite applicable, and it can be used to explain the phenomena and solve the problems well in translation practice.