A Comparative Study Of Two English Versions Of Biancheng-From The Perspective Of Polysystem Theory

Biancheng, the masterpiece of Shen Congwen, is a representative work of Chinese native literature and has been available in many foreign languages since its publication in 1936. The work has had a positive influence in Western society and is worth further study. The Chinese translation scholars have carried out researches on Biancheng from various theoretical perspectives, but few have so far done a research from the perspective of polysystem theory.The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to filling the research gap based on a comparative study of two English versions of Biancheng: one was translated by Ching Ti and Robert Payne in 1936 before the founding of New China; the other was translated by Gladys Yang in 1981 after the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). Through the comparative study, it is found that polysystem theory has its limitations in explaining the translation strategy adopted in the translation of Chinese literature like Biancheng. Although it is to some extent applicable to the main translating strategies adopted by Ching & Payne and by Yang respectively, it fails to illustrate some translation phenomena this Author found in the course of case study due to its neglect of a translator's subjectivity and overgeneralization. However, its limitations could be overcome to some extent by Toury's translation "norms" and the theory of "ideology", "poetics" and "patronage" raised by the Manipulation School.Nevertheless, some limitations still remain owing to a lack of relevant and reliable source materials about the three translators concerning their own ideologies.