A Study Of Lin Yutang's Translator' Subjectivity In The English Version Of Yumengying

Traditional translation theories both in china and the West have obscured the translator, mainly focusing on nature of translation, criteria for translation and translation techniques. With the advent of the cultural turn in translation studies since 1970s, the translator has been brought to the foreground and translator's subjectivity become a focus of attention in translation studies. The translator displays his subjectivity in the whole process of translation. However, he cannot exert his subjectivity at random. In other words, translator's subjectivity is not unlimited; instead, it depends upon and is restricted by certain internal and external factors.Lin Yutang(1896-1965), a world-famous literary translator, bi-lingual writer, and outstanding linguist, is renowned internationally. His writing and literary translating career is highlighted by the couplet"One mind seeks the learning of ancients and moderns, two legs straddle the cultures of East and West"(两脚踏中西文化,一心评宇宙文章). In order to spread traditional Chinese culture to the West, Lin Yutang has chosen a great deal of Chinese literature and philosophical classics to translate and has been well-received. His translation thoughts also have made great contributions to translation theory, which left some room for the translator to display his subjectivity. Currently there is still much room left in the research on Lin Yutang's translating activities and his translations.This thesis is an attempt to furnish a better understanding of translator's subjectivity in a descriptive way, on the basis of the case study of the subjectivity of Lin Yutang as a translator seen in the English version of Yumengying. It consists of three chapters plus introduction and conclusion. Chapter One is an overview of translator's subjectivity—the theoretical part of this thesis. Then, in Chapter Two and Three, the author does in-depth analysis on Lin Yutang's English version of Yumengying, based on the demonstration of Lin Yutang's understanding of translator's subjectivity in his translation thoughts and the explore on certain internal and external factors involved in the subjectivity of Lin as a translator. In this part, the focus will be on translator's subjectivity seen in Lin Yutang's English Version of Yumengying from the two aspects: the choice of the original and the actual adoption of translation strategies and methods.