On Translator's Absence And Visibility-A Study On Venuti's Foreignizing Translation Strategy

As a bridge to link two different cultures, translation plays an indispensable role in inter-cultural communication. The process of translating is not merely a simple code-switching between the target language and the source language, but an exchange of thoughts, assuming the function of cultural exchange. Since different countries and different nations have different cultures, with language as its carrier, in a sense, the translation of language is the translation of culture. Consequently, there may appear some problems in the translation of language, i.e. how to deal with the cultural element in the language and text. With regard to the cultural differences arising in the translation practice, there are two strategies to deal with this problem, i.e. domesticating translation strategy and foreignizing translation strategy.Domesticating translation strategy aims at reducing the exoticism of the target text, providing a kind of natural and fluent version for the target readers. It not only requires the translated text to meet the habitual expression of the target language, but also requires the cultural features of the source language to conform to the cultural paradigm of the target language. Foreignizing translation strategy strives to retain the features of source language and cultures, so as to let the target text readers feel the existence of other cultures and their unique charm. Its technique of expression is abnormal, unfamiliar and weird for the target text readers, thereby to create a kind of foreign atmosphere.This thesis compares Lawrence Venuti's foreignizing translation strategy with the traditional translation strategy in the Anglo-American culture, especially reexamines translators'roles in both translation strategy, so as to highlight the positive effect of the foreignizing translation strategy in promoting translator's status. For a long time, domesticating translation strategy has been admiring in the Anglo-American translation circle and it has been occupying a dominant position. Traditional translation study requires the translators to be faithful, invisible and domesticated in translation practice, with their roles to be servant, invisible man and pseudo author accordingly.Compared with the authoritative status of the original author, the translators have been put into a secondary status, or we could say that the translators are not present in the translation process. In order to challenge the only effective and dominant domesticating translation strategy in Anglo-American culture and also highlight the translators'status in translating practice, making the translators visible in the translation practice, Venuti put forward foreignizing translation strategy, i.e."resistant"translation, in which the translators are visible, creative and foreignized, with their roles to be creator, manipulator and native foreigner accordingly.The significance of foreignizing translation strategy lies in three aspects: it claims the presence of the translator in translation process, thus dramatically promoted the subjective status of the translator; it facilitates the democratic and equal exchange among different cultures; it also could be served as a tool for anti-hegemony and anti-colonialism, providing new direction for the future translation studies.