Aiming At "Reserving Differences" Oriented By "Sincerity" Ethics

Ethics has established links with such disciplines as economics, sociology and medicine, and its application in these fields is contributive to the sustained development of such disciplines. Ethics has also been proved applicable in translatology due to the complex nature of translation and the comprehensive transdisciplinary nature of translatology which involves a great number of factors. So far ethics has become a hot topic in translatology. In the light of this new perspective, scholars have laid much attention to the rich sources in translation history with the expectation of getting a better understanding of the nature of translation and providing a more sound theoretical basis for Translatology.Lu Xun and Lin Yutang as eminent translators have published a great many translated works acclaimed by readers and theoretical works on translation with penetrating insights and their translation thoughts occupy an important position in the history of the Chinese translation. On the basis of the existing models of translation ethics, this thesis tries proposing a new model of translation ethics, that is, ethics of“sincerity”, as the theoretical framework for this research enlightened by the principle of“rhetoric out of sincerity”in Zhouyi (The Book of Change). Then, the author, using ethics of“sincerity”as a reference, explores the similarities and differences between Lu’s and Lin’s translation thoughts and digs out the similar and different ethical concerns in their translation thoughts.The research indicates that both Lu Xun’s and Lin Yutang’s translation thoughts are brilliant with translation ethics. Despite their differences in translation motivation and strategy, both their translation thoughts reveal the ethics of“sincerity”and of“reserving the differences”, which may be reduced as aiming at reserving the differences oriented by sincerity ethics which works as the initial attitude the translator should hold and ensures the successful completion of translation. Besides, difference is also obvious between their translation thoughts in that Lu aims at“enhancing the public’s intelligence and strengthening the nation”through translation while Lin at“constructing a new multi-culture through blending the Chinese and Western cultures.”...