An Interpretation Of Translation Ethics Of Difference Exemplified By Lu Xun’s Translation Ideas And Practice

Translation is a social phenomenon and cultural activity by means of linguisticsigns. The dilemma of translation and translators’ invisibility urge the formation ofethics of difference. Translation ethics is the moral attitude towards another culture intranslation practice and it is a main perspective to investigate the cultural essence oftranslation. Translation ethics runs through the development history of translationtheories and practice.Lu Xun was under great influence of German Romanticism. In1902, Lu Xundrew experience from Schleiermacher, a representative of German Romanticism, andused theories of German Romanticism to save Chinese. At that time, China andGerman were in the same poor situation. The idea of keeping foreignness intranslation helps Germany to win independence. Taking inspiration from Germany, LuXun combines translation with revolution in vernacular Chinese and cultural politicswith the application of hard translation and faithfulness rather than fluency etc.In western countries, American scholar Lawrence Venuti is an advocator ofethics of difference. In order to resist translation violence, he lays stress on keepingforeignness from original culture and language to resist naturalized, transparenttranslation. The foreignness from weak cultures should be imported to powerfulcountries to make target readers feel and experience exoticism.The ethics of difference of Venuti and Lu Xun’s translation ideas are derivedfrom the same origin but share different features based on different culturalbackgrounds. Both Lu Xun and Venuti advocate keeping foreignness in translation,which manifests their ethical positions.The thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter one introduces research purpose, background and significance as well as methodology. Chapter two is literature review.The development histories for translation ethics at home and abroad are introduced inthis chapter. Chapter three discusses the ethics of difference. The diachronic analysisand comparative study is used to summarize the theoretical development andsignificance of ethics of difference. Venuti puts up with foreignization and abusivefidelity as well as resistancy to support ethics of difference. Chapter four introducesLu Xun’s translation ideas and practice. He is a forerunner of ethics of difference inmodern China. He applies hard translation and archaism as well as remainders tobring foreignness to readers. Chapter five concludes the better understanding aboutthe essence and functions of translation in perspectives of ethics and morality. Ethicsof difference contributes a lot to the construction of local culture and it is helpful inthe proper interpretation of Lu Xun.