A Prototype-Theoretical Approach To Driving Force Of Retranslation

In literary translation, retranslation is phenomenally popular. For one source text, thereare always different versions translated by different translators. On the other hand, even thetranslators who have translated the source text sometimes retranslate or modify their ownversion with the times. Since Translation Studies is created and developed as anindependent discipline, the phenomenon of retranslation has gained more and moreconcerns among many scholars and translators at home and abroad. However, most of theresearch is prescriptive, focusing on the valuation of different versions based on subjectivejudgments, while ignoring the comprehensive and objective explanation on retranslation asa phenomenon.Fortunately, after the Cultural Turn in Translation Studies, the scholars have begun todeal with translation from a more broadened perspective. That’s to say, the research onretranslation shall also get rid of the traditional valuation restricts. This paper is based on adescriptive diagram to discuss retranslation as a phenomenon from the perspective ofPrototype Theory, which origins from the cognitive psychology. Prototype Theory hasalready been introduced in many disciplines, including Translation Studies. In2004,Professor Yang Bingjun proposed the ‘Prototype Approach to Translation Studies’, whichdemonstrates the significance of the prototype approach. Since then, more scholars inTranslation Studies have been exploring on the approach. According to the PrototypeTheory, prototype is the abstract mental construal of a group of things, integrating thetypical features of all members in this category. Prototype is abstract, integrated,preferential, and expandable.The Prototype approach to Translation Studies provides a new perspective to investigatemany translation-related issues. Regarding retranslation, it is to realize the bestcorrespondence between the best source text exemplar and the best target text exemplar,which inevitably leads to the action of retranslating. Based on the Prototype Theory, wecan better explain the driving force of retranslation, and thus revealing the literalsignificance of retranslation. At the same time, a guide line for afterwards retranslation canbe theoretically drawn from the research.