Thick Translation

This thesis explores thick translation in John Knoblock’s Xunzi: A Translationand Study of the Complete Works, makes a thorough study on the translation featuresand probes into an analysis of reasons of thick translation in it to investigatesignificance of thick translation in translation studies, especially in translation ofChinese classics.This thesis adopts the methodology of descriptive translation studies to classifyand study the phenomenon of thick translation in the Xunzi: A Translation and Studyof the Complete Works. In content, by introducing a large amount of backgroundinformation about Xunzi and his thoughts, highlighting main ideas of each book inhis own words before the translation, illustrating key terms, adding cultural allusionsand cultural background, textual criticism, alternative translation, intratextuality andintertextuality, Knoblock put readers into a broad culture of source text; in form,mainly by adding preface, general introduction, introductions to each book,appendixes, pinyin and notes, Knoblock extended structure of the source text andenriched the content of translation at the same time. Then an analysis of the reasonsfor such phenomenon are made that are influence of social ideology, translator’sideology, philosophical background of the translator, readership, patronage, text typeof Xunzi, linguistic difference between Chinese and English, all contribute to thebirth of the translation of Xunzi.Knoblock has made great effort to approach and represent the essence of thesource text though thick translation, which makes this version a new benchmark forthe study of English translation of Xunzi. The thesis on one side grasps the featuresof thick translation in Xunzi: A Translation and Study of the Complete Works todemonstrate the phenomena of thick translation in it, on the other side, this thesisexplores reasons behind the phenomena to prove reasonable existence of thicktranslation and value of Xunzi as a thick translation In the end, this thesis investigates positive role of thick translation as an effective translation strategy in translatingChinese literature, especially in translating Chinese classics, and in enhancing thecross-culture exchange between Chinese classics and the world.