| With reference to Darwin’s theory of natural selection, Professor Hu Gengshen puts forward the approach to translation as adaptation and selection, which defines translation as a selection activity of the translator’s adaptation to fit the translational eco-environment. Both the adaptation and the selection are fulfilled by the translator. As a systematic study on translator’s behavior and role in the translation process, Hu’s theory emphasizes the idea of "translator-centeredness", which puts translator’s subjectivity and dominant role to a top priority. Hu’s theory offers an innovative theoretical angle to translation studies.George Bernard Shaw was a famous English playwright in the20th century. His plays have gained a significant position in Chinese literary circle since their first appearance in China in1918. However, in China, his plays on stage were less successful than on page; till1991, his Major Barbara was translated and directed by Ying Ruocheng, and embraced a great success at Beijing People’s Arts Theatre. This was also the first time for Shaw’s play to be successfully performed on stage in China. This study, within the framework of the approach to translation as adaptation and selection, aims to discuss how Ying Ruocheng successfully produced a Chinese version of Major Barbara for stage performance.According to the detailed analysis, Ying’s decision of translating Major Barbara was out of his selective adaptation to the internal and external needs and his competence. He loved drama literature and performance, and committed himself to the enrichment of Chinese drama literature and the cultural exchange between China and the rest of the world. He regarded drama translation as an important way to realize his goal. The drama Major Barbara typically reflects the artistic value of Bernard Shaw’s works-humor and irony. Ying Ruocheng wanted to introduce it to the Chinese public audience and let them appreciate the linguistic and artistic charm of the Master of Language. Meanwhile, it could also satisfy the Chinese public’s needs of getting to know more about the foreign cultures and arts. Ying’s bilingual and bicultural knowledge, familiarity to the drama field and long-term translation practice enabled him to fulfill the task of translating Major Barbara. In the specific translation process, after adapting himself well to the specific translational eco-environment of drama (such as the source text, actors, director, audience, etc.), he conducted subjective selections and transformations mainly from linguistic, cultural and communicative dimensions. The selections on linguistic dimension include: adoption of four-character phrases, translation of interjections, adoption of colloquialism, adjustment of sequencing, and transformation of sentence pattern. The selections on cultural dimension are manifested in his tactful employment of translation techniques to deal with the culture-specific items. The selections on communicative dimension mainly involve the translation of characters’ names.Based on Ying’s specific adaptations and selections in the translation process, the thesis summarizes some possible translation enlightenment for drama translators and drama translation practice. First, drama translators had better be conscious of and properly exert their subjectivity in the translation process; second, they also had better keep cultivating and improving their adaptive and selective competence, such as the bilingual and bicultural competence, the subject competence pertaining to drama field, and the transfer competence.In overall, Ying Ruocheng’s Chinese version of Major Barbara is a success and achieves a high degree of holistic adaptation and selection, which is the product of his fully exerting translator’s subjectivity and making flexible adaptations and selections in the specific drama translational eco-environment. This study also validates the feasibility and explanatory force of the approach to translation as adaptation and selection on drama translation. |
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