On Wang Chi-chen’s English Translation Of Hung Lou Meng Rrom The Perspective Of Manipulation Theoty

On the basis of a case study of Dream of the Red Chamber translated by WangChi-Chen, this thesis probes into the underlying factors manipulating the Englishversion of Hung Lou Meng from the perspective of manipulation theory. As an abridgedEnglish version of Hung Lou Meng, one of the four classical novels in China, Dream ofthe Red Chamber suffered from a long period of neglect by Chinese scholars, who havebeen keeping their focus only on such two complete versions as The Story of the Stoneby David Hawkes and A Dream of Red Mansions by Yang Hien-yi. This phenomenon isdue to the underlying translation norms of faithfulness and equivalence. According totraditional approaches of translation studies, abridged versions are deemed anomalousfor serious attention on account of their incompleteness and unfaithfulness. It is,however, Wang’s version that plays a prominent and foundational role in thetransmission of Hung Lou Meng and the communication between the East and the West.Therefore, armed with manipulation theory, this thesis makes attempts to assert justicefor Wang’s versions. Based on the assumption that translation is rewriting and rewritingis manipulation, manipulation theory puts translation into a particular cultural contextand makes an investigation from the perspectives of ideology, poetics and patronage.This thesis is composed of five chapters. Introduction, the first chapter, offers apanorama of the thesis, pointing out its motivation, significance, approaches employedand layout. The second chapter makes a brief introduction to Hung Lou Meng’s varioustranslations and previous studies. Special attention is paid to Wang’s translations withfocus on their prime characteristics, received comments and studies. The third chaptermanifests the theoretical framework. It delivers a discussion of manipulation theory,introducing its formation and development and elaborating the idea of “translation asrewriting” and “translation as manipulation”. A detailed analysis is then made, withemphasis on such three manipulative elements as ideology, poetics and patronage. Thefourth chapter is devoted to Wang’s translations in detail with the application ofmanipulation theory. A profound investigation is made from the following perspectives:the manipulation of dominant ideology on text selection, translator’s subjectivity and academic orientation; the manipulation of mainstream poetics on the translator’s attitude,translation strategy and language style; the manipulation of publication patronage ontranslation purpose, exotic atmosphere and cultural images. Conclusion, the fifth chapter,serves as a summary of the thesis. In addition to results and contributions of the thesis,its limitations and expectations for further studies are pointed out too.