On The Hybridity In Howard Goldblatt’s Translation Of Hulanhe Zhuan

Xiao Hong is a talented female writer in China, and she has written many literary works in her short life. Hulanhe zhuan is a master piece in her later period, a novel of high literary value. Although many domestic scholars research this novel, people who study its English version are few, so it is a pity for the spread of this novel in English world.Goldblatt is the chief American sinologist and translator, and he plays an important role in boosting the cultural communication between China and western countries through the translation and research of Chinese literature. It is worth mentioning that it is Goldblatt’s translation that Mo Yan can be known to western countries gradually, and he fills the gap of Nobel Prize for literature in China at last.Because of Goldblatt’s special cultural identity and the great diversity between Chinese and English, the translation version will present the hybrid language and culture unavoidably. Therefore, in the author’s opinion, by using Homi Bhabha’s hybridity theory to research Goldblatt’s first translation works-Tales of Hulan River, may supply some enlightenment for people to study his other translation works and translation value, and can provide people with certain reference value in translation practice. There are altogether four chapters in this thesis. Chapter one analyzes the notion of hybridity and its value in practice from three aspects, and discusses hybridity’s interactive relationship with culture, language and translation. Chapter two analyzes the reasons for the formation of Golblatt’s hybrid cultural identity and their influence on his translation activities. Besides, Goldblatt’s limitation in translation value is put forward in this chapter. Chapter three turns research angle to the text of Hulanhe zhuan and its writer Xiao Hong. After introducing the basic information of the original novel, the author next analyzes some background information of its English version, which lays a foundation for the comparative research in chapter four. In the beginning of chapter four, the author discusses the features of hybrid language in the translation version through comparative study. Then the author applies hybridity theory to analyze the hybrid culture in Tales of Hulan River with the combining use of theory in sociology, aesthetics and psychology. In the final section, the author summarizes Goldblatt’s success and shortage in translating Hulanhe zhuan,At last, the author draws a conclusion for this thesis:a translator’s hybrid cultural identity determinates the hybridity in the translation version; the degree of hybridity in translation is decided by the extent of diversity between the two languages and cultures. Apart from this, the author raises several advices for translation practice.