The History Of Western Translation Theory

Ever since1950s, more and more importance has been attached to the studies on translation-related activities, and consequently translation studies has been gradually acknowledged as an independent discipline, which in turn brings out a substantial increase in activities related to the history of translation. Despite of the controversies over the disciplinary scope of translation studies in China and overseas, a general consensus among the specialists in translation studies has been reached that the study of translation theory from the historical perspective is of fundamental importance to the development of the new discipline. The history of translation theory in the West, as an indispensible part of the history of translation, has always played a crucial role in translation studies, and Tan Zaixi repeatedly emphasizes the great influence of Western translation theory on the establishment and development of the new discipline. Periodization is often employed in the treatment of all kinds of theories. Based on a good many period studies on the history of translation theory in the West, the thesis, from the perspective of translation classification, divides the history of Western translation theory into four periods:the initial stage of shaping-up (from Cicero to Dryden), the second stage of adolescence (from the early eighteenth century to the mid-twentieth century), the third stage of florescence (from the late1950s to the late1970s), the fourth stage of maturity (from1972up to the present).Viewed from the distinction of "interpreter" and "orator" by Cicero and the trichonomy of metaphrase, paraphrase and imitation by Dryden, from Cicero to Dryden, writings on translation are very prescriptive, unsystematic and author-oriented, mainly situated in the preface of translations or letters, leaving little theoretical innovation. Besides, the study is confined to literary translation and translation approaches. Therefore, the period from Cicero to John Dryden can be taken as the shaping up stage of the history of Western translation theory. However, from the eighteenth century to the mid-twentieth century, Western translation theory witnesses a rapid and remarkable development, which is clearly demonstrated in the translation classifications of Schleiermacher, Goethe, Postgate and Savory. During this time, the perspective and focus of the study extend from the narrow area of the principles and approaches of translation to a larger field of the purposes of translation and text types, and the emphasis also shifts from the author or the original text to a broader view of both SL author and TL reader. Most important of all, translation theorists cast their eyes on the translation of various types of texts beyond literary works. In this sense, the period from the early eighteenth century to the mid-twentieth century can be considered the adolescence. Ever since1959, the prevalent concept is the linguistic approach to the study of translation. Translation classifications of Jakobson, Catford, Newmark and Wilss show a linguistic and scientific approach to the study of translation and an attempt to establish the study of translation as a scholarly field, and especially Wilss even outlines a framework for the science of translation. The period from the late1950s to the late1970s is called the florescence. Since1972, Western translation theory is in the process of an increasing maturity with the establishment and strengthening of translation studies as an independent academic discipline, which is clarified in the translation classification of Holmes, House and Nord, so the period from1972to the present is called the maturity of the history of Western translation theory.This thesis aims to divide the history of Western translation theory from the perspective of translation classification in the form of a historical survey in which key theoretical developments are taken into account, focusing on the different translation classifications from antiquity to the present in the West. It provides a deep insight into the development of Western translation theory and a theoretical support for the further development of translation studies.