English Translation Of Colloquial Scenery Depiction In Luotuo Xiangzi: A Comparative Study From The Perspective Of Translation Aesthetics

Luotuo Xiangzi, a masterpiece of Lao She, plays an indispensable and decisive role in Chinese literature. Its great success owes not only to its clear logic and thought-provoking theme, but also the art of language used. Lao She adeptly and successfully applies colloquialism in the novel. However, compared with the written formal language, the colloquial language has not received due attention from the researchers despite its striking and unique features.Scenery depiction, or surrounding description, plays an indispensable role in novels. The functions of scenery depiction can be generalized as introducing background, characterization, plot development and expressions of scenic feelings and emotions. Based on these different functions, a total of 41 scenery descriptions in the novel is selected after perusal of the novel. In this thesis, 22 classic scenery depictions,with colloquial features, are chosen as research objects to explore the translations of colloquial expressions and their effects.Liu Miqing’s translation aesthetics is adopted as the main theoretical basis. As a master of the combination of traditional aesthetics and translation theory, he integrates aesthetic object and aesthetic subject with the translation studies in his translation aesthetics. The aesthetic object contains formal system and non-formal system, of which non-formal system dominates the process of analysis. In Liu Miqing’s opinion,the aim of translation is to reproduce the “taste and flavor of the original”. The ultimate purpose of translation is to represent the aesthetic value of the original. Under this theoretical framework, the thesis aims to explore the scenery depiction with colloquial features in the formal and non-formal systems. In this thesis, detailed analysis of the translation of the formal system on the lexical level and phonological level is conducted to explore the features of aesthetic objects and the dynamics of aesthetic subjects to represent the aesthetic effects of the original. For the non-formal system,analysis is conducted on the levels of image and emotion to represent the feelingshidden in the words.It is found that:(1) In the formal system, compared with other three translators, Shi Xiaojing’s translation of the colloquial features in the selected scenery descriptions matches up with,the original on the phonological and lexical level, due primarily to her adequate understanding of colloquial expressions and its functions in scenery description, in particular.(2) In non-formal system, for the uniqueness of colloquial expressions and Chinese culture embedded therein, the representations of feelings and emotions of the original author in four translations well reflect the differences in their master of colloquial expressions and Chinese culture. By comparison, a translator who develops a thorough understanding of colloquial expressions and Chinese culture embedded therein can transfer the meanings and feelings of original work.(3) During the process of translation, especially for those Chinese literary classics,adequate knowledge of Chinese culture as well as the colloquial expressions ensures the aesthetic subject’s play of his or her initiatives to discover and recreate the aesthetic values and art of language of the original.The study of the translation of colloquialism in scenery depictions in the novel adds a fresh perspective to the investigation of literary translation practice. It is hoped that the study will be of some help to the worldwide dissemination of Chinese culture by means of translation of the literary classics.