On Translator’s Style From The Perspective Of Hermeneutics

Constrained by the traditional translation theories, the previous studies about translating style mainly deal with the translators? endeavor to reproduce the original style while the translators? styles reflected in their translated texts are either neglected or devalued. Therefore, there are few studies about translator?s style for its own sake.In the translation practice, full reproduction of the style of the original text cannot be achieved and visibility of translator?s style is unavoidable. This study, with the translator?s style as its research subject and the hermeneutic theory as its perspective, explores the cause and space of visibility of translator?s style. According to the principles of hermeneutics, understanding is not objective and mechanical copying of the original text, but it?s creative interpretation in a new context, which expounds the rationality of translator?s using his creativity in translation. Translation is not made in a vacuum, because the author and the translator are both living in certain social and cultural backgrounds where the historical and cultural tradition, ideology, life experience, literary knowledge and other elements are bound to influence their understanding, writing and translation. These elements are what Heidegger called “pre-understanding structure”, which exists in every person?s every case of understanding and cannot be excluded. Every translator will surely bear his own pre-understanding structure in the interpretation of the source text and the creation of a new text, which, however, is not an obstacle but a necessary condition for understanding. Different pre-understanding structures lead to different horizons of translators and accordingly results in different “fusion of horizons” while interacting with the original text before eventually producing the translated texts of different styles. But it cannot be neglected that the “fusion of horizons” produced by different translators in interacting with the same source text also have some overlap part, which just tends to be the style elements of the source text. Writing style, as an important part of pre-understanding structure, plays an important role in translator?s understanding of the text as well as in the formation of the style of translated texts. Thus studies of writing style may contribute to better understanding of the essence of translation.In the case of Yu Dafu, he is a widely-renowned great writer and also an accomplished translator in the 1920 s and 1930 s. His unique writing style attained him a large group of readers and what also needs to be mentioned is his great contributions to China?s translation course and some of his translation thoughts which have exerted great impacts on China?s translation circle. However, most of the previous studies are about his literary creation and there is lack of systematic and in-depth studies about his translation, particularly his translating style. Thus this thesis takes him as the case for the purpose of drawing the attention of China?s translation circle back to this great translator.Comparison between Yu?s creation and translation will find many similarities in style. His unique translating style is closely related with his own pre-understanding structure. Specifically, his translating style is influenced by his writing style. Before translating a text, the translator has already bore certain pre-understanding structure in which his writing style serves as a significant part. Thus it is impractical for us to study his translating style if not considering his pre-understanding structure and writing style.In order to better illustrate the inevitability of visibility of translator?s style and the fact that the different styles of translated texts are caused by translators? different pre-understanding structures, this thesis makes a comparative study between the two translation versions of A Waitress respectively translated by Yu Dafu and Sun Yixue so as to empirically analyze Yu?s translator?s style and the impact of his writing style on his translating style. Whether we like it or not, we cannot deny the existence of translator?s style. Only when we envisage this fact can we constantly improve the translator?s status and flourish the translation course as well as push forward the development of translation studies.