| In the process of translation, the identity and ideology of the translator are very important and decisive factors. However, previous studies on translation mainly concentrated on both the source text and the target text. Along with the rise of new branches of linguistics and translation theories, researchers in translation studies have shifted the focus from the product (target text) to the producer (translator), particularly over the last thirty years.Shi Jing, also known as The Book of Songs, is the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry, comprising305works dating from the early West Zhou Dynasty (the11th century B.C.) to the middle Spring and Autumn Period (the6th century B.C.). The most popular poem in this collection is the first poem entitled Guan Ju. Many translators and poets at home and abroad have produced their own English versions of this famous poem.The author of this thesis attempts to use Manipulation Theory and Appraisal Theory to make a comparative study of five English versions of Guan Ju translated by James Legge, Ezra Pound, Xu Yuanchong, Gu Zhengkun, Yang Xianyi&Gladys Yang respectively. A questionnaire survey is conducted to find out the native speaker’s response to these five versions. The thesis mainly focuses on how the translators’ different identities, ideologies and attitudes influence the process of translation.The findings of this study indicate that translation is in effect a process of manipulation of the original text. The purpose of translation together with the identity and ideology of the translator plays an essential role in deciding the rewriting strategies. To be more specific, Legge’s primary goal is to help his contemporary missionaries get to know Chinese culture and facilitate their mission of preaching Christianity. Pound tries to practice his advocacy of imagism. Yang, Xu and Gu intend to introduce the classical Chinese literature to foreign readers. |
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