A Comparative Study Of Botchan’s Two Chinese Versions

Translation is a medium of communication for people using different languages, and it is a translation process of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language. Meanwhile, translation is also a forms of art. It is an essential human event. No matter in ancient or in modern times, translation played an important role in the development of human culture, science and society. But translation is an arduous task work, which requires a translator have translation ethics and strict translation style.With the development of translation, translation theories and skills were brought into being. All these theories and skills help to regulate and improve our translation behavior. This paper takes Botchan as an example, which is a famous Japanese novel. By comparing and analyzing two Chinese versions, summarizing the differences from following aspects, translation style, semantics and word choice etc. Thus make us have a better understanding of translation, and improve our translation skills at the same time.Botchan is one of Natsume Soseki’s representative works, who is the famous Japanese "national writer". Since 1930s, it has been translated into a variety of versions in different periods. Due to different historical, social and cultural backgrounds, each version has specific features of its own. This paper compares two versions of translation, which helps us to gain a deeper understanding of translation.By comparing the two versions of translation, these two versions differ from each other a lot, especially the choice of words, sentences, rhetorical devices and so on. Even there is a big difference in the two versions’style. Liu Zhenying’s version is much more alive and humorous, and presents a vivid image of a playboy. It is easy to arouse the reader’s sympathy. While Lin Shaohua’s version reappears the original picture with simple and concise language. Both of the two versions expressed the artistic skills completely, but with different means of expression the readers’experience is quite different.The article mainly compares the two versions from the article style and semantics these two levels. In the matter of style includes the flexible application of translation strategy. While the semantics level includes the choice of words, syntactical structure and the use of rhetorical devices and so on. By exploring the similarities and differences of the two versions of translation, the paper aims to fully understand translation and lay a solid foundation for our future translation.