On The Subjectivity Of The Translator From Cognitive Psychology Perspective

Translation, in human history not only brings different nations much closer to each other, but also makes a great contribution to the intercultural communication. However, the translator’s position has long been considered inferior to that of the writer and the original text in the traditional text-oriented translation studies. Based on the theory and construction of human information processing, and the idea how the translator acts as a researcher, reader and writer in the translation process, this thesis systematically illustrates the subjectivity of the translator in terms of consciousness of the target language readers, choice of the source language texts and intersubjectivity among the author, translator and reader, combing the following cognitive parameters: attitude, cultural orientation, value, prejudice, horizon, and purpose of translation.The author firstly gives a general overview of the translator’s inferior position in the past and the subjective status at present both at home and abroad. Then the author defines the “subject in translation and the subjectivity of the translator”. Secondly, the author introduces the human information processing theory and its construction system model, illustrates some cognitive psychology approaches to translation, and further analyzes the manifestations of subjectivity of the translator from cognitive psychology perspective. Meanwhile, the author highlights the subjectivity of the translator by analyzing the intersubjectivity of the author, translator and reader. Thirdly, the author adopts documentary analysis, descriptive methods and case analysis and chooses samples from CSSCI which are related to attitude, cultural orientation, value, prejudice, horizon, and purpose of translation to explain the subjectivity of the translator. Eventually, the discussion shows that different cognitive parameters influence translator’s adoption of domestication, foreignization, literal translation, liberal translation, etc. so as to manifest his or her subjectivity in the translation process; and influence translator’s choosing different genres of source language text to show his or her subjectivity.The thesis studies and analyzes the subjectivity of the translator by means of documentary, descriptive methods and case analysis. A descriptive and explanatory approach especially with the application of theoretical defining, and analyzing is employed. From the study we will have a better understanding of the subjectivity of the translator and encourage translators to translate creatively. It will be more conductive to our understanding of the translating process and the nature of translation. Through this research, the author hopes to stimulate those translation practitioners to give full play to their subjectivity during translation, and at the same time advocates considerations for the translator in evaluating any translated works in order to achieve fairness and all-sidedness.