A Comparative Study Of Two English Versions Of Fu Sheng Liu Ji From The Perspective Of The Manipulation Theory

Fu Sheng Liu Ji, an autobiography of the noted writer Shen Fu in Qing Dynasty, has high literary value. The work, with its simple and plain words, sincere and natural emotion, has drawn wide attention since its publication. Lin Yutang’s translation in 1936 made the book enter the English world and in 1960, Shirley M. Black, a British sinologist also translated the work, which expanded its popularity among the English readers.Lin’s and Black’s version were welcomed by different readers though there exists much difference between the two versions separated in time by over two decades. What is the reason behind this phenomenon? Traditional translation theories focus on the text and its value. Therefore, from either the diachronic or synchronic perspective it is not enough to explain this phenomenon. Manipulation Theory, proposed by Andre Lefevere, has broadened the field of translation studies. Lefevere pointed out the influence of ideology, poetics and patronage on translator’s selection of source text and translation strategies. The focus of translation studies becomes the combination of the text and its cultural context, social conditions, political factors. So far, few domestic scholars have made comparative studies of Lin’s and Black’s version from the angle of the Manipulation Theory. Current researches on the work are mainly done from the perspectives of adaptation theory, relevance theory, and the translator’s subjectivity and so on. A comparative study of Lin and Black’s versions under the guidance of Manipulation Theory not only explains the reasons for the differences between two versions, but also reveals the practical significance of the Manipulation Theory for the analysis of literary translation.The author makes a comparative study of Lin’s version and Black’s version from the aspect of Manipulation Theory and explores how ideology, poetics and patronage function in the actual translation process. Through the comparative study of the selection of the source text and translation strategy by Lin and Black, the author concludes that ideology, poetics and the patronage do have influence on the two translators’ translation activity.