Application And Supplement Of Negative Analytic In English To Chinese Translation

As the first theorist who introduced ethics into translation studies, Antoine Berman holds the opinion that translation is a "trial of the foreign". However, textual deformation operating in every translation prevents it from being a trial of the foreign. Thus, translators should analyze and resist the textual deformation in translation, which is called "Negative Analytic". Based on his own translation experiences, Berman summarized 12 deforming tendencies in textual deformation.In order to examine the deforming tendencies in the English-Chinese translation, the author analyzes deforming tendencies reflected in the translation process according to the negative analytic theory. It is found out that the following two deforming tendencies appeared most in the translation process:"clarification" and "ennoblement and popularization". The author analyzes these two deforming tendencies with exemplification and supplements another two deforming tendencies in the translation process:omission and replacement.Through the analysis and comparison, the author finds out that the negative analytic theory can be an effective guidance theory in avoiding unnecessary or excessive textual deformation. It is hoped that the analysis and supplement of deforming tendencies in the English-Chinese translation can help translators to realize the deforming tendencies in translation process, thus to improve translation by making the target text closer to the source text.