Study Of Lin Yutang's Translation Of Masterpieces In The Wisdom Of Confucius From The Perspective Of Deconstructive Translation Theory

The Wisdom of Confucius is one of Lin Yutang's co llective works, which is composed of 11 chapters. Lin Yutang makes careful selection of materials from the Four Book and Five Classics, and compiles the materials into an integrated whole so as to present Confucian ideas systematically. Lin completely presents his view on Confucian thoughts with poetic words as well as witty and intelligent interpretation of the classics. However, the sophisticated thoughts and obscure language of the Confucian classics bring many challenges to translation. Therefore, translators are required to be equipped with in-depth knowledge about translation and literature, and should adopt proper translation skills. As a matter of fact, it is impossible to apply traditional translation criteria of “faithfulness” to the evaluation and appreciation of the translation.Deconstructionism originated in France in the 1960 s and was introduced into translation studies later on. Deconstructionism points out the uncertainty of meaning, inultimacy of truth, and the openness and intertexuality of text with terms like “différance” and “trace”. The binary oppositions in traditional translation theories are deconstructed by deconstructive translation theory. By putting forward the concept of “afterlife”, the relationship between ST and TT is reexamined. Meanwhile, the authority of the author is challenged. Deconstructive translation theory emphasizes the subjectivity of translator and greatly promotes the status of translator and translated works. The theory also has a discussion on what a “relevant” translation is which subverts the traditional translation standard of “faithfulness”.Based on deconstructive translation theory, this study analyzes Lin Yutang's translation of classical works in The Wisdom of Confucius from three aspects. First, comparison has been made between classical works and Lin's translation. It is found that Lin's translation is not merely an imitation of the original. He doesn't attempt to find out the only correct meaning of the text. Rather, he pays attention to the openness of text and try to find the relevant fixed meaning in accordance with the context. Besides, Lin Yutang's choice of source texts and the reservation of Chinese cultural elements reflect t he symbiotic and complementary relationship between ST and TT. Second, the essay explores the manifestation of translator 's subjectivity in the translation by taking into consideration Lin's translation thoughts. The study finds that Lin makes adjustments in the translation at semantic, syntactic and rhetoric levels in order to achieve most satisfied translation. The translator is not the inferior but the subject of creation. At last, the thesis discusses how to achieve a relatively “relevant” translation by way of balancing the law of property and the law of quantity which constitute the “economy” principle proposed by Derrida in hope of bringing enlightenment to the translation of Chinese classical works. As a new school of thought in the field of translat ion study, deconstructive translation theory discusses the problem of translation from the philosophical perspective which helps us further understand the nature of translation and it is of great significance in guiding translation practice.