A Comparative Study Of Two English Versions Of Leivu From The Perspective Of Domestication And Foreignization

Leiyu marks the maturity of China's modern play.The play has been translated into English twice:In 1936,it was translated by Yao Hsin-nung and published on T'ien Hsia Monthly.Later,in 1958,it was translated by Wang Tso-Liang and A.C.Barnes.Generally speaking,when translating Leiyu,Yao preferred foreignization to domestication.By faithfully translating the original text,Yao not only introduced Leiyu but Chinese culture to his foreign readers.On the other hand,Wang and Barnes preferred domestication.They spared no effort in finding out the precise English word for its Chinese meaning so as to make it easier for their foreign readers to understand the play.Discussions have been going on for quite a long time over foreignization and domestication.The two strategies are not against one another.With different purposes of translation,a translator can use them both under different circumstances.After studying the two English versions of Leiyu I've drawn some inspirations.Between foreignization and domestication,there's no need to decide which is better than the other.A translator can choose what he/she thinks the best strategy considering intentions of the author,goals of translation,style of the text,and target readers.Foreignization and domestication seem to be poles apart,but they are united by one goal and are highly complementary to each other.When it comes to translation,the ultimate goal for a translator is to help his readers accept and understand a foreign culture.