Study On English Translation And Reception Of Qi Qie Cheng Qun In America From The Perspective Of Bourdieu's Sociological Theory

Qi Qie Cheng Qun is the first work to make Su Tong shoot to fame at home and abroad as well as the first one to be translated.Raise the Red Lantern,the English version of Qi Qie Cheng Qun translated by Michael S.Duke is well accepted in the English world where Anglo-American cultures play the dominant role,thus,its success is worth studying.Though already investigated from various perspectives,it is seldom touched upon from the sociological theory,therefore this thesis has certain creative significance through studying the English translation and reception of Qi Qie Cheng Qun from the perspective of the sociological theory put forward by Pierre Bourdieu.Based on the sociological theory proposed by Bourdieu,a French sociologist,the thesis explores the choice of the original text,the translation process and its reception among the English readers in the light of field,habitus and capitals respectively.It focuses on the following questions.First,why does the translator choose to translate Qi Qie Cheng Qun in the 1990s? What translation strategies does the translator adopt and why does he make such choices? Why does the English version get popularity among the American readers? Through examination the author finds that the choice of the original text is closely related to the interaction between the political,economic and cultural power of the American literary field in the 1990 s.The educational background and translation practice shape the habitus of Michael S.Duke and then his personal translation habitus determines the combination of source-language-oriented and target-language-oriented translation strategies,which not only preserve the flavor of the original texts but also enhance the fluency and readability of the translated version.Finally,the capitals of Qi Qie Cheng Qun and the translator promote the reception of the English version in the American market.If Chinese literature wants to go out,it cannot depart from translation.Through the analysis,this thesis thinks that to attract the target readers' interest,the literary field of the target nations should be taken into consideration when the translator chooses the original texts.The theme and style of the works had better meet the requirements of the target literary field.The translator's habitus influences the selection of translation strategies.Only when fidelity and readability are achieved at the same time can the translation be a success.Capital matters a lot to the reception of the translated works.If the original work and the translator could possess a plenty of cultural,economic,social and symbolic capitals,it would be of great advantage to strengthen target readers' recognition and reception.