A Study Of The French Version Of Feng Ru Fei Tun:Characteristics Of The Original Work,Problems And Strategies Of The Translation

As the first Chinese writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2012,Mo Yan is one of the most prestigious figures in contemporary Chinese literary,and the translation of his works has contributed significantly to his honor.Till now,Mo Yan's works have been translated into eighteen languages,making him one of the most influential Chinese writers in the world.In fact,nineteen of his works have been translated into French,and he has become the most famous and beloved contemporary Chinese writers among French readers.Yet at present,most of the studies on Mo Yan's translated works have been focused upon the English translations made by Howard Goldblatt,and few studies have been made on the French versions of his books.Considering the current situation,this thesis focuses on the French translation of Feng Ru Fei Tun,one of Mo Yan's masterpieces,translated by Mr.and Mrs.Dutrait.As the main French translator for two Nobel laureates and one of the most active French researchers in contemporary Chinese literature,Mr.Noel Dutrait exhibits an in-depth and unique understanding of translation,and his translated works are of great research value.Through a detailed comparison between Goldblatt's English translation and Dutrait 's French translation of Feng Ru Fei Tun,this thesis discusses the characteristics of the original work and the French version,further exploring the problems the translator encounters and the strategies he adopts in his translation.This thesis consists of three parts:the introduction,four main chapters and the conclusion.The introduction discusses the importance of translation in cross-cultural communication,emphasizing its role in conveying culture to people overseas.Then,it uses the French translation of Mo Yan's works as an example to prove that,and after the literature review of the relevant studies at home and abroad,it puts forward the research questions it intends to explore.The first chapter discusses the translation of proper names and dialects,focusing on the French terms used for place names,human names and dialects.As a typical concept in Mo Yan's novel,"the rural consciousness" is publicly known.Such a perspective is not only an empirical accumulation,but also a value system and standpoint,which represents a thinking pattern and value judgment.Thus,the translator has adopted a strategy mainly based on foreignization,being assisted by domestication during his translation process,keeping the folk tone of the original work.The second chapter discusses the style of the translation and the rhetorical devices employed by the translator to restore the beauty of rhythm and rhyme of the original work.As assonance and repetition are the major features of figure of speech in Feng ru fei tun,this chapter probes into the phonological characteristics of the translated works from the above two perspectives.The third chapter discusses the translation of culture-loaded words.Based on the concept of cultural classification proposed by Nida,this chapter classifies the cultural images in Feng ru fei tun so as to look into the translation strategies of Noel Dutrait.The translator has kept the style and features of the original work through ways such as annotation,and supplementation of the inadequacy of the translated words.This has helped the translator to break the language barrier,exhibiting the integrity and originality in his translation.The fourth chapter summarizes the translation strategies employed and attitudes held by Noel Dutrait.In addition,it sorts out the language and cultural barriers in translation and analyzes the stance and the cultural attitude of the translator who stands between two languages and two cultures.Moreover,it explains the strategies the translator adopts in his translation from the perspective of omission and addition.Through the above analyses,it gradually unveils Noel Dutrait's view on translation.The conclusion provides the finding that being faithful to the original text,Noel Dutrait uses annotation and other means to complement the target language so that the French readers can have a better understanding of the cultural connotation behind the text.Furthermore,compared with Howard Goldblatt's English translation,the French version shows more faithfulness to the original work.