A Brief Study Of Focalization In Novel Translation:Reflections On The Translation Of Last Wishes

This project consists of two parts:Chinese translation of Last Wishes,a short story written by William Trevor,and translation commentary.Although his works feature an obvious realism style,William Trevor has a good knowledge of writing techniques of modern and post-modern novels and often mixes traditional techniques with contemporary ones in his works.His short story Last Wishes is narrated in a mode combining zero-focalization with variable internal focalization.It constructs the story's space-time in an omniscient narration and meanwhile,devotes pages to focalize characters'stream of consciousness and soliloquy.The special focalization mode of Last Wishes poses challenges to its translation.Based on an elaboration of focalization concept and an analysis of the focalization mode of Last Wishes,this report discusses how to deal with focalization in novel translation by commentary on the effect of reconstructing source focalization mode in the Chinese translation of Last WishesZero-focalization narration has the advantages of manipulating the story's space-time and allowing the narrator to interact with readers.Translators should take efforts to create in readers' mind the story's space-time equivalent to the source text and avoid destroying interaction between the narrator and readers.Internal focalization can reveal characters' view and mind at close quarters.Translators should put themselves in focalized characters'5shoes,avoid destroying consciousness stream and use appropriate language to represent the soliloquy.Focalization is an important narrative form of novels.It contains abundant poetic and literary value.Therefore,translators should try to reconstruct in the target text the source focalization mode,thus making target narrative form dynamically equivalent to the source text.