A Deconstructive Study Of The “Atypical” Translation Phenomena In Yuan Fu By Yan Fu

As the longest and most time-consuming work in Yan Fu?s eight translations,Yuan Fu has attracted domestic attentions since its first publication.However,early studies mainly focus on areas including pure economics and Marxist philosophy,which has lagged behind translation studies of Yuan Fu.Furthermore,existing translation studies about Yuan Fu have been confined to structuralism by discussing whether it is faithful.Little attention is paid to Yan?s own definition of his translation activities.Therefore,on the basis of Yan?s view that “my translation is too atypical to be imitated”,this thesis studies how Yan?s different identities influence the translation of Yuan Fu from the perspective of deconstructionism.By conducting node words retrieval and data statistics in the self-designed parallel corpus of Yuan Fu,this thesis finds that Yan?s major identity as a translator gives way to other three identities: a “backward” positivist,a “radical” patriot and a “qualified” loser in the imperial examinations.Firstly,the “backwardness” in time and cognitive level lead Yan to apply the methological thoughts and methods of Chinese exegesis to his translation.The rectification,academic supplement and mutual interpretation in Yuan Fu have entailed it a textual research different from regular translations.Secondly,Yan is anxious about the current condition of China,which guides him to integrate his emotions into Yuan Fu either intentionally or unintentionally.The change of semantic prosody,emotion-laden sentences and annotations renders the translated text much more radical.Lastly,failures in the imperial examinations help Yan avail himself of the sprits and methods of writings in Yuan Fu.While adding metaphors and parallel structures,Yan has turned Yuan Fu into a book similar to works in Pre-Qin dynasty which is the most controversial feature of his translation.This thesis tries to break the limitations of structuralism in studies of Yan?s translations.Basing on deconstructionism,it analyzes how Yan?s different identities has rendered Yuan Fu differ from regular translations.The large number of examples newly presented may promote the ontological study of Yuan Fu,which also bring some inspirations towards the objective description of Yan and his translations.