A Study On Eileen Chang's Self-translation Based On Rewriting Theory

As a special translation activity,self-translation is an important branch of translation.The self-translator enjoys more autonomy and freedom than the traditional translator in the actual self-translation process because the self-translator is also the author of the source text.When self-translating,in order to keep the translation alive in the target language environment,the self-translator will do some rewriting to some extent.However,is the target text a product of self-translator's arbitrary action?Eileen Chang is a member of the most important and most talented female writers in the history of modern Chinese literature.Her unique creative achievements are well-known in the literary world.However,her achievements in translation field have long been neglected,especially in self-translation field.This thesis is a study of works with Eileen Chang's two self-translating works The Golden Cangue and The Rouge of the North as objects of study and Andre Lefevere's rewriting theory as a theoretical basis.The focuses of research are to explore influencing factors in the process of Eileen Chang's self-translating Jin Suoji and Yuannv,and further to discuss how the three factors of rewriting theory(ideology,poetics,patronage)effect her self-translation.Through the respective comparison of two Chinese versions and corresponding English versions and the comparative analysis between two English versions,the author concludes that self-translations of two works are very creative rewriting activities.Rewriting activity is not Eileen Chang's arbitrary behavior,but is accomplished under the influence of ideology,poetics of that time and patrons.At the same time,the self-translator's own ideology and poetics also promote rewriting to some extent.Therefore,it can be found that Eileen Chang flexibly uses various translation methods in the process of self-translation.Through this research,firstly,the author hopes that this study can complement the deficiencies in the field of self-translation research in China to a certain extent,and can bring domestic and foreign scholars' more attention to self-translation researches.Secondly,this thesis can provide materials for further exploring Eileen Chang's whole literary value,especially for her self-translation researches aspect.Moreover,based on rewriting theory,this thesis can explore how Eileen Chang's self-translation was influenced by external factors at her time and how she dealt with them.