A Study Of The Appellation Translation In Taipei People From The Perspective Of The Patronage Theory

Taipei People is a cultural masterpiece recording the tragic destiny of displaced people during a special historical time.Appellations are cleverly designed to present the characteristics of these figures and enhance the plot development.Hence,the appellations can be quite meaningful and the deep meaning is worth exploring.The translation of Taipei People was completed together by the original author Pai Hsien-yung,the co-translator Patia Yasin and the editor George Kao.Appellation translation was regarded as a key part of the whole process.The correspondence among the three showed that appellation translation has combined the inspiration and intelligence of the whole team.The writer of the thesis has looked though relevant interviews and letters among the three.Research has shown that the editor George Kao played a crucial part in determining the final form of the appellation translation.Most inspirations for such translation came from him.Thus,the theory of patronage is suitable for analyzing appellation translation in Taipei People.Poetics is an integral part of the theory.In the normal case,cultures at a low status will prefer to adopt domestication in the translation of domestic literary works.However,the appellation translation of Taipei People has highlighted the diversification of choices.There are mainly 4 translation methods in the book:transliteration,transliteration plus notes,free translation and rewriting.The appellation of the same figure can be translated in various ways.In The Eternal Snow Beauty,the protagonist尹雪艳is called Yin Hsueh-yen or Snow Beauty.In Love ’s Lone Flowers,the leading figure is named Juan Juan or Dainty.The reasons may include internal and external driving factors and are worth exploring.The thesis has,based on Andre Lefevere’s theory of patronage,comprehensively described the various appellation translation methods in the book of Taipei People,analyzing the reasons for diverse translation methods via a number of appellation translation examples with the help of paratexts,narrations,interviews and correspondence.The conclusion is that appellation translation in literary works requires more flexibility.