A Study Of The Translation Of Classical Sayings In The Governance Of China ? From The Perspective Of Intertextual Recontextualization

The integration of intertextuality and recontextualization theories provides a new method and perspective for translation practice and studies.Using intertextual recontextualization to analyze the translating process can help examine whether the translator is sufficiently sensitive to the intertextual signs in the texts and whether he/she can transfer their intetextual meanings appropriately to achieve the maximum representation in the target text.Based on a review and integration of intertextuality and recontextualization theories,Fairclough and Shao Zhihong's categorizations of intertextuality and Xu Fangfu's three-stage model of intertextuual translation are adopted in this study to analyze the English translation of the classical sayings collected from The Governance of China II.Through analyzing the basic recontextualizing procedures,i.e.,identification,interpretation and reconstruction,this study investigates whether the intertextual signs in The Governance of China II are processed appropriately and whether their intertetual meanings are adequately represented in the target text.Observations indicate that the intertextuality of the translation of the classical sayings in The Governance of China II can be classified into three types,i.e.,quotation,allusion and proverbs.Hence,the translation of each type of intertextual signs,on the basis of statistics,will be examined at the three stages of identification,interpretation and reconstruction of the intertextual signs,so as to observe the intertextual translation process of the translator in a dynamic way and make appropriate evaluation on the translation effect.Through analysis,the intertextual meanings of most classical sayings in The Governance of China II are appropriately reconstructed with some still showing problems.Thus,there is much room for the translator to improve the translation of the classical sayings in the book.The choice of The Governance of China II,representative of political texts with high sensitivity,as the research subject will have some implications for the translation of political discourses containing a large number of traditional Chinese cultural images.Furthermore,a new terminology “intertextual recontextualization” as proposed here offers a new mode for translators and a new approach for researchers to assess the process and effect of translation.