Reflection Of Translator’s Social Identity On Translation Of The Merchant Of Venice Under The Guidance Of Tajfel’s Social Identity Theory

Under the guidance of Taifel’s Social Identity Theory,this thesis attempts a sociological method to make a descriptive investigation on multiple social identities of three translators — Zhu Shenghao,Liang Shiqiu and Laura M.White by referring to historical materials,biographies,and reviews from other scholars.Through observation and comparison,this thesis analyzes three translators’ different ways dealing with the phrase,sentence patterns,rhetoric devices and meanings in the translation of The Merchant of Venice.This thesis also discusses the influence of different social identities on translator’ translation strategies and translation styles.By the research procedures stated above,this thesis reaches three conclusions.First,the translator’s social identity has already existed before he/she acts as a bilingual transformer in translating activities.Besides,due to the influence of historical periods,social environment,habitus,and cognitive mode,the translator’s social identity presents the characteristics of diversity.Second,the translator’s multiple social identities have a subtle and unconscious influence on his/her translation strategies,which are manifested in his/her understanding of the theme,selecting of the phrases,and adjusting of the syntax.Third,due to the unconscious influence of historical,social,cultural,cognitive factors before translation as well as the translator’s subjective initiative in translation,the target text is not only the reproduction of the translator’s translation strategies and his/her translation styles,but also the reflection of the translator’s multiple social identities on the target cultural context.