The Reconstruction Of A Translation Network

Translation is a significant activity carried out in society with a relatively stable operating mechanism,involving human actors such as the writer,translator,publisher,patron as well as non-human actants such as the source text,translation principle,editorial policy,references,and technology.This is in line with the core idea proposed by the actor-network theory(ANT),a sociological approach which regards human activities as heterogeneous networks.Given this,the thesis draws on the concepts and research methods of ANT,exploring the production and presentation of Shi Xiaojing's English translation of Luotuo Xiangzi,Lao She's masterpiece.It proposes the following research questions:(1)What actors are involved in the translation network of Camel Xiangzi?(2)How was Luotuo Xiangzi selected,translated,published,and circulated within the network?(3)How did the mechanism for operating the network affect the linguistic features of the translation?Through a translator interview,information collection and textual analysis,this study explores Shi Xiaojing's Camel Xiangzi under specific social and historical context,highlighting factors both within and beyond the text,aiming to investigate the construction,operation and final product of the translation network in a comprehensive way,and thus to enrich the application of ANT in translation studies.The translation network of Camel Xiangzi was organized by China's national institute for publicity in the 1980 s.On one hand,the translation published in 1981 was based on an expurgated and re-edited version of Luotuo Xiangzi,embodying strict political censorship of the original text.On the other hand,compared with many other translations published by Foreign Languages Press,Camel Xiangzi shows certain flexibility since Shi Xiaojing was recruited as the translator,who also enjoyed much freedom within this institutionalized translation network and managed to keep her translation simple,concise and straightforward with the strategy of free translation.However,these features are not only the embodiment of translator behavior and principle but also the results of the interaction among different actors in the network,such as the writer,the source text,the publishing house,and previous translations.This indicates that even for a translation project organized by the national institute for publicity,the translator was able to enjoy much freedom in translation and display her aspiration for literary value.