社会主流意识形态视角下潘庆舲《大街》的汉译研究

1. Introduction

1.1 Research Background
For centuries, translation theory was source-text-dominated. Translated works wereconsidered derivative and therefore inferior, “not only second-hand, but also second-rate, andhence not worth too much serious attention.” (Hermans 1985b:8) In the study of translation,attention was paid primarily to assessing fidelity to the source-language text, without takinginto account the context and the influence of the target culture (see Baker 1993:236). As aresult, the function and role of translation activities in shaping significant historical andcultural events did not receive adequate consideration.With recent development in translation studies, in particular rewriting theory, the conceptof translation has been widened; the elements capable of being analyzed have become muchmore numerous; and the target-text and context. Thus, translation has been situated in a muchbroader and more complex research context. Not only translation proper and translators, butalso ostensibly “source-language” writings, which may often be instances of “rewritings”(Lefevere 1985a) or “unmarked/vaguely marked translations” (Robinson 1998d: 184), nowcome within the scope of translation studies. In addition, notions of patronage, poetics andideology have also become relevant. Critical journals educational institutions and publishers,as well as professionals such as critics, reviewers, teachers and translators, are all taken intoconsideration (Lefevere 1992a:14; also 2.2). More and more significance has been attached tothe role of translators and/or rewriters and the socio-historical function of their translationalactivities; in other words, to the way in which translators and /or rewriters “manipulate” agiven society in order to “construct” the kind of “culture desired” (Gentzler 2001a: x-xi).Extending the scope of translation studies to cover rewriting not only makes possible amore appropriate cover age of the multiple forms of translation activity, but also provides anew perspective-the perspective of descriptive translation studies-from which to re-considerthe key role played by leading figures during major cultural transformation in history.
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1.2 Research Questions and Methodology
1. Why the Main Street was chosen for translation by Pan Qingling in 1970s?2. What kind of ideology and poetics influence Pan Qingling in this translation?3. Who are the patronages that may influence and guide Pan Qingling’s translationpotentially?This paper mainly uses descriptive/ explanatory method which primarily focuses on theobjective description and introduction of various translations. For example, in certain givenperiod of history, what kinds of translation are chosen to be translated? Why thesemasterpieces are chosen? Who chose these masterpieces to translate? What positions of thesetranslations are in? Why certain translation strategies and methods are adopted in a given timeand place? Why some words, phrases and sentences are translated in these ways rather thanthe others? Aiming at a certain masterpiece of a certain writer, we can consider how manytranslations it has, who are these translators, what are the differences among these differenttranslation versions, what’s the circumstance of accepting a certain translation version, and soforth.
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2. Literature Review

2.1 Previous Research on Rewriting Theory in China and Abroad
It will introduce the previous research on rewriting theory at home and abroad in thissection which consists of two parts, the first of which is previous research on rewriting theoryin China and the second of which is previous research on rewriting theory abroad.Since the appearance of relevant introduction about rewriting theory in China at the endof 20th century, it has caught more and more attention from the scholars who has writtenmany books to introduce this translation theory.In April, 2000, Translation Theories in Contemporary United States, published by HubeiEducation Press, written by Guo Jianzhong and edited by Xu Jun, gives a detailedintroduction to Andre Levefere and his rewriting theory and translation studies school.In March, 2001, Translation Theories in Contemporary Britain, published by Hu BeiEducation Press, written by Liao Qiyi and edited by Xu Jun, also mentions the relevantcontents. In chapter 7, it introduces the translation perspective of Theo Hermans, “ Hermans isthe commander of translation studies school. He regards translation, especially literarytranslation, as a branch system of the social poly-system, and suggests that translation shouldbe investigated and analyzed in the social and cultural backgrounds.…From the point of viewof the target literature，，all translation implies a degree of manipulation of the source text for acertain purpose.” In chapter 8, the writer briefly introduces Susan Bassnett and her translationtheories.
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2.2 Previous Research on Sinclair Lewis and Main Street
It will introduce the previous research on Sinclair Lewis and Main Street at home andabroad in this section which consists of two parts, the first of which is previous research onSinclair Lewis and Main Street in China and the second of which is previous research onSinclair Lewis and Main Street abroad.In China, although the introduction and translation about Sinclair Lewis and his worksstart from 1920s, the truly researches has begun after the period of reform and opening-up.For more than thirty years, Chinese scholars have made comparatively great achievements inthe field of researching Sinclair Lewis, the remarks and works about whom are increasinggradually no matter in quantity or quality.In 10th August, 1929, Zhao Jingshen published a paper named American Novels forTwenty Years in Fiction Monthly Magazine, in which he distributed American novelists intofour types which are romantic novelists, mysteriousnovelists, psychological novelists andsocial novelists. Being regarded as a social novelist, Sinclair Lewis was introduced into Chinafor the first time. After a year, Zheng Zhenduo introduced a series of American writers, whowere considered to be important famous American writers, in chapter 46--Literature in theNew Century of Literature Outline Magazine, and Sinclair Lewis was one of them. From1930s to 1940s, realistic writing in literature was very popular in the whole Chinese literarycircles, because of which Sinclair Lewis’s works has been introduced and translated intoChina for many times. In 1930s, there were even three translation versions of Main Streetwhich reached the peak for the first time. These three translation versions of Main Street areseparately the complete translation version translated by Bai Hua and published by Tian JinDa Gong Newspaper Office in 1932, the partly translated edition translated by Wu Guangjianand published by The Commercial Press in 1934 and the complete translation editiontranslated by Li Jingxiang and published by Shang Hai Qing Ming Bookstore in 1939.
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3. Theoretical Basis.....17
3.1 Holme’s Views on Translation......19
3.2 Itamar Even Zohar’s Poly-system Theory........19
3.3 Hermans’ Concepts of Manipulation......... 20
3.4 Lefevere’s Rewriting Theory........20
3.5 The Significance of Rewriting Theory.......22
4. Manifestation of Rewriting in the Translation of Main Street..........25
4.1 Ideology in Main Street..........25
4.2 Poetics in Main Street......30
4.2.1 Translation Strategy.....30
4.2.2 Influence of Language Habits..........31
4.2.3 Translation Style....32
4.2.4 Translation Musicality........ 33
4.2.5 Interjection and Modal Particles......38
4.3 Patronage in Main Street........41
4.3.1 Influence of Patronage Before 1950s..... 42
4.3.2 Influence of Patronage After 1960s........42
5. Conclusion........ 45

4. Manifestation of Rewriting in the Translation of Main Street

In this chapter, under the guide of rewriting theory, it will analyze the manipulation ofdominant ideologies in Pan Qinling’s translation of Main Street from three manipulationfactors which are ideology, poetics and patronage.

4.1 Ideology in Main Street
The Main Street is a satire fiction about American upper and middle classes. It reveals thedarkness, indifferences, cruelness and conservation of capitalism. Established in 1949, Chinais a socialist country. As a country led by Communist party and has faith in Marxism, Chinaalways respect the classes of working people who are the working class and the peasant class.She suggests that the working class is the master of the world and will lead the whole world tothe bright and developing future. “The people’s Republic of China is a socialist country ofpeople’s democratic dictatorship which is led by the working class and based on the allianceof workers and peasants. All powers in the people's Republic of China belongs to thepeople.”(中华人民共和国宪法, 2004) Main Street is a fiction which criticizes and satirizesthe upper and middle classes in United States--a capitalist country. It primarily describes thelife in a middle-western town--Gopher Praire with his own hometown as the model sample. Itsatirizes and criticizes the selfish, indifferent, hypocritical, boring, stiff, ignorant, conservativeand arrogant people in the town. At the same time, represented by the heroine--Carol, thewriter expresses admiration and sympathy to the working people and the peasants in thisnovel. He even publicly supports the working class and the socialist in this novel. The heroineonce said “I wonder if these farmers aren’t bigger than we are? So simple and hard-working.The town lives on them. We townies are parasites, and yet we feel superior to them.” (MainStreet: 87) She even suggests that “the farmers ought to run the state and the wholeshooting-match”. (Main Street: 88)
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Conclusion

For a long time, traditional translation studies have been concentrated on such problemsas equivalence or not to the source text in the target language, or seeking expressions asfaithful, expressive and elegant as the source texts in the translated text, which proved to betough job in almost all the translations. As these theories only approach translation studies atthe level of language, mostly discussing linguistic problems in translation, and fail to accountfor much complex problems above the language level, such as those at the level of culture,because translation is not only transition between two languages but also that between twocultures.In view of this, Lefevere's triad theory of ideology, poetics and patronage provides a newparadigm, a new perspective in translation. Lefevere believes that translation is the mostobvious and influential type of rewriting, and like all types of rewriting, it is controlled by thethree manipulating factors: ideology, poetics and patronage. Therefore, translation is alwaysdone out of an ideological or poetical motivation, or both, during certain periods. Patronages,who may be critics, reviewers, teachers and translators in the literary system. They refer to thepowers, individuals or institutions, which can forward or hinder the writing, rewriting orreading of literary works. No matter ideology, poetics and patronage, they are all affected bydominant ideologies of certain periods. With the theoretical frame of rewriting theory, thisthesis has studied and affirmed the influence of dominant ideologies in Pan Qingling’stranslation version of Main Street.
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The reference (omitted)