Vol. 58:4 (2012) ► pp.457–470
First Translation and Retranslation in the Historical, Social and Cultural Context: A case study of two Chinese versions of Tess of the D'Urbervilles
The case study examined in depth is a comparison analysis of the classical English novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy, which has been translated into Chinese seven times, with seven versions preserving the novel form of the original. The present study will elaborate on the differences between two Chinese versions of Tess of the D’Urbervilles, one is Zhang Guruo’s version translated in 1934, and the other is Sun Zhili’s version translated in 1999, with regard to language style, literature, concept, acceptance of context, as well as the different translation strategies translators adopted in different historical, social and cultural contexts. The study also examines the special role played in the process by the two translations. The present paper thus contributes both to translation studies and to literary theory. The comparison is carried out by answering the following questions: – What are the social cultural impacts on the first translation and the retranslation? – What kind of selection tendencies do the two translators have? – What are the specific translation strategies adopted by the translators in the field of social customs, history and religion, literature and art, Bible and other allusions, literature and historical figures? Why?
Résumé
L’etude de cas examinee en detail est une analyse comparative du roman anglais classique Tess of the D’Ubervilles de Thomas Hardy, qui a ete traduit sept fois en chinois, avec sept versions preservant la forme originale du roman. Cette etude exposera dans le detail les differences entre deux versions chinoises de Tess of the D’ Ubervilles, l’une etant la version de Zhang Guro traduite en 1934 et l’autre celle de Sun Zhili traduite en 1999, en ce qui concerne le style de la langue, la litterature, le concept, l’acceptation du contexte, ainsi que les differentes strategies de traduction que les traducteurs ont adoptees dans differents contextes historiques, sociaux et culturels. L’etude examine egalement le role special joue dans le processus par les deux traductions. Par consequent, cet article contribue tant a la traductologie qu’ a la theorie litteraire. La comparaison est effectuee en repondant aux questions suivantes : – Quels sont les impacts socio-culturels sur la premiere traduction et la retraduction ? – Quel type de tendances de selection les deux traducteurs ont-ils ? – Quelles sont les strategies de traduction specifiques, adoptees par les traducteurs dans le domaine des coutumes sociales, de l’histoire et de la religion, de la litterature et de l’art, de la bible et d’autres allusions, des personnages litteraires et historiques ? Pourquoi ?
https://doi.org/10.1075/babel.58.4.06xia
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