Article published In:
Journal of Language and PoliticsVol. 5:3 (2006) ► pp.415–426
Cultural status and language selection in translation
This paper is an attempt to testify with Chinese historical data that the cultural status of a language (or dialect) directly affects the translation flow, legal power of parallel texts, orientations of translators, selection of a TL temporal dialect, etc. It has been discovered that when the actual power of a language and its acknowledgement by translators contradict, the cultural positioning of translators seems more decisive. A distinction must be made between translators as a cultural collectivity and as individuals. Ideology may also interfere with language selection in translation.
TL choice is often influenced by the power of a temporal dialect and its users. Varying with the context, translation for the elites may involve selection of the classical dialect or highly literal and modernizing forms. A language becomes dominant when it is considered the vehicle for advanced technology and thought. Its interaction to translation is hence dynamic.
Keywords: power, language selection, translation, Chinese
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