Translated Literature & Original Literature In The Perspective Of Polysystem Theory

In recent years, the general trend of Arts study has turned to focus on the culture. With no exception, Translation Study is also processing in its way from simple linguistic research to the culture research. Such a change expands the vision of Translation Study from the text to the vast space outside the text. Many controversial issues in translation, which were hard to decide with single static linguistic method, could be solved with a consult of culture; some misunderstandings about translation could be swept in the vision of culture. It is safe to say that the cultural turning of translation study contributes a lot to enhance Translation Study and expand its study field on a large scale.There is a vast space to explore if we study the translation in the vision of culture. Due to the complexity and diversity of the culture itself, different culture theories appear. Israel scholar Even-Zohar's Polysystem Theory is one of them. This theory especially pays attention to the culture production. But the translation also receives much attention for its active behavior in the production and influence of different cultures. Therefore this theory deserves to be studied by the translation researchers in order to assist and push forward the translation study.It is very important in Polysystem Theory that one can only fully understand one thing by comparing it with those heterogeneous. For example, the study of official literature should take the non-official literature into consideration. The study of standard language should be put in the context of non-standard language... It is the same case to the study of translated literature. We should take both translated literature and the original literature into consideration that we can achieve fully understanding of both two.As a matter of fact, such researching method has already been applied to the study of literature for a long period. Although in early times, the translated literature can't find its position in literature system neither in source language nor inthe target language. But with more and more people are aware of the importance and function of translation, the research of literature history has already brought translated literature into the researching vision. Then for the study of translation itself, it is necessary to take original literature as a frame of reference, in order to obtain a better pursuit of knowledge in this field.Out of these considerations, this article shall make an introduction to Polysystem Theory first, and then apply its researching methods and part of the conclusions to the study of translation history in modern China. It will focus on the translated literature and original literature in modern China, describe their respective developments, and illustrate their interlocked relationship with each other and with the literary polysystem they are in. This article tries to find out the social function of translation and the factors that influence translation with original literature as a contrast, in the background of literary polysystem.