On The Importance Of Cutural Factors To Drama Translation-Through A Comparative Analysis Of Two English Versions Of Teahouse

Drama translation is an important branch of literary translation. For a long time, much attention from in and outside China has been directed to the other branches of literary translation, such as translation of fiction and poetry, while comparatively less research has been done on drama translation. Furthermore, as for drama translation, people focus more on the characteristics of dramatic language or linguistic theories through analysis of the dramatic language. In most cases, literary appreciation and research are the topics people discuss, while study on drama translation from the perspective of cross-culture factors and in relation to stage performance seems to be an area where little attention is paid.Culture is an important concept in drama translation. Wang Zuoliang has pointed out: Translation does not only touch upon language but also involve culture (Guo Jianzhong, 1999:1). Hence, a translator is supposed to have a good understanding of both the foreign and his own culture. Whether the culture of the source language has been sufficiently expressed has direct influence on the cultural message that a dramatic work inevitably carries, and as a result, the performance will be affected.Teahouse marks the peak of Lao She's literary creation in his late years. Through description of characters in and out of the teahouse and through tracing its decline, this play reflects the social changes within the vital period of transition in the 50 years: from the end of the Qing Dynasty to the founding of new China. From the perspective of culture, this play does not just relate to what is on the stage, the local color of the time and locale is of great importance in making up the culture. Since its debut, Teahouse has won applause from audiences from in and out of China. What is worth mentioning is that in 1980, when this play was performed abroad, it made such a great hit and gained the reputation of being a"miracle on the oriental stage". Undoubtedly, translation has played a vital role without which such success could not be expected. The translation, in making the foreign audience understand China's culture, has provided them with a glimpse of the height China's drama has achieved. This thesis will start from cultural factors, combining the effect of stage...