A Study Of The Translation Of Lin Shu:from The Perspective Of Traditional Chinese Writing-Studies

As the oldest theoretical system on written texts, writing-studies possesses central topics in traditional Chinese translation discussions prior to the "May Fourth Movement". This academic lineage of traditional translation study reached its peak in the later Qing Dynasty(清朝)when its theoretical essentials were concluded into "wen zhang zheng gut"(文章正轨)by Yan Fu who synthesized a systematic Writing-intentioned Translation (Abbr., WIT) Theory. At the same time, WIT theory witnessed its most successful and systematic practice in the decent renderings of Western writings co-translated by the monolingual translator Lin Shu (1852-1924) and his multilingual partners, including fictions, academic works, and numerous news writings, thus presenting a worthy research subject. This dissertation argues that the transalation of Lin Shu (hereinafter Lin ’s Translation) owns its success to the translators’ exquisite accomplishments in writing-intentioned translation. It claims Lin s Translation emphasises Insights, Approaches, and Wording during its text-processing, and in nature is a successful integration of "Translation Proper""Rewording" and "Transmutation" into theories and methods of traditional writing-studies, which benefits its translations with a unique flavour.The purpose and significance of this research lies in attempting to explore the nature of Lin’s integrated translation from the perspective of traditional Chinese writing-studies, to restore the academic position of WIT Theory in global translation studies, and to deepen the research on traditional Chinese translation theories, modern translation history and translation criticism. The important theories employed include theories of traditional writing-studies (mainly Lin Shu’s theory), theories of Literati Painting, Chinese classical translation theories, translation typology, translation memes, and translation ethics. The dissertation is creative in its theoretical perspective, namely theories of traditional writing-studies, and it uses these to closely analyse the text-processing of Lin’s TRANSLATION. This dissertation consists of seven chapters. Chapter Ⅰ A reacquaintance with Lin’s Translation opens with an introduction to three aspects of Lin’s Translation, its nature in both translation typology and WIT Theory, its ideological background in the WIT studies of the later Qing dynasty, and finally, its specific WIT system. The main content includes a new interpretation of Lin’s integrated translation in translation typology and a theoretical exploration of WIT, which is followed by a detailed account of the features of the theories and translations of its two representatives during the later Qing period:Yan Fu and Lin Shu. After a systematic analysis of the connotation and function of the three key components in Lin’s integrated translation, namely Insights. Approaches and Wording, efforts are made to investigate its unique system and memes inherited from Yan Fu’s WIT theory. Not only do these efforts provide a new theoretical framework for deepening the research on traditional Chinese translation theories, they also offer a set of effective terms for communicating with global translation studies.Chapter II A WIT-based review of the literature on Lin’s Translation assesses the strengths and weaknesses of related researches in China and abroad, with special reference to the evolution of Chinese modern translation theories and its comprehensive influence on modern translation criticism, including that of Lin’s Translation. After unveiling the Western-sourced development of Chinese translationology since the "May Fourth Movement", the main content demonstrates the theoretical significance and necessity of this paper’s main objective, discusses methods to be used as well as their intent, and asserts that a reappraisal of Lin’s Translation can be a meritorious chance for reestablishing the academic position of WIT Theory in contemporary translationology discourse.Chapter III The Insights of Lin’s Translation looks into the two aspects of Insights in Lin Shu’s integrated translation,"shou zheng"(守正)a Confucianism-oriented translation ethic, and "li yan"(立言), an opinion-intentioned translation strategy, the two of which serve as the foundation of Lin’s WIT Theory. The nature of these strategies is illustrated by abundant close readings of Lin’s translations. Special attention is paid to Lin’s passion for translating following a detailed discussion of the Confucianism-oriented translation ethic of Lin Shu and his most successful co-translator, Wei I, based on which attempts are made to explore the opinion-intentioned translation strategies Lin employed while conducting the noble task of enlightening the mass of his countrymen in rendering Western fictions. By emphasizing translators’passion and learning, the ideas of Insights should accord with the more analytical bent of Western translation theory.Chapter IV The Approaches of Lin’s Translation focuses on Lin’s integration of "Intralingual Translation", or Translation Proper."Interlingual Translation", or Rewording and "Intersemiotic Translation", or Transmutation. Lin’s WIT approaches to textual processing are first presented by means of close reading carried out under the theoretical framework of traditional writing-studies, with which textural features in the independent translations of Wei I are compared in the hope of elaborating co-translators’contributions at a text level where "Intralingual Translation" and "Interlingual Translation" are integrated into Lin’s WIT system. A further effort is made to elucidate the functionality of "’Intersemiotic Translation" in Lin’s WIT system with examples from Lin’s rendering of Dickens’ illustrated fictions, and some others Victorian writings. The functionality of "Interlingual Translation" and "Intersemiotic Translation" in Lin’s WIT system should help to liberate global translation typology studies, and is worthy in itself of another specific study.Chapter V The Wording of Lin’s Translation dissects three major shi fa(师法：stylistic resources in writing), in the formation of a writing style. Rich examples of wording techniques stemming from gu wen (古文),among them classical prose and historical and biographical writings, are employed to determine Lin’s acceptance of the stylistic rule of WIT Theory:shi gu(师古),that is. to build translation styles according to gu wen writing conventions. The stylistic comparisons among Lin’s translations, source texts and his gu wen writings claim that the styles in Lin’s translations are both effective and appropriate. A study of Wei I’s contribution to the Western styles in Lin’s translations indicates that Lin’s integrated translation is all-encompassing in terms of style-building. Lin’s WIT style methods would help in founding a specialized style theory for translation studies, which would be beneficial to professional translators.Chapter VI The Way to a Writing-intentioned translation endeavours to conclude the essence of Lin’s integrated translation. Being the major contributor to Lin’s Translation. Lin Shu’s own ideas in writing-studies can be a valuable source for the future development of WIT Theory and even that of Western translation theories, especially his arguments on li jie(理解),he philosophical interpretation of writings, wen qi (文气),text principles for writing, and shen wei(神味)the stylistic taste based on shi-fa, all three of which would be appropriate for future study. Although much of the theoretical aspects of Lin’s integrated translation will be discussed, it is also necessary to mention those parts of the dissertation that could be built upon:more examples of "Intersemiotic Translation" in Lin’s translations are waiting to be discovered, there are more trends and traditions of WIT Theory than will be discussed here, and WIT Theory is only addressed insofar as it relates to Lin’s Translation.