A Multidimensional Descriptive Study Of The Works Translated By Su Manshu

Translation, being one form of rewriting and manipulation, is simultaneously a decision-making process, norm-governed activity and Skopos-based action. Translating is not done in vacuum, or in other words, it is always embedded in specific linguistic, social and cultural contexts, hence the study of translation should not be isolated from the linguistic, social and cultural contexts in which it takes place.This paper, based on Polysystem Theory put forward by Itamar Even-Zohar and deconstructive viewpoint, and adopting a descriptive-explanatory method, is a multidimensional analysis of the works translated by Su Manshu ( 1884-1918) - a poet, writer, painter, translator, dictionary and Sanskrit grammar book compiler, anthologist, Buddhist monk and revolutionary in China. The analysis of the translated works - 10 poems and 2 novels - is made respectively from 4 interrelated systems, namely linguistic system, literary system, ideological system and cultural system.From linguistic system, it is concluded that phonological factors (rhythm and rhyme) and lexical factor (polysemy) have resulted in Su Manshu's substitute of traditional Chinese poetic forms for the original ones and his certain choices of poetic words including the inaccurate ones.From literary system, the paper summarizes 4 characteristics of the works translated by Su Manshu. Firstly the translated works are canonized ones by canonized writers. Secondly Su Manshu likes to use highly elegant or even archaic words. Thirdly most of the poems are rendered in the form of five-word or seven-word L(?)shi or Jueju no matter what kind of forms the original ones take. Fourthly he uses the form of Chapter Novel to translate the long novel LesMiserables by Victor Hugo. Then the writer attempts to provide explanations from the perspectives of Su Manshu's own poetics and the then dominant poetics, patronage and Reception Theory.From ideological system, the paper argues that the ideologies influencing Su Manshu's translation decision process mainly consist of the following 5 ones: dominant ideology of Qing Dynasty, Confucianism, Patriarchy, Su Manshu's revolutionary spirit, and Buddhism. Based on these ideas, the writer analyzes Su Manshu's reshuffling, addition and deletion, and creation in his translation of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, and also his choices of poets, theme and male perspective in his poetry translation.From cultural system, the chapter focused on how the development of newspaper exerted a great influence on Su Manshu's translation of Hugo's Les Miserables.Comprehensively speaking, Su Manshu's choice of works to be translated and his translating strategies such as alteration, deletion and addition are caused by the concurrent play of linguistic, literary, ideological and cultural factors.