Regulation And Influence: An Analysis Of Interaction Between Fictional Translation And Creation In Early Modern China

Translations Studies featured by "culture turn", is also named Manipulation School. It adopts a historical and descriptive method with a macro perspective, which consequently has freed translation research from endless discussions of finding equivalents for words and sentences in linguistic boundaries. Translation is understood as cultural interaction with various social-cultural norms taken into consideration. The thesis, based on the basic methods and theories of Translation Studies, makes an analysis of the interaction between fictional translation and fictional creation in early modern China (1898-1919). The period of turbulent times collaborated with the preliminary stage of literary translation blurred the boundary between translation and creation. On the one hand, the creative tradition exerted regulative force on fictional translation in aspects such as theme, expressive device, narrative pattern, and language. On the other hand, as fictional translation saw unprecedented prevalence, some recurring foreign traits of literature were retained and absorbed, which soon influenced some creative norms and helped to shape new ones. Regulation and influence characterized the relationship between fictional translation and fictional creation. Based on the analysis, the thesis maps a possible model for introduction and acceptance of literary works by a foreign culture, which offers a rather complete and clear picture of the complex factors that contribute to the final product----translation. The conclusion of this thesis is threefold: a) Translated works are products of decision-making by translators who negotiate between foreign influences and norms in the target system; b) The significance of creative theory should be emphasize in translation research; c) The criterion for a translator from that of a translation critic need to be dealt with separately.