Comparative Study Between Two Translations Of David Copperfield Under Polysystem Theory

Through study, the writer of this thesis found that there were many similarities between the historical and cultural background of the two translation climaxes. One was in the early 20th century, the other one was in the eighties of the same century. First, they both underwent literary vacuum before the coming of translation prosperity. Second, both of them were in the transitional period of social development, which required the introduction of western achievements into our country. Therefore, translation reached its high tide in both periods. But the differences borne by their translated texts were so obvious that this also aroused the writers' curiosity.In the traditional concept, the system is conceived of as a static ("synchronic") net of relations. The factor of time-succession ("diachrony") has thus been eliminated form the "system" and ruled to lie beyond the scope of linguistic study. With the incorporation of the historical horizon, Polysystem theorists change the perspective which has governed traditional translation theory and begin to address a whole new series of questions. Not only are translations and interliterary connections between cultures more adequately described, but intraliterary relations within the structure of a given cultural system and actual literary and linguistic evolution are also made visible by means of the study of translated texts. This also enables them to historicize actual translated texts and see the temporal nature of certain aesthetic presuppositions which influence the process of translation. They also presume that the social norms and literary conventions in the receiving culture ("target" system) govern the stances of the translator and thus influence ensuing translation decisions.This thesis aims to study two translational versions of the same book in the two period mentioned above. The emphasis is placed on the study of the historical background and cultural system under the help of the Polysystem theory. Through this comparative study, it can be concluded that translation is not something purely literary. It can not avoid the historical and cultural influence of a specific period. As one who is governed by the cultural context, the translational stances of the translator are unavoidably influenced by the same factors. Thus the varieties of their translations inevitably happen.