A Cultural Perspective Into Translator's Subjectivity

Traditionally, translation is only regarded as a cross-language activity, and therefore the translator's task is considered to translate a text from one language into another. Traditional translation theories hold that a good translator should be completely passive and neutral, like a faithful servant, serving the original author with whole commitment. This prescriptive, ideal concept of the translator has put translators in dilemma. In the recent years, more and more scholars have come to the agreement that translation is the communication not only between languages but also between cultures, and that translation is in fact a cross-cultural activity.In the 1970s, translation studies began to take the"cultural turn", which led to the shift of the focus of translation studies from the text to the socio-cultural factors influencing translation. The subject status of translators is also paid more attention. Inspired by the"Cultural Turn"in translation studies, this thesis attempts to shift the vision from the ideal translator to the translator in a real socio-cultural context, and study the role of the translator from a cultural perspective, arguing that the translator is a culturally restricted manipulator and a constructor of culture as well.The influence of culture is profound; it touches almost every aspect of our life. Culture provides the lens through which we see the world and obtain our perception of reality. Culture shapes the personalities of its members; it has a lot of control over their behavior. The translator, as a member of the target society, internalizes culture in the process of socialization, and is subject to institutions and social controls. Throughout the translation process, from the selection of what to translate, to the interpretation of the source text, and to the decision on what translation strategies to take, the translator is under the influence and constraints of the target cultural norms. The translator is confined by a series of cultural factors, such as specific ideology, political interference, cultural power, ethics and values so much so that the translator is a restricted subject. Yet, translator is also an active subject, on the other hand, he is manipulating, which especially manifests in his translation purpose, cultural orientation, cultural creativity and creative treason, and construction of culture, etc. In this way, the translator's subjectivity in translation activities is further affirmed.This thesis is composed of five parts. The second part to the fifth part is the body of this thesis.Chapter 1 is literature review. The author starts with the cultural turn in translation studies, and then talks about the present studies of translator's subjectivity at home and abroad. Next, the main supporting theories of this thesis are expounded, i.e. skopos theory and manipulation theory.Chapter 2 analyzes the translator's subjectivity, analyzing its definition, connotation and characteristics, and the manifestations in translation process. Lastly, the author indicates that the translator is a person in culture.Chapter 3 explores the conditioning factors underlying the translator's translation action, and recognizes the influence and restriction of four cultural factors in translating.Chapter 4 probes into the translator's manipulation of culture, through investigating his translation purpose, cultural attitudes, cultural creativity and creative treason and construction of culture.Chapter 5 gives the author's enlightenment in the course of writing of this thesis, including his/her reflections on the cultivating the translator's quality and translation criteria and criticism.