On Translator's Subjectivity In The Translation Of Political Speeches

Traditional translation theories focus on the study of the comparison and contrast between the source text and the target text or the mere information transmission in order to achieve complete equivalence between the ST and TT while neglecting the role of the translator with subjective initiative. With the advent and burgeoning of the "cultural turn" in translation theories in 1980s in the West, translation studies have entered a new stage of development. Correspondingly, the focus of translation studies has been shifted from the original text-oriented or author-oriented to the dynamic translating process. Translation studies have transcended the stage from the traditional textual transformation to the study under the macro-context of social, historical and cultural background. The translator, as the most dynamic element in the translating process, has drawn more and more attention of translation theorists.On the other hand, currently, there are few studies on the translation of political speeches in China, not to mention the studies from the perspective of the translator's subjectivity. Most of the translation theorists give first priority to absolute faithfulness in the translation of political speeches. However, even though in the field of political speeches, the important role of the translator as one of the translation subjects cannot be neglected.A tentative study on the subjectivity of the translator and the analysis of the cases in the translation of political speeches shows that the invisibility of the translator is impossible. In order to fulfill the specific translation purpose, the translator should display his subjective creativity in the aspects such as the choice of ways of expression, choices of translation strategies in lexical and syntactic level, and the application of creative treason. Meanwhile, the translator has to take his relationship with the original author, the receptors of the TT and the sponsor. In addition, the display of his subjective creativity is influenced and restricted by various factors including language competence, social environment, ideology and cultural background knowledge. The freedom of the translator is demonstrated within a certain scope. Thus, the translator's subjectivity consists of the translator's subjective initiative and passivity, both of which are the inseparable components of the subjectivity.In four chapters, the thesis analyzes the translator's subjectivity and the translator's subjectivity in the translation of political speeches. Chapter 1 gives the theoretical background for the translator's subjectivity. Chapter 2 discusses the definition and manifestation of the translator's subjectivity. The restrictions and influential factors of the subjectivity are analyzed in Chapter 3. And Chapter 4 provides case studies——several famous translation cases of political speeches which have fully embodied the translator's subjectivity.