The Dissemination And Development Of Polysystem Theory In China

The 20th century saw an unprecedented boom in translation theory in the west, which has contributed much depth to the research into translation phenomena from various perspectives. Building on the foundations of Russian Formalism, Israeli scholar Itamar Even-Zohar developed polysystem theory in the 1970s. This work has been further consolidated and expanded by Gideon Toury and other scholars. Polysystem theory makes a remarkable contribution to the"cultural turn"and thus provides a new methodology to translation studies. Various reasons delayed its introduction to China and the research into this influential theory was not conducted until the 1990s.After the middle 1990s, the introduction and research of linguistic translation theories in China was at a low ebb. In order to solve the dilemma, Chinese translation circles referred to the latest development of foreign translation theories. In the west, polysystem theory had made a great impact on the following aspects: the promotion of translated literature, the establishment of Translation Studies as an independent discipline, the development of descriptive translation studies, the study of translation norms, and the shift of translation studies model from source-orientedness to target orientedness. Consequently, polysystem theory aroused great interest among Chinese scholars.This thesis attempts to give a detailed account of the disseminating process and development of polysystem theory in China. And the disseminating pattern to the theory is summarized. It focuses on how Chinese Translation Studies has been promoted within the framework of the theory, how the theory has been further developed by means of its critical reflection, revision and supplement. The thesis attaches its importance to exploring its effect, critical value and theoretical influence on Chinese translation studies during the process of its dissemination in China. It also discusses its enlightenments on China's translation studies.Based on a detailed analysis of its dissemination and development in China, it indicates that there is a discernible pattern to the movement itself characterized as four stages: a point of origin---polysystem theory came to birth; the distance traversed through its introduction to China; a set of conditions of acceptance or resistance during the process of acceptance; the theory transformed by its new uses, and its new position in Chinese cultural context. The theory has experienced the processes of accommodation and research, criticism and localization, excavation and utilization. During those processes, it makes a remarkable contribution to Chinese translation studies from the aspects of construction of Chinese Translation Studies, translated literature studies, translation literary criticism, translation history studies and the research into marginal translation phenomena. Moreover, based on the transmutation of the theory due to the differences of historical period and national culture in its migration to China, domestic researchers make best of their critical consciousness to revise and supplement it by combining Chinese history, politics, economy, and social culture. And its localization in China has been greatly promoted by its local characteristics thanks to its integrating with Chinese circumstances, maintaining its development in Chinese cultural context, creating and supporting the vitality and openness it now enjoys.Additionally, an endeavor is made to discuss philosophically the nature and limitation about the theory. It indicates that it is a kind of methodology which attaches paramount importance to scientificity. It has the tendency of the instrumental rationality, ignoring the translation subject as an individual with a subjective being and possessing the power of creativity. Thus, it means that there is a lack of discussion on ontological issues in the theory. The philosophical recognition of the being, the position and the function of human agent in intracultural and intercultural translation are not explored.