Translation Studies Philosophy Hermeneutics And Its Conclusions

As a hermeneutical approach to translation studies, this thesis employs some basic concepts in Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics such as horizon amalgamation and effective history explain some vital questions in translation studies, such as the relationship between the original work and the translator, the clarification of the identities of literary translation and translated literature and so on. The conclusion thus I made in this thesis is different from what we have acquired from traditional studies: translated works in literary translation are not merely the repeat of the original works. From views of Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics, they are the outcome of collaboration between translator and the original works. Far beyond being a merely repeat, the translated works should be regard as inventions in the literary tradition of nation which translators try to introduce the original works in. Considering the their targets and orientation, these invented texts can be put in the range of the target nations' literary tradition, i.e. the nation which translators try to introduce the original works in. Thereby we come to the most important conclusion of this thesis: the translated works as outcome of literary translation should no longer be considered as byproducts of original works. As an independent literary phenomenon, it should have the same position as other original works in the literary tradition of target nations. This point of view is also meaningful to the studies of the literary tradition of target nations as a whole. The thesis includes five chapters. Chapter one briefly clarifies the aim, methodologies and structure of the thesis. Chapter two is retrospection to the history of hermeneutics, includes 3 parts. Part 1 is a survey of traditional hermeneutics; part 2 expatiates on the development of Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics; part 3 clarifies the basic concepts of Gadamer's theory which includes horizon amalgamation and effective history. Chapter three is the hermeneutical answer to some vital questions of translation studies, includes 3 parts. Part 1 puts up an new angle to understanding literary translation from the sense of hermeneutical understanding and interpretation; part 2 analyses the relationship between translators and the original works from the view of horizon amalgamation; part 3 puts forward that literary translation should be considered as a kind of collaboration in the sense of effective history. Chapter four is the penetration of chapter three, brings forward that translated literature should be regarded as an independent literary phenomenon in the literary tradition of target nations. The last chapter is the conclusion of the whole thesis. This chapter not only reviews the important points put forward, but also indicate that this thesis is an effort to make new approach to translation studies which is different from traditional one.