The Comparison Of Three Chinese Versions Of Gulliver’s Travels From The Perspective Of Skopos Theory

The retranslation of the literary works is a common phenomenon of both translation and culture, especially those classic literary works which have been emerging in translation constantly. In discussing retranslation, the retranslated versions are usually expected to be compared with the original text as well as its early translated versions in order to discover advantages and disadvantages in language expressions among the versions, to analyze individual translation method and strategy of the different versions and to find out which version is more faithful to the original text and which version all the more reflects the style of the original text.Domestication translation or foreignization translation, faithful translation or free translation raises a controversial problem among literature translators. Skopos Theory can be used to help translators get out of the dilemma, because it shifts the focus on the translation from original text and its author to the translator, the target reader and the initiator of the translation. The production of Skopos Theory makes it possible for translators not to be confined to the static analysis between the translated version and original version, making constant argumentation between the free translation and faithful translation founded on equivalence theory, but corresponding translation strategy or method based on the purpose and function of translation. That is to say, there are different translation methods adopted according to different translation purposes. Integration of several translation strategies is probably adopted so as to achieve the translation purpose, and it follows that the dilemma between faithful and free translation can be avoided.The research subject chosen in this thesis, Gulliver’s Travels, is such a classic, and it is a satirical novel written by Jonathan Swift, a well-known British master in literature. The novel has been translated in various versions so far. The paper is only involved in its three versions from different times and publishing houses. With the Skopos Theory functioning in literary translation as theoretical foundation, the author analyzes different versions decided by different literature translation purposes, which are in turn affected by such three dynamic factors as the translator, reader, and publisher. Owing to different translation purposes, different translation strategies and methods must be adopted in a certain version. It follows that the three versions embody different language characteristics at the language level.Initiators in literature translation are more often than not publishing houses or publishers. Different publishers, inspired and impelled by social responsibility and economic interest, usually form their own translation purposes directed at various readership; translators can also constitute their unique viewpoints toward translation because of their different educational background, political and cultural ideology and long-term translation practice, having certain influence on their translation purposes. Meanwhile, the translation purpose is affected by readers’reading habit, horizon of expectation, different language characteristics and aesthetic standards differentiated by, for example, adult readers and children readers respectively. All in all, the organic integration of the above-mentioned three factors ultimately determines different translation purposes and strategies.