On Translator’s Initiativity In The Mandarin Bible Union Version

In recent years, with the development of translation studies, more and more scholars have concerned with translator’s subjectivity, therefore, plenty of articles on translator’s subjectivity are published. However, translator’s initiativity, as one of the important aspects of translator’s subjectivity, has been studied by very few people. Translator’s initiativity in this thesis means that the translator chooses the best way to translate. It influences the translation process, the translation quality and readers’ acceptance. Hence, research on translator’s initiativity has important theoretical and practical significance.Hermeneutics is a philosophical and cultural trend, widely popular in Western countries since1960s. It is a theory of exploring the meaning of understanding and interpretation. Heidegger and Gadamer put hermeneutics to its prosperity. Hermeneutics initially aims at the understanding and interpretation of works of literature and art, especially the Bible. However, due to the fact that analysis and interpretation of works of art share many similarities with the translator’s interpretation and communication of the text on many levels, hermeneutics is useful for translation study.The Mandarin Bible Union Version is the most commonly used Chinese Bible version in Chinese speaking world. It was translated by a panel with members from many different Protestant denominations, using the English Revised Version as a blueprint. This version was published in1919. The advent of this version kept pace with the May Fourth Movement and the New Culture Movement in China. It should be mentioned that this version became China’s first vernacular Bible translation and played a considerable as well as positive role in the popularization and development of Chinese vernacular. Therefore, study on the Mandarin Bible Union Version has an important cultural and literary value.From the perspective of hermeneutics, this thesis discusses translator’s initiativity in the Mandarin Bible Union Version concerning with translators’perspective, translation strategies and language styles. It consists three chapters. Chapter1discusses translator’s initiativity from the translator’s perspective. Chapter2explores translator’s initiativity from translation strategies. Chapter3comments on translator’s initiativity from language styles.Through analyzing the Mandarin Bible Union Version, we draw a conclusion that translator’s initiativity has been fully embodied in this version. Hopefully, this thesis may bring us a better understanding of the translator’s initiativity as well as a better understanding of the Christian culture and the Western culture.