On The Realization Of The Intertextual Intentionality In Translation

Intertextuality is a universal language phenomenon. Since Kristeva first raised this perspective, translation study of intertextuality has evolved with continuous development by Barthes, Hatim and Mason, etc. The ubiquitous intertextuality is vital in text construction and comprehension due to its relationship with other texts. The final target in translation is to realize the intertextual intentionality that is contained in the macro-culture, as it is the basis of the general semiotic description of a given reference, while the intertextual signs on linguistic level also seek to be retained. To realize the smooth transference of the semiotic construct, it entails different translation approaches. The semantic translation and communicative translation put forward by Peter Newmark provide a practical and useful way. In translation practice, the two translation approaches are entailed to either retain the information or to reproduce the intention.This thesis explores the approaches to retaining the intertextual sign, and further, to the reproduction of the intertextual intentionality through an in-depth comparative study of the translation of intertextual intentionality on different levels through quantitative and qualitative data. By analyzing the intertextual reference of two translated versions of Hong Lou Meng, The Story of the Stone by David Hawkes, and A Dream of Red Mansions by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang, the author presented detailed case study on each level of intertextuality. The research shows that there is absolute untranslatability of intertextuality between English and Chinese. Translator should combine the communicative translation and semantic translation as a compromised solution in reproducing intertextual intentionality between English and Chinese.