On Translator’s Subjectivity In Re-narration Of Translated Versions:

Relevant concepts in narratology have been applied to translation studies for along time, as a result, a great number of scholars analyze the translated versions fromperspectives of narrative techniques, narrative style, and narrative strategies. MonaBaker(2006) draws on the notions of narrative and translation as elaborated in socialand communication theory, which maintains that translation, as a form of narration,is re-narration of the original text, and translator is defined as re-narrator who intendsto reconstruct an ideal text in target language.For the sake of producing a satisfied narration in target context, translators resortto various framing strategies to mediate narratives features in the original text,strengthening or undermining particular aspects of narration. Meanwhile, translator’ssubjectivity can be manifested through those changes in narrative features of originaltext and application of framing strategies in process of re-narration. Thus, this thesisdraws on Mona Baker’s narrative theory to study translator’s subjectivity in theprocess of re-narration. Mona Baker’s narrative theory is the theoretical frameworkfor this thesis. Firstly, the author analyzes respectively the narrative features andframing strategies in the original text of David Copperfield and two Chinese versionsfrom Lin Shu and Dong Qiusi, revealing the manifestation of translator’s subjectivityin narrative features and framing strategies. And then, the differences of translator’ssubjectivity are analyzed in re-narration of David Copperfield. In the end of thisresearch, factors that influence the translator’s subjectivity in re-narration arediscussed.There are some implications for translation studies: Firstly, translator’ssubjectivity functions in process of re-narration, and the differences of translator’ssubjectivity can be manifested through translator’s motivations and choices in theprocess of representation. Secondly, external and internal factors both influence themanifestation of translator’s subjectivity, thus, ideology and poetics have beenoutlined for discussion, which are the main factors of influencing the translator’s subjectivity in re-narration. Finally, in this research, translation can be defined as afunctional tool, which mediates the narrative features in the source text, in this way,translator produces a politically charged narrative in target context. Thus, it remindstranslators a fact that translation should advocate progressive ideas. In addition, thisresearch provides a new perspective for the studies of retranslation andmistranslation.