Chinese Women’s Translation Practice In The Perspective Of Feminist Translation

Feminism, as one of the most prolific framework theories, has influenced all aspects of society, including translation. The intersection of feminism and Translation Studies brought about the so called "feminist translation". The idea of feminist translation first emerged in the1980s in the specific context of Canadian cultural dialogue and finally made itself a solid field of research in Translation Studies in many countries.The introduction of Western feminist translation studies into China is quite a recent phenomenon which leaves a considerable gap for us to fill in. Zhu Hong, as an outstanding translator who has had access to feminist ideas in the West, is a representative of modern Chinese women translators. Thus, her translation of Chinese women writers makes a valid object for our discussion of Chinese women translators in the perspective of feminist translation..Drawing upon feminist translation theories and Zhu Hong’s translation, the present research examines the role gender identity plays in Zhu Hong’s translation and tries to find out whether she is a feminist translator or not. After the analysis of the socio-cultural differences between China and Canada, this thesis further provides an outlook for feminist translation practice in the context of China.The study reveals that gender identity indeed plays an important role in Zhu Hong’s translation. But Zhu Hong’s display of her gender awareness is a limited and conservative one compared with Canadian feminist translators. As a result, it will be more appropriate to describe her as a "gender-aware" translator instead of a "feminist" one. In view of the tremendous differences between China and Canada, it is unlikely for translators to carry out radical feminist translation practice in China. Chinese translators with gender awareness would most possibly find balance between asserting their gender awareness and gaining social acceptance, thereby developing a new Chinese tradition concerning feminist translation practice.