A Two-dimensional Study Of Howard Goldblatt’s Translation Of Wolf Totem From The Perspective Of Rewriting

Wolf Totem has achieved great success since its publication in China in2004. Its2008English translation made it "the record-setting Chinese novel". With the two dimensions of rewriting theory by Andre Lefevere, the thesis aims to first analyze the reasons behind the acceptance of the said novel by American readers. Then, it attempts to explore how the translator, Howard Goldblatt, employs the translation strategies so as to bridge the poetological differences between Chinese and English.As for ideology, it examines special curiosity of American readers’ about Chinese culture, freedom and independence long cherished by the American society and nation, as well as ecological protection vigorously promoted by the US, so as to demonstrate the novel fits the three concerns. With respect to poetics, it focuses on the translation of culture-loaded terms, metaphors and other examples with a case study methodology, with an attempt to examine the translator’s application of rewriting strategy.Based on all these studies, the thesis reaches two conclusions concerning the successful selection and translation of Wolf Totem:(1) meeting American readers’special curiosity of Chinese culture and two major concerns of the American nation and society;(2) the translator’s effective use of translation techniques or methods, such as creative translation, compensation, omission, and specification.