The Subjectivity Of The Translator During The Translation Process Of "Olalla"

For a long time, the traditional translation view of translation has placed the source text at the center and considered translation an activity of mere language conversion. It takes faithfulness to the source text as the criterion for good translation and holds that translators must stick to the source text word by word. Consequently, translators’ role was suppressed and underestimated. However, the current understanding among the translation circles has begun to shift the focus onto the subjectivity of translators, and it holds that as a communication process, translation can hardly be satisfactory without the subjectivity of translators.This paper discusses how the translator overcomes communication barriers between two languages and facilitates communication between different cultures during the translation of "Olalla," by English writer Robert Louis Stevenson. Throughout the translating process, a translator should not only adhere to the source text, but also use his or her initiative to optimize the target text. To be specific, concerning factors of culture, an English-Chinese translator should compare the differences between Chinese and English cultures and uses strategies of domestication and foreignization and chooses the Chinese usage. Concerning the understanding of the source text, the translator should adjust translation strategies and selects proper words and sentences when necessary. Concerning the readers, the translator should manage to choose the popular language to make the target text understood by its readers. Some examples from the text are used to illustrate these three aspects of consideration.The conclusion is that translators are the medium for cultural communication. In the process of translation, the translator’s subjectivity can make great contributions to the quality of the target text.