A Study Upon Translators’ Subjectivity As Demonstrated In The Two Chinese Versions Of Oscar Wilde’s Fairy Tales From The Hermeneutic Perspective

Due to cultural turn, studies upon translators have been paid increasingly more attention. As a result, translators’ subjectivity is also approved. Studies upon translators’ subjectivity gradually thrive. Referring to philosophical definition to subjects and subjectivity, and considering involvers’ participation in the process of translation, this thesis holds that translators are subjects in translation activities. Besides, translators’ subjectivity is a dialectical unity of translators’ initiative and passivity. Reviewing studies upon translators’subjectivity at home and abroad, there is still a lack of systematic study to translators’subjectivity. Scholars’ opinions scatter in papers published in various journals, the preface part of some books and one or two chapters in monographs. In addition, studies upon Chinese versions of Wilde’s fairy tales seldom focus on translators’ subjectivity. Relative translation studies still demand further development. Therefore, this thesis adopts a hermeneutic perspective to its study upon translators’ subjectivity of the two Chinese versions of Wilde’s fairy tales, hoping to contribute a little to enrich the relative studies upon translators’ subjectivity in Chinese versions of Wilde’s fairy tales.Hermeneutics is the philosophy related to understanding. As a leading scholar of hermeneutics, Gadamer put forward three principles to illustrate the mechanism of interpretation:fusion of horizons, historicality of understanding and effective-history. Translators form their personal horizons in their life, while a source text has an original horizon since its creation. Fusion of horizons refers to translators reconstructing the original horizon of a source text with his or her own horizon. This is the process of understanding in translation. Translators in different historical situations interpret the same source text with different focuses and stances because their understanding is influenced by the natural and social environment of their historical standpoint. So translators’understanding is historical. Hence, a source text is always possessing distinguishing undertones in different historical stages. And a target text should be evaluated according to natural and social environment of being created. This is effective-history in translation.This thesis is going to analyze translators’ subjectivity of the two Chinese versions of Wilde’s Fairy Tales respectively by Ba Jin and Xie Yujie with Gadamer’s three principles. During translation, translators’ interpretation of the source text can be equal to translation itself to some extent. Therefore, the fusion of horizons principle is going to be applied to find out what drives translators’ subjective initiative. Translators’bilingual ability leads to their varied focuses in expressions. Translating principles of two translators illustrate their distinguishable preferences in translating. Ba Jin tends to be more loyal, but Xie to be more free and flexible. And individual experiences have an impact on what kind of sight translators hold in fusion of horizons:Ba Jin holds a realistc sight; while Xie Yujie holds a childlike sight. These three factors consist of translators’ subjective initiative in translation process. Historicality of understanding would be utilized to explore what stipulates the limit of a translation. Dominant poetics lead Ba Jin to remain more exotic atmosphere, but lead Xie Yujie to be more consistant with the target language system. Language tradition of translators’ historical situation makes Ba Jin employ old expressions subconsciously, while makes Xie Yujie apply present expressions naturally. And translators’ awareness of readers limits Ba Jin with literary diction, but Xie Yujie with childlike diction. These three factors lead interpretations to certain directions, which consist of translators’ passivity. And finally, effective-history will be used to explore to support that all stipulations guarantee target texts’ adaptation to the target culture in certain historical situation. Both translations survive well in their historical situation. At last, this thesis desires to prove that some misinterpretations of target texts are caused by translators’ insufficient subjectivity. Therefore, adequate translators’subjectivity is a decisive factor for the success of a translation.