A Comparative Study Of Translation Theories Between Herder And Schleiermacher

Herder and Schleiermacher are distinguished philosophers, ideologists and outstanding translators in the German Romantic Period. Not only are they personally involved in translating classical literary works of ancient Greece and Rome, but also they propose their own unique and prospective translation thought on the basis of their translation practice,which leaves behind an abundant legacy of translation theories to the later generations.Taking a general survey of the researches on their translation theories, it can be found that Schleiermacher is commonly recognized as the initiator of “foreignizing” and“domesticating” translation strategies. However, the latest study by Michael Forster shows that Schleiermacher's views on translation are mainly indebted to Herder's translation concept,and their translation theories have a lot in common. Based on previous researches,this thesis titled “A Comparative Study of Translation Theories between Herder and Schleiermacher” intends to systematically investigate the similarity and difference between their theories as well as the reasons and causes lying behind them by applying the research methods such as comparative analysis, historical material analysis, induction-deduction,influence research, etc.The paper begins with an introduction to translation theories of Herder and Schleiermacher, followed by the detailed comparison between their theories from four aspects including translation methods, translation purposes, etc. Chapter three makes a thorough inquiry into the reasons and causes for the similarity and difference of their translation theories. The conclusion is drawn that Herder and Schleiermacher's translation theories, with their own unique system, have both similar and different aspects: the similarity implies that Schleiermacher inherits translation concept from Herder, while the difference demonstrates that the former improves and develops the latter's theory of translation; the reasons lying behind them are closely connected with the similar ideological trend in their historical context as well as their views on philosophy of language and hermeneutics.Through the investigation, it is also found that their theories of translation not only lay the foundation for forming and developing concepts of “foreignizing” and “domesticating”, butalso make a great contribution to the development of western translation theories.