A Report On The Translation Of Western Translation Theory:From Herodotus To Nietzsche(From Page 122 To Page 138)

The report is on the translation of Western Translation Theory: from Herodotus to Nietzsche by Douglas Robinson, a historical translation collection, which unveils the development of translation theories from 5th century BC to the end of 19 th century, and has provided the future researchers with abundant firsthand materials in the field of western translation theory study. The source text is selected from page 122 to 135, consisting of two figures, William Fulke and John Florio. Each unit records a figure from two aspects:background information and his major translation work.The theoretical basis of the report is “fourfold hemeneutic motion”, that is, “trust”,“aggression”, “incorporation”, and “retribution”. “Trust is psychological adventure and underwritten by previous experience”,“To decipher is to understand”, and “trust should get ahead of understanding”(Steiner, 1961: 312). Translators should have a thorough understanding of the source text and then trust it. He holds that translators should read and understand the source text with aggression, while opposed to despoliation or overstatement of domestication. Incorporation is aimed to make the new integrated into the known information with promotion of cross-cultural communication. Proper domestication plus proper alienation is recommended. The previous three movements will inevitably lead to imbalance between the source and target text, therefore, the fourth movement “retribution” plays an critical role in regaining dynamic equivalence. The paper also stresses the role of translator’s subjectivity in the process of translation. To realize this kind of equivalence, the translator should bring his subjectivity into full play with effective and appropriate translation strategies being adopted, such as amplification,omission, conversion, adjustment, repetition, and negation, etc. The translation of Western Translation Theory goes smoothly under the guidance of Steiner’s “fourfold hermeneutic motion”. As thus, it’s reasonable and appropriate to apply Steiner’s translation theory tothe literature translation.This translation practice has enriched the knowledge of translation theory and improved skills of translation. To be concrete, the author has gained a basic learning of western translation theory, Steiner’s “fourfold hemeneutic motion” and some basic translation strategies, which in turn can help improve the translation ability. Furthermore,a deep understanding of some mythological figures and literature works contributes to improving the author’s personal artistic appreciation.