On C-E Translation Of Chaguan From The Perspective Of Power Discourse Theory

Translation is a cross-language and cross-culture communication activity which plays a significant role in economic globalization and multi-culture nowadays. Since the 1970s, translation studies have gradually stepped out of the closed, static and single research paradigm under the impact of postmodern trend of thoughts and have turned the focus of studies from the intra-text to the extra-text. On the basis of "cultural turn" in translation studies, "power turn" also has become a hot spot in the study of translation of cultural field in recent years. French philosopher Michel Foucault's Power Discourse Theory concerns with the relationship between power and discourse, proclaiming that "power" and "discourse" are inseparable. "Tower" is a network pervading all areas of human society. The nature of "power" is the power of words; "discourse" is the manifestation of power, the tool of knowledge spreading and power manipulation. Power Discourse Theory makes people deepen their studies from mere political analysis of the cultural power to the field of linguistics. It claims that translation is a subversive cultural and political activity, which enhances men's understanding of the social nature of translation activities and widens the perspective of translation study.Lao She's Chaguan, one of the masterpieces of contemporary drama, is of great aesthetic and literary value and considered as the milestone in the history of Chinese drama. It has been translated into various languages. This thesis attempts to explore translation strategies and translation methods of Chaguan by making contrastive analysis of two versions of Teahouse by Ying Ruocheng and John Howard-Gibbon. Translation methods have been analyzed in the aspects, such as Chinese folk art—Shulaibao, Chinese humor, Chinese etiquette, Beijing dialect, expressions from Taoism and names. Based on Power Discourse Theory, this paper puts forward three translation strategies in the C-E translation of Chaguan:firstly, keeping traditional Chinese culture; secondly, reflecting language characteristics of Chinese; finally, strengthening translators'awareness of Chinese discourse power. In the C-E translation of Chaguan:literal translation should be used in the translation of Chinese folk art—Shulaibao; conversion, literal translation should be adopted in Chinese humor; transliteration, amplification should be adopted in Chinese etiquette; literal translation, transliteration with paraphrasing, literal translation with paraphrasing should be applied in Beijing dialect; transliteration, amplification, literal translation with noting should be adopted in expressions from Taoism; as to the translation of names, amplification should be used in names of organizations; transliteration, literal translation, literal translation with annotation should be applied in names of places; transliteration, combination of transliteration and literal translation, combination of transliteration and free translation should be adopted in names and addressing of people. To sum up, the C-E translation of literary works is influenced by source language and target language, translation strategies and translation methods are not only the matter of language or technique, but also a subversive political and cultural strategy. Lao She's masterpiece Chaguan, as an epitome of Chinese classic works, is of great significance in C-E translation and retranslation of Chinese literary works.