A Report On The Translation Of D.H Lawrence's Lady(Chapter 2)

Some traditional translation theories like the literal translation or the Jerome translation model put the translator's subjectivity in the shadow,while emphasizing the invisibility of the translator.While with the gaining influence of translation's “cultural turn”,as well as the factors of politics,economy,culture and ideology and so on,traditional translation thoughts and standards are challenged and doubted.People begin to pay attention to the translator at the backstage and the translator's subjectivity begin to be prominent.The similar status of women and translation makes the combination of feminism and translation undoubtedly possible and logical.In the field of translation studies,the feminist translation theory provides a unique gender angle for the study of the existing translation theories.This thesis studies how the feminist translation theory makes the translator's identity and status prominent and emphasizes the same status of translation and the source text,the translator and the author.The feminist translation theory considers translation as a process of creative rewriting,a creative rebellion,and an alternative fidelity,while translation should involve both the translator and the author.This thesis selects a representative text of D.H Lawrence's Lady(Chapter 2),aiming to find out how the feminist translation theory influences translation through translation practice and its specific application to the translation.So it turns out that female translators sometimes can better understand sentences and contents that have a feministic sense and color;therefore,they can give a better translation in this field.This thesis is a report on a translation project,which takes chapter 2 with the subject of “Lawrence,Foucault and the language of sexuality” from Lydia Blanchard's work--D.H.Lawrence's Lady,which illustrates this subject with quite a few philosophical words and sentences.This chapter mainly focuses on Foucault and Lawrence's distinctive languages of sexuality.They not only don't avoid talking about sexuality,but discuss it from the depth of the language of sexuality.Lydia selected one of Lawrence's most literary and representative novels—Lady Chatterley's Lover,quoting the very classic paragraphs in it to discuss the language of sexuality.The original text,with implied meanings and metaphors,is a piece of literary criticism with precise and graceful linguistic characteristics.As a collection of literary comments,this book is rich in literary rhetoric and implications;the particularity of “sexuality” also determines the employment of slangs and argots.All of them bring considerable challenges and difficulties to this translation project.For the sake of adapting the sensitive and veild topic “sexuality” to the traditional Chinese context and being fully understood by readers of the two genders,the translator adopts a translation theory that emphasizes the translator,especially the female translator's subjectivity--“the feminist translation theory” as the guiding principle,from the female translator's angle of view to cross the barriers of different languages,customs and civilizations.Skills of literal translation,free translation,amplification as well as omission are employed during the translation process.Sex literature is not merely a literary topic that is rarely discussed in real life openly;more importantly,this kind of literary work reflects the social atitude more directely and deeply to some extent and becomes the epitome of that period.Hence,the research of sex literature takes a particular perspective to observe the vicissitudes of the Western society and the human spirit in that era.As a female translator,I hope to make Chinese society have a new understanding and acceptance of the sex topic and treat sex in a right and healthy attitude through this translation project.This translation report consists of three parts: 1.introduction to the translation task,including the background and significance of the translation task as well as the theme and style of the source text;2.a brief account of the feminist translation theory from five angles: the core of the feminist translation theory;stance and strategies;translation philosophy;research significance and the contributions and limitations of the feminist translation theory;3.the main part—case studies,verifying the specific employment of the feminist translation theory into this translation practice with translation examples.With history marching on,the discussion of sex in the mordern Chinese sociey is not mute anymore.Thus,as the translator of this translation practice,I hope to promote the sex research on sex literature and the language of sexuality,and also hope more and more people can have a healthier and more comprehensive cognition of the sex topic as well.